Western Australia dominates Cup

The Peter McMenamin Cup at the 31st Australian Darts Championship resulted in the closest finish to both men's and ladies events in history. This event has been played since 1998 and never has there been so many teams in contention going into the last round of competition. For example in the men's competition, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia all entered the last round having to win as all three teams had suffered just one round and were all equal on points, and that was in both the Green and Gold Divisions. In the Ladies competition two teams were equal placed entering the last round and were looking at a tiebreaker to separate the two teams at the end of the round robin in the Gold Division. Western Australia had to win their final round match to secure the Green Division but they had lost one round and South Australia Queensland and Victoria were hoping for them to slip up so they would then be level with WA on points forcing another tiebreaker.

After two days of non-stop darts the Western Australian Black Team won the Ladies Peter McMenamin Cup at the Central Coast Leagues Club in Gosford. This is the eighth time that the Western Australian Ladies have won this title, the last time being back in 2007.

Western Australian Ladies Darts Teams have dominated the Peter McMenamin Cup over the 12 or so years this event has been played but missed the final in 2009 but they were back in 2010. 2010 saw Western Australia dominating both divisions; however every team competing this year lost at least one game. This set up a very close competition. In the Green Division the Western Australian Black Team (left) came out on top. They surprisingly lost a round to Victoria Navy but with comfortable wins in most of their other rounds advances straight into the final.

The Gold Division was a little different though. By the end of the round robin Victoria White and Western Australia Gold had tied on wins after Victoria had suffered a loss to New South Wales and Western Australia to Victoria. This meant a tiebreaker was required to separate the two teams. In the best of three legs tie breaker Janine Cassar representing Victoria won after defeating Louise Ball. Interestingly, both these two ladies were the Australian Ladies Team at last year's World Cup.

To the final and with Victoria represented by Janine Cassar, Sue Tuhi, Sheryll Beasy and Karen Roberts (pictured left) up against Western Australia's Natalie Carter, Kim Kelly, Jodie Hislop and Jodi Saunders, a close final was expected. Both Teams were slugging it out early with the WA Team taking the first two legs and Victoria the next two. At this point the Western Australians started applying the pressure winning six of the next seven legs to take an 8 - 3 lead and the final looked all over. As in most finals there was to be one last twist. Victoria stopped the rot and came back strongly winning the next four legs to see the score at 8 - 7 to WA. The sixteenth leg had Sue Tuhi at the double (16 left) to send the final into a tiebreaker but Kim Kelly who had thrown great darts during the final finished from 25 to clinch another title for Western Australia.

The battle for the Cup in the Men's event was a shootout between Queensland and Western Australia. The Men's competition saw the winner came from the Green Division where the Western Australia Black (left) won through after an intense battle over the two days. They won through to the final after losing just one match to Queensland. As Queensland had lost to Victoria in the first round a tiebreaker was required to separate the two teams. Kim Lewis defeated Owen McArthur 2 - 1 in that tiebreaker to move into the final.

In the Gold Division the Queensland White Team won through after they won a tiebreaker to make the final Geoff Kime defeated Western Australian Kyle Anderson 2 - 1 to take their final spot.

The final between the Green and Gold Divisions was expected to be a very close contest. Queensland who had been relentless against all opposition was represented by Geoff Kime, James Bailey, Dewayne Turner and Pat Orreal. The Western Australian Team consisted of players Kim Lewis, Kerry Whear, Joe Comito and Justin Miles had played brilliant darts over the two days. Queensland got away to a flying start winning three of the first four legs - two of those legs being 14 darters. The next rotation of four legs was evenly split so after eight legs Queensland were leading 5 - 3. Western Australia fought back winning three of the next four legs to even up the final at 6 - 6. With four legs left to be played the final could go either way. It first looked like Queensland would win after Pat Orreal (13 darts) and Geoff Kime (19 darts) saw Queensland (right) within one leg of victory. Kim Lewis with a magnificent 118 got a leg back for the West, and then Kerry Whear sent the final into a tiebreaker winning the last leg. It was to be Geoff Kime against Kim Lewis in the tiebreaker and what a cracker it was. Unfortunately for Geoff Kime, he had a chance to win the tiebreaker but blew hitting double tops. Kim Lewis with three darts at the same finish only needed one to clinch the title with a 16-darter. Western Australia has won back-to-back titles.