IT'S come home!

The Star Masters Trophy finally returned to St Helens on Saturday night.

Brown Edge ace Paul Gartside clinched the coveted trophy with a display of pinpoint accuracy and determined concentration.

And it ended the domination by Wigan bowlers over the past few years.

Gartside's title-winning display came before a shirt-sleeved crowd of about 250 enthusiasts at the Gerard Arms, Dentons Green.

The Jackson Street-based paramedic opened his assault with a 21-13 defeat of Mere Brow's Harvey Birch.

And in the semi-final the 40-year-old father-of-three found himself up against the formidable Alan Shacklady (Ormskirk), who had just seen off Carl Gregson (Skelmersdale) 21-2.

But Paul was in no mood to budged from his target as he ran out a worthy 21-17 winner.

In the other half of the draw, the talented Ron Belshaw (Garswood) defeated Greenalls' John Daniels.

And Clitheroe's Malcolm Wensley, in ominous form, defeated two-times winner Terry Kelly.

Wensley went on to beat Belshaw in the semi-final to set up a titanic confrontation with Paul Gartside, this year's winner of the St Helens Bowling League's Dodd Trophy.

Wensley proved a dogged opponent, but in the end Paul's class shone through as the county star took the title 21-16.

Afterwards Paul thanked sponsors, David's Confectioners and Guardsman Industries.

He said: "Without them we wouldn't have competitions like this."

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