SPORTSMAN Tom Rawlings has showed he can pack a punch after swapping his cricket bat for boxing gloves and a head-guard.

The former Tenbury schoolboy hasn’t ruled out a return to the ring after being pipped by one point on his boxing debut at a charity show at Gatecrasher in Birmingham.

Rawlings was cheered on by his brothers Damian and James Yeomans and Tenbury cricketing team-mates Aaron Morris, Tom Pugh, Jon Pearson and Darren Ingram.

“I was a bit disappointed to lose by a point,” admitted Rawlings, who weighed in at 70.5kg and walked into the ring to the sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Can't Stop.

“I still feel there’s some life left in me and I am meeting my trainer for a chat on Friday.

“It was a fantastic experience, you train like a proper boxer, walk out to music of your choice and box in front of around 500 people,” said Rawlings.

“I have watched the Rocky films quite a few times in the past.

“Going out to bat can be quite a nervous thing to do, and there was a bit of anxiety before the boxing.

“When I got to the venue I had a medical and I knew that I was fighting fifth on the card.

“I felt really good and I could hear the people from Tenbury cheering me on.”

Rawlings had been training for six months at Birmingham’s Fighting Fit City Gym and hopes to raise around £500 for the Cure Leukaemia charity.

He fought against James Huggam, who works in Birmingham, and was trained by Paul Gough, who is based in Dudley.

“Boxing is an amazing thing and the experience is so rewarding,” the Rawlings.

“The training was something I had never experienced before.

“I was sparring twice a week and, after the Saturday session, I was doing hill sprints.

“I got myself into the best shape than I have been in before and I have been disciplined.

“I am due to play cricket this weekend - it will be nice to get into the normal routine.”