CROWN green bowls queen Angela Athersmith shrugged off injury to win a major competition.

Athersmith came out top in a high-class field of 100 female players at the Isle of Man June Festival.

Victory was especially sweet for Athersmith, as she only returned to competitive bowling in May after suffering a broken ankle last year.

The Ulverston Cons and Coniston bowler, who finished runner-up in the same tournament in 2014, went one better this time to scoop the £1,000 first prize.

After winning through five rounds to get to the final, Athersmith edged home 21-19 against Caroline Hall, of Cleveleys WM.

“Everything went really well,” she said. “The weather was great, and the greens got faster as the day went on. And when you have an ankle injury it's easier if the greens are fast because you don't have to force it.

“You can just play naturally and move naturally without any force. So the faster it got the better it got for me, as I didn't have to put that much effort in.”

The semi-final had been just as close as the final, with Athersmith showing nerves of steel and great touch on a fast green to defeat Diane Harrison, of Lune Road, by the same margin.

Athersmith warmed up for the competition nicely by winning a ladies doubles tournament at Hawcoat Park, alongside her mum Joyce.

And when the Isle of Man Festival came along, she benefited from the green being dry and fast, meaning she didn't have to put too much pressure on her injured ankle.

Athersmith, who plans to defend her Isle of Man title next year, had to put bowls and her love of fell walking on hold for a significant period after breaking her ankle while out on a training hike ahead of a crack at the Three Peaks challenge.

“Bang went the eight months of training – it still causes me problems now,” she said.

“I've been trying to get back on the fells and I've done lots of stretching and exercises and physio. I've been taking tablets because it hurts quite a lot, and it has taken me a long time to recover.

“I didn't start bowling again in competitions until May because I needed time to try and get some strength back and then me and mum won a league ladies competition. It has been a long time coming.”

It was a double celebration for Cumbria in the Isle of Man, with Kendal's Martin Gilpin winning the men’s competition.