Ben Jones boxes for a place in the finals of the ABA Championships in Liverpool tonight.

The Crawley lightweight (60kg) is in the semi-finals for the second year in succession.

He fights Anthony Crolla (Fox, Manchester) after getting a bye in the quarter-finals.

Jones, who beat clubmate Robin Deakin at the Effingham Park Hotel in the Southern Counties final, said: "I want to turn professional after the ABAs but if I win then I would love to carry on a little longer and box in the Commonwealth Games.

"That would be great. I would just love to be able to say I have boxed for England."

His chances of victory were improved last week when defending champion Frankie Gavin withdrew through illness.

Jones said: "Gavin may have played it a bit clever by pulling out as he is the hot favourite to go to Melbourne anyway.

"But there should be a boxoff between the ABA winner and him. I would like to box him to see how good he really is.

"It is a bonus going straight through to the semi-finals. There is only one boxer who was in the semi-finals last year still in the competition and that is the Army's Chris Pacey. I won't meet him unless he gets to the final."

Bognor's Alex Gibbens has been forced to pull out at lightheavy (81kg) after damaging his right hand during a bruising victory against Adur and District's Lee Jenman in their Southern Counties final a fortnight ago.

Gibbens said: "That's the trouble when you hit people so hard you break your hand!

"It's a real shame but it is my right hand and an X-ray has revealed there is a break.

"I can't hit anything so there is not even a chance of strapping it up and fighting."

Jenman is unable to take advantage of the reinstatement rule because he cannot get time off work.