Stuart Pownceby leads a group of five Oxfordshire boxers, competing in the quarter-finals of this year's ABA Novice championships at Watford on Saturday.

The youngster, who trains with coach Mick Rice in Sunningwell Village Hall, near Abingdon, faces Rayleigh's Luke Homer, an unknown quantity who has not had to lace a glove to reach the last eight.

Pownceby impressed against Marlow rival James Nugent in the Home Counties final and should have the edge in this Class A welterweight encounter.

Polish-born southpaw Peter Buchta is the first of the two Wolvercote contenders in action. He has a distinctive height advantage over Ferry Street rival Michael McDonnell in their Class A heavyweight clash.

Buchta's clubmate Simon Sutherland takes on Cambridge student Olly Bowles at middleweight.

Thame bantamweight George Buckland is the first local prospect to battle it out over four rounds in the Class B category, where he tackles Danny Cole, from Canvey Island.

Abingdon light welterweight Joe Whitman meets Addy Bliss, from Great Yarmouth.

One Oxfordshire boxer through to the semi-finals at Nottingham on May 20 is Wolvercote's Nicky Miles, who received a walkover in the Class A featherweight division.