THE lights went out at Ribblesdale Wanderers Cricket and Bowling Club after another successful floodlit bowling competition.

The event, now in its 21st year, was again sponsored by Rectella International Limited – Barbequick and attracted some of the best bowlers from across East Lancashire.

It was the second floodlit bowls competition the Clitheroe club has held in recent weeks and this time around it was Mick Burns and Craig Ramell from Rishton who emerged victorious.

The finals night brought together 16 of the top pairs who had been competing in a series of qualifying rounds in the previous weeks.

Burns and Ramell were up against Burnley pair Steve Barns and Robin Cook in the final.

After the first four ends, Burns and Ramell held a slender 4-3 lead which was stretched to 17-4 after 13 ends. Barns then won the block and scored 2-1-1 before Burns and Ramell scored one to lead 18-8.

That lead was stretched to 20-10 and with Burns and Ramell on the verge of victory, the Burnley pair briefly rallied. They won two more ends 2 and 1 before their Rishton rivals scored the one to secure victory.

Burns and Ramell were the stand-out pair on the evening, winning all four matches with some style - although they were pushed all the way by Wayne Ditchfield and Simon Coupe from Preston in the quarter finals before securing a 21-17 victory.

They began the evening with a 21-9 victory over Keith Moore and Paul Drinkall from Gargrave.

After seeing off the challenge of Ditchfield and Coupe in the quarter finals, they booked their place in the final with a 21-12 win over Ian Beecroft and Alan Handford in the semi final.

Barns and Cook got better as the tournament progressed. They were given a real fright in the opening round, edging past Bolton pair Anthony Rukin and Ross Hatzer 21-19 in the first round.

Their progression from there was a little bit more straightford. The beat Clive Chapman and Eric Ralphson Heywood 21-12 in the quarter finals then Martyn Cox and Barry Turnbull from Gargrave 21-9 in the semi finals.

The tournament was organised by Alan Dewhurst, a finalist himself whose own hopes were dashed at the quarter final stage when he and partner Stuart Gall were beaten by Cox, and Turnbull.

He was quick to thank all those who made it a success.

“A successful competition like this always needs the help of the great bowling members and social members who are always there to help out,” he said. From the program supplier, the ladies and gents in the kitchen, the supervisor in the score cabin and the scorers, the lady selling raffle tickets, the lads doing the pegging and all the ground staff “Many thanks to them all.

“Also a big thank you to our sponsors Principal Sponsor Rectella International Limited – Barbequick who were also our official match night programme sponsors.”

n Results - Last 16: G Emmerson/A Lord (Blackburn) 21-9 D Parkinson D Butler (Colne); I Beecroft/A Handford (Burnley) 21-16 B Gaskell/A O’Connor (Sabden); M Burns/C Ramell (Rishton) 21-9 K Moore/P Drinkall (Gargrave); A Nelson/S Wakefield Burnley) 4-21 W Ditchfield/S Coupe (Preston); A & A Hodson (Ormskirk) 20-21 M Cox/B Turnbull (Gargrave); S.Gall/A Dewhurst (Clitheroe) 21-7 G Evans/A Harrison (Burnley); C Chapman/E Ralphson (Heywood) 21-3 A Catterall/A Davis (Preston); S Barns/R Cook (Burnley) 21-19 A Rukin/R Hatzar (Bolton).

Quarter final: G Emmerson/A Lord 16-21 I Beecroft/A Handford; M Burns/C Ramell 21-17 W Ditchfield/S Coupe; M Cox/B Turnbull 21-14 S Gall/A Dewhurst; C Chapman/E Ralphson 12-21 S Barns/R Cook.

Semi final:: I Beecroft/A Handford 12-21 M Burns/C Ramell; M Cox/B Turnbull 9-21 S Barns/R Cook 21.

Final: MBurns/C Ramell 21-13 S Barns/R Cook.