A PAIR of bowlers have forged an unlikely partnership — despite an almost 70-year age gap.

Marjorie Fryer, who is in her eighties, attended an open pairs competition at Lowerhouse Bowling Club.

When her partner was unavailable to bowl, 17-year-old Ben Blackburn stepped up to the task, and the duo went on to win the competition.

Marjorie, who is a member Salesbury Bowling Club, has been bowling for almost 50 years, and she will be returning to Lowerhouse to partner with Ben again in another open competition later in the summer.

Ben has been bowling since he was just five, and is a regular at Lowerhouse.

He said: “My dad, Roy, got me into it and I have been doing it ever since.

“He passed away four years ago so I have kept it up in memory of him, but I really enjoy playing as well.

“It has been good bowling with Majorie and we get on really well. My friends like the fact I go bowling, especially knowing my reasons. I think they are all proud of me.”

Marjorie said: “I joined the competition with a partner who couldn’t play, and one of the members said ‘Ben’s a good bowler, he’ll partner you’, so we played together and then we went on to win it. He’s a lovely boy. He really is a nice lad.

“I’m lucky I was to partner with him because he’s such a nice person to bowl with.

“We get on really well together, and he did exactly what I wanted him to do when we were bowling, and I did exactly what he wanted me to do.”

Marjorie said she believes that their partnership goes to show that bowls is a sport that transcends age boundaries, and that she hopes that seeing Ben compete will encourage other young people to give the sport a go.

She said: “It’s a game that young and old can compete in together and enjoy together.”