The gloves are off at Bashley (Rydal) with skipper and lead bat Michael Porter pondering on whether to continue to play cricket or pursue a lucrative career in the boxing ring.
He's scored exactly 4900 runs in the past ten seasons for Bashley, guiding the side to the 2019 Southern Premier League title, but most recently and with the weather at its wettest, Porter took up boxing and has been letting his fists do his talking as opposed to his cricket bat.
Porter has proved a real knockout since linking up with the Ultra White Collar Boxing Club in home town Bournemouth, where he's floored one opponent after another in front of packed, blood thirsty black tie audiences.
The 28-year old so far has a perfect ten-out-of-ten win record, the last seven inside the distance knockouts - statistics that haven't gone unnoticed in higher circles.
The ABA selectors were present at ringside at the BIC last week when Porter waded in, ducking and diving, right and left fists pumping, to dump his latest opponent on the canvass inside two minutes.
"The crowd leapt out of their seats chanting 'more, more' : I thought I was in the Colosseum for one moment, fighting alongside Russell Crowe in Gladiator," Porter laughed.
Porter might just get an invitation to the upcoming ABA Championships in Wolverhampton and, if his right arm is raised at the end of his flyweight qualifying contests, a place the GB squad at the 2024 Paris Olympics might just be around the corner.
But if his sensational career start continues apace, Eddie Hearn's Matchroom promotions and Frank Warren might just bypass Porter's amateur career and jostle to give him an early taste of the big time.
Local boxing hero Chris Ballam-Smith is due to defend his WBO cruiserweight crown at AFC Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium this summer and there's speculation Porter could feature on the undercard.
"That really would be beyond my wildest dreams," said the Bashley captain, who harboured thoughts as a career as a footballer in his teens.
"I sat next to Harry Cornick in science lessons at Poole Grammar and, when my dad took me to Dean Court, Nathan Byrne was my role model. He was my hero."
Porter is waiting to find out who his next boxing opponent will be, but with the BCG waterlogged and little prospect of any pre-season friendlies ahead of the May 4 SPL start date against South Wilts, he plans to continue his early morning Boscombe beach runs, accompanied by his training partner, his dog Rover, pictured above.
"Rover thoroughly enjoys his early morning exercise, the only problem is that I have to take a plastic bag everywhere," he smiled.
www.facebook.com/1825270088/videos/pcb.10219923846726284/1467825790468635
He's scored exactly 4900 runs in the past ten seasons for Bashley, guiding the side to the 2019 Southern Premier League title, but most recently and with the weather at its wettest, Porter took up boxing and has been letting his fists do his talking as opposed to his cricket bat.
Porter has proved a real knockout since linking up with the Ultra White Collar Boxing Club in home town Bournemouth, where he's floored one opponent after another in front of packed, blood thirsty black tie audiences.
The 28-year old so far has a perfect ten-out-of-ten win record, the last seven inside the distance knockouts - statistics that haven't gone unnoticed in higher circles.
The ABA selectors were present at ringside at the BIC last week when Porter waded in, ducking and diving, right and left fists pumping, to dump his latest opponent on the canvass inside two minutes.
"The crowd leapt out of their seats chanting 'more, more' : I thought I was in the Colosseum for one moment, fighting alongside Russell Crowe in Gladiator," Porter laughed.
Porter might just get an invitation to the upcoming ABA Championships in Wolverhampton and, if his right arm is raised at the end of his flyweight qualifying contests, a place the GB squad at the 2024 Paris Olympics might just be around the corner.
But if his sensational career start continues apace, Eddie Hearn's Matchroom promotions and Frank Warren might just bypass Porter's amateur career and jostle to give him an early taste of the big time.
Local boxing hero Chris Ballam-Smith is due to defend his WBO cruiserweight crown at AFC Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium this summer and there's speculation Porter could feature on the undercard.
"That really would be beyond my wildest dreams," said the Bashley captain, who harboured thoughts as a career as a footballer in his teens.
"I sat next to Harry Cornick in science lessons at Poole Grammar and, when my dad took me to Dean Court, Nathan Byrne was my role model. He was my hero."
Porter is waiting to find out who his next boxing opponent will be, but with the BCG waterlogged and little prospect of any pre-season friendlies ahead of the May 4 SPL start date against South Wilts, he plans to continue his early morning Boscombe beach runs, accompanied by his training partner, his dog Rover, pictured above.
"Rover thoroughly enjoys his early morning exercise, the only problem is that I have to take a plastic bag everywhere," he smiled.
www.facebook.com/1825270088/videos/pcb.10219923846726284/1467825790468635