Great Britain’s boxers face an uphill battle in Kazakhstan next week to keep ther World Series of Boxing hopes alive.
Commonwealth Games medalists Galal Yafai and Cheavon Clarke won the first and last bouts of the night in Sheffield for the British Lionhearts, only for Astana Arlans to take the middle three for a 3-2 victory in the opening leg of the semi-final.
Yafai, fresh from his gold in Australia, was on the attack from the outset at Ponds Forge against Temirtas Zhussipov at light-fly and got better as the contest wore on, winning via a split decision 48-47, 50-45, 47-48.
Niall Farrell put on a terrific showing against Ilyas Suleimenov in the second match but the Kazakh held the edge at bantamweight thanks to some powerful shots, taking a unanimous verdict, 50-44, 48-46, 49-45.
Bout three was a cracker as Sheffield fighter Dalton Smith excited his home city crowd with some great work in the first two rounds against Dilmurat Mizhitov.
However the Astana Arlans man came back strongly in the third and fourth.
For this reporter it was all on the last, but the judges clearly saw things differently, the officials from Germany, Romania and Spain awarding the victory to Mizhitov, 48-47, 49-46, 49-44.
Late call-up Jordan Reynolds needed to see off Abilkhan Amankul in the middleweight fight but the Kazakhstan southpaw was on top throughout to get the nod 50-45 (twice) and 49-46.
It gave the Astana Arlans an unassailable 3-1 lead but Clarke cut the deficit by winning the last at a canter.
The Commonwealth Games gold medalist forced Arbek Abduganiyev two counts in round two en route to a 50-44 (twice) and 49-45 triumph.
Words: Roy Kelly
