PUPILS were bowled over after turning their hand to a new sport.

The Burnley Primary Schools Crown Green Bowling competition took place at Scotts Park Bowling Club where children took part in morning and afternoon session.

The competition, aimed at youngsters less active and not involved in team sports, saw 12 teams take part in total.

The format saw teams compete in pairs of boys and girls with each match consisting of three ends. Scores for each pair were then combined to give an overall total.

The morning session saw teams from Lowerhouse Primary School, Holy Trinity, St. John’s Burnley and Wellfield.

Despite very few of the players having played bowls before, the standard improved as the morning wore on.

And after each team had played each other, it was Lowerhouse who finished top of the group.

The afternoon session included eight teams - St Augustine’s A and B, Christ the King, Whittlefield, St Leonard’s, Hapton, St Mary Magdalene’s and Casterton.

On this occasion, teams were split in to two groups with the winner of each playing each other in the final.

Both groups were very close and were only settled on points difference. But in the end it was St Augustine’s A and St Mary Magdalene’s who reached the final.

Considering the lack of prior experience, the final was an excellent standard and it was St Mary Magdalene’s who emerged as winners,

School games organiser, Helen Tyson, said: “It was an excellent competition, the event was targeted at the less active children and they all did really well.

“We would like to say thank you to Scott Park Bowling Club, especially Arthur for his help on the day. Also to Scott from Burnley Council for his help.”

The competition brought Burnley School Sports Partnership’s busy sporting calendar to a close.

The BSSP deliver the school games programme for the Burnley area where the aim is to increase participation in children’s sport.

BSSP is part of the national School Games programme, which is a unique opportunity to motivate and inspire millions of young people across the country to take part in more competitive school sport.

The School Games are made up of four levels of activity: competition in schools, between schools, and at a county/area level.

The Games have a strong inclusive element to them, giving more opportunity to young disabled people. Each area has a designated School Games organiser, and Burnley’s has recently been shown to be in the top 10 per cent of the entire country.