MELBOURNE, March 25: Pakistan’s only gold boxing hope, Meherullah, had to be content with silver medal when he was outpointed by England’s Stephen Smith in the featherweight category on Saturday.

Meher looked jittery in the final and was well and truly beaten by Smith who won with the comfortable margin of 20-10 as the Englishman landed more solid punches.

England was clearly the best team, headed by lightweight Frankie Gavin and super-heavyweight David Price captured five golds.

The other team members to take home a gold medal were flyweight Don Broadhurst, Smith and light-welterweight Jamie Russan.

The Melbourne performance equals the five golds won by England in the ring at the 1986 Edinburgh Games.

Price, who typified that spirit by climbing off the canvas three times in his semifinal to go on and win gold

Australia came away with two gold medals through middleweight Jarrod Fletcher and heavyweight Brad Pitt, while India celebrated only its second-ever Games boxing gold with bantamweight Akhil Kumar.

Gavin was one of England’s stars with a classy 23-9 points win over Giovanni Frontin of Mauritius.

Price avenged two earlier career defeats to outscore Welshman Kevin Evans in the third round of the super-heavyweights.

Broadhurst outscored South African Jackson Chauke inside three rounds for the flyweight gold medal.

Hot light-welterweight prospect Russan won without throwing a punch with a walkover when Lesotho opponent Moses Kopo suffered a perforated eardrum in training.

Light-flyweight Darran Langley was England’s only defeat on Saturday to Jafet Uutoni, who won Namibia’s first gold medal at the Melbourne Games with a sensational 37-24 win.

Host country Australia had two successes in their only two finals with Fletcher surviving a second-round knockdown to defeat Canadian Adonis Stevenson 34-18 and Pitt out-boxed Harpreet Singh of India to claim the heavyweight gold medal 25-10 on points.

Akhil Kumar won only India’s second-ever Games boxing gold medal with a points victory over Louis Julie of Mauritius.

Flashy Kumar won 20-12 on points and joined compatriot Ali Qamar, who won the light-flyweight gold medal at the 2002 Manchester Games.

Elsewhere, Ken Anderson stormed home to beat tiring Nigerian Adura Olalehin 23-19 for Scotland’s only boxing gold and Bongani Mwelase triumphed for South Africa with a spirited 33-26 points victory over India’s Vijender in the welterweight class.

Meher termed losing the final of his 57kgs featherweight to Smith “a disappointment “ as he failed to beat him in his second successive fight and not winning the gold.

“I lost to him last year in Glasgow and it is unfortunate that I could not beat him in my second showdown and I am really disappointed not to win the gold,” said Meher.

Meher said he was very confident to get a favourable result against the English boxer and to settle the score for his previous loss but sadly things could not work his way and he could not win the Games boxing gold.—Agencies