THE cream of Britain's bowling talent arrive in Preston this weekend, ready to battle it out for a prestigious prize.

But there is a subtle difference between these battling bowlers and other crown green enthusiasts - the participants are all blind.

Bowling fans are expected to flock to Moor Park on Saturday to witness four teams compete for a place in the national final of the UK Fours Bowling Championship.

The event has been organised by the British Blind Sports Association and the Preston and North Lancashire Blind Welfare Society.

And while the game is very similar to the one played by fully-sighted bowlers, organiser Jim Bithell says there are some notable differences.

He said: "There are some slight modifications that need to be made, such as placing ribbons down the middle of the green so people can get their bearings. The starting mat is always in the same place so the bowlers keep their sense of distance."

Among the teams taking part are the Preston visually impaired bowling team. Included in their team is England player Henry Edwards, who won the English National Tournament in Bournemouth.

Jim added: "We have two teams from England, one from Scotland and one from Wales competing in this tournament round, which is the semi-final.

"We arranged it like this so a team from the North will play a team from the South in the finals.

"It is very competitive and should be good to watch."

The tournament is open to the public from 10.30am on Saturday. The event is free. For details call (01253) 725734.

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