Lewis Bridger's audacious bid to win the British Under-21 Championship was thwarted last night.

But the 16-year-old Eastbourne Eagles rider did enough in reaching the final at Kings Lynn to prove he could be a future champion.

Bridger won four of his seven races, including the semi-final, before finishing third in the final after a great battle with Steve Boxall.

Sheffield Tigers' 20-year-old Ben Wilson won the final, followed by Ipswich reserve Daniel King, who will be 20 in August.

Bridger caught the eye with some typically exciting racing as he chased one of the greatest triumphs of his blossoming career in super conditons at the fast Norfolk track.

He was on a maximum after his first three heats, the third of those coming in a race featuring Edward Kennett. The Eagles youngster outwitted his fellow Sussex racer after both had made great starts.

The perfect record was ended at the fourth time of asking when Bridger could not get past King after going wide at the start.

King and Wilson only dropped one point apiece in five elimination heats and moved straight into the final.

Bridger and Wilson went head-to-head in the last heat for the right to bypass the semi-final race-off.

Wilson took the chequered flag, with Bridger second, to give the Eagles youngster 13 points from a possible 15.

Kennett, one of the pre-event favourites, was the only rider to take a point off Wilson when he won a curtailed heat one. But the former Eagle fell away from there and finished with a disappointing eight points out of 15, missing out on the semi-final.