PAT Edwards won the Florrie Hargreaves Memorial Trophy after beating previous winner Edna Ainsworth.

The East Lancs bowler beat Ainsworth 21-17 in a close final of an event that enjoyed its biggest turn-out in recent years.

A total of 44 bowlers took part in the annual competition at Roe Lee Park which has become a firm fixture in the bowls calendar.

And it was Edwards who added her name to the long list of winners with a superb display of bowling against the Salesbury bowler.

Edwards beat D Pickering 21-16 in the first round and S Greenwood in the second round 21-8 to set up a quarter final showdown with Dorothy Machell of Lower Darwen.

And Edwards proved to be too strong, coasting to a 21-8 victory.

Ainsworth came up against Dugdale's Jean Fry in the quarter finals and won by the same scoreline.

The quarter finals also saw Wendy Entwistle of East Lancs beat Voith Fabrics' Joan Levery 21-12 while Norma Helmn of Everton Street narrowly lost to visiting bowler, Janet Moxham of Barrow, losing 21-20.

In the semi finals, Edwards beat Moxham 21-16 while Ainsworth beat Entwistle 21-12.

Margaret Curren, president of the Blackburn and Darwen Ladies Bowls League, said she was glad to see such a high turn out.

"That is the most entries we have had for this competition in the past couple of years and that is very pleasing. The bowls on the day was very entertaining and it was nice to see Pat win the competition for the first time."

RESULTS -- Preliminary round: M Keelty 14 D Mills 21; J Higson 21 M Curren 18; B Hincks 12 E French 21; E Ainsworth 21 E Whittaker 8; J Howarth 19 B Gillibrand 21; D Harvey 16 J Burke 21; M Kendall walkover J Maynard; J Fry 21 P Haslam 20; W Entwistle 21 J Yates 4; D Bickerstaffe 21 M Waterhouse 10; S Bolton 21 J Shaw 18; J Pimrock 21 I Johnson 15.

First round: D Mills 19 J Higson 21; E French 17 E Ainsworth 21; B Gillibrand 17 J Burke 21; M Kendall 15 J Fry 21; W Entwistle 21 D Bickerstaffe 4; S Bolton 20 J Pimrick 21; J Leaver 21 M Fryer 20; M Pye 15 J Boardman 21; J Moxham 21 M Gavaghan 19; S Moss 21 P Oldham 14; S Nesbitt walkover S Holmes; D Heyes 16 N Helmn 21; P Edwards 21 D Pickering 16; S Greenwood 21 LMcEvoy 15; D Machell 21 J Hartley 10; H Porter 21 O Turnbull 17.

Second round: J Higson 19 E Ainsworth 21; J Burke 16 J Fry 21; W Entwistle 21 J Pimrick 6; J Leaver 21 j Boardman 5; J Moxham 231 S Moss 14; S Neisbitt 16 N Helmn 21; P Edwards 21 S Greenwood 8; D Machell 21 H Porter.

Quarter-finals: Edna Ainsworth 21 Jean Fry 8; Wendy Entwislte 21 Joan Lever 12; Janet Mxham 21 Norma Helmn 20; Pat Edwards 21 Dorothy Machel 8.

Semi-finals: Edna Ainsworth 21Wendy Entwistle 12; Janet Moxham 16 Pat Edwards 21.

Final: Edna Ainsworth 17 Pat Edwards 21.