LIGHT heavyweight Patrick Allen Cripps set out to capture England's premier amateur title by contesting the English Elite Championships.

After exiting at the quarter-final stage last year, he was determined to improve with a good run this time.

First up for the 20-year-old was Dexter Makaza, from the Salisbury club in Liverpool, at the University of East London.

Makaza had won the Merseyside title by knocking out an England representative, so he came with a reputation.

However, this did not faze the Harwich boxer, who started confidently to take the first three-minute session with an array of well-timed shots.

The next round saw Allen Cripps excel, forcing a standing eight count after wobbling Makaza with a vicious right hook.

He sensibly boxed to orders in the last to stay out of trouble and book his place in the semi-finals the following day, via a unanimous points decision.

At the same venue, Allen Cripps took on much-fancied army boxer John Marvin, who had looked sensational in his quarter-final, winning his contest inside the distance.

Marvin also had international experience, previously winning gold at the 2017 south-east Asian Games while representing the Philippines.

Again, untroubled, Allen Cripps started confidently, setting a high pace and pushing Marvin back throughout the contest with aggressive combination punches.

After nine minutes of frantic action, he received a deserved points win from the judges to become the first-ever Harwich boxer to make it to the National Elite finals.

The championship finals followed the next day at the spiritual home of British boxing, at York Hall, in Bethnal Green.

He was up against old rival Ben Rees, from Birtley ABC, in the north-east about to be renewed in the 81k final.

In December, Allen Cripps had boxed his way to the under-22 years UK NABC finals against Rees, in his backyard of Durham.

He lost a unanimous points decision, so revenge was very much in Allen Cripps' mind.

Spurred on by a fair-size following, he forced the pace against his tall southpaw opponent, gaining success with clipping single shots.

Rees, a former multi-titled junior boxer and world youth quarter-finalist, used his extensive experience to smother Allen Cripps' assaults to good effect.

Both boxers felt the effects of a punishing three-day competitive schedule, in very warm conditions, but gave their all in search of victory.

Eventually, after three gruelling rounds, a split decision went the way of Rees, with three judges favouring his work against two judges who went for Allen Cripps, who came so agonisingly close to lifting his first major national title.

Every cloud has a silver lining, though, and his outstanding championship has seen him called up to the England team for a tri-nations event in June, in addition to a year-long place of the England talent programme.

Harwich head coach Martin Webb said: "Pat fully justified his pre-championship seeding of number two out of the eight remaining light heavyweights in the country.

"All three of his performances were a revelation as he's finally started to deliver some of the potential he's always had.

"We've had national champions and England reps at the club previously at junior level, so it's great that his exploits have taken him and the club to the next stage in the adult elite category.

"I'm confident that if he remains focussed, he can do well and flourish at international level as he just gets on with the task in hand with little or no fuss.

"It's been a great journey for Pat, who had his first bout with the club as a 12-year-old and is now close to having had 60 contests overall.

"He has done himself, his club and the town of Harwich proud this week and I'm sure we will all be hearing a lot more about him in the future."