HUNDREDS of mourners joined cricket star Graham Lloyd today to bid a tearful farewell to his wife and mother of his two sons.

Sharon’s casket, covered in pink rosies, lillies and gerberas was carried into Accrington Crematorium as Ave Maria played.

The crematorium chapel was filled to capacity while crowds of mourners, including former England captain Freddie Flintoff, lined the avenue outside to bid farewell to the 37-year-old from Accrington.

Mourners heard Sharon, originally from Merseyside, leaves sons Joseph, 12 and Joshua, seven.

The mum-of-two lost her battle to a brain tumour at East Lancs Hospice on Mother’s Day.

Reverend Roger Parker who led the service said: “I see the three men most important in Sharon’s life, Graham, flanked by young Joshua and Joe, sitting here before me.

"I spoke to Joe about his mother’s death a few days ago and he said: ‘She always took care of me and never hurt anything’.

“Graham said she was easy to please. He said she was as happy with fish and chips from the chippy as with a five star meal.”

At the service, Rev Parker said Sharon was ‘full of life’.

He said: “A chance meeting took place when Sharon went to the Scarisbrick Hotel in Southport with a friend.

"The weather was not cricketing weather like today, and because the cricket had been rained off, by pure fortune Graham was there.

“They started courting in the old-fashioned way. But whenever Graham called she was out because she was full of life.

“He was obviously persistent and the rest is history.”

Rev Parker read Sharon’s favourite poem ‘Next to You’ from the book about Caron Keating’s death, leaving her husband and two young sons.

The service was brought to a close with Westlife’s Flying without Wings, before mourners gathered to celebrate Sharon’s life in the Peel Park Hotel.

Donations in Sharon’s memory are being received in memory of Sharon for East Lancashire Hospice care of Hyndburn Funeral Services.

Graham, a former Lancashire and England batsman, is the son of David Lloyd, Sky Sports commentator and former Lancashire and England cricketer and national coach.