Saturday January 7st – Sunday 15th, 2012

The 2012 Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships has begun. The first round of competition has taken three days to complete with several seeds falling.

08 January 2012 – Day 2
Walton gunned down by The Assassin in 44-minute shoot-out
Martin “The Assassin” Atkins produced a giant-killing display in the all-Yorkshire clash to gun down former world champ John Walton 3-1.

It took Leeds-based Atkins 44-minutes to bid seventh seed John Boy “good night” as he fired out his title intentions with an eye-catching 132 checkout.

And it was all the more remarkable because the former world title winner from Sheffield stole the opening set against the throw.

There was intense interest in the all-northern encounter with former Yorkshire favourite Dennis “Bimbo” Hickling who appeared in the world championships back in the 1990s among those in capacity crowd.

Walton signaled his intentions hitting a maximum as he stole the throwing advantage in the opening set. He took the next and then blasted in a 97 checkout, finished on double 10, wrapping up the set in a speedy eight minutes.

All four opening legs of the second set went against the throw after both players misses 100 plus checkouts, Atkins leveling the match on double four, with his fourth attempt at a double after the former world champ missed bull for an 88 checkout and a 2-0 match lead.

The players traded the opening legs in the third set, Walton clinching double 18 against the throw to edge 2-1 in front but then fluffed double tops for a set-winning 100 finish, Atkins, who had hammered in a maximum, exited on 69, finished on double 18 to level the set. Despite a brace of 140s from John Boy, the Assassin hit his 72 checkout, gunning down the double 18 target with a single dart.

The opening legs of the fourth set went against the throw, Walton hitting his third 180 of the match in the next as he finished on 64, Atkins replying with a 13-darter. The Assassin had a place in the next round in his sights as he gunned down Walton, firing out a 180 and 140 followed with a superlative 132 victory checkout, finished on double 18.

"I was confident I'd give John a good game but I didn't think I'd win," Atkins said.
"But John will always give you chances as he misses a few doubles."

Debutant Jennings tames The Cougar
Sparkling debutante Paul Jennings tamed Garry “The Cougar” Thompson into a 3-1 submission to win through their first round clash.

But the 12th seed from Hartlepool was made to work for his victory in the 40-minute gripper by the never-say-die West Yorkshireman.

The newcomer made a dramatic start to his Lakeside debut hitting bull for an opening set winning 81 checkout, unchallenged by Thompson who has twice reached the last eight.

Showing no trace of first night nerves in his Frimley Green bow, Jennings surged 2-0 ahead, taming the man known as the Cougar, who scrambled to the next two legs, after impressive Jennings missed double 18 for a 147 set winner. In the deciding fifth leg Jenno fired out a maximum as he eased into a shock 2-0 match lead.

But Thompson is a scrapper and blitzed through the third set unchallenged, clinching it with an 81 checkout, finished on double 18, to tee up his 47th birthday celebrations tomorrow (Monday).

Double eight gave Jenno a 2-0 fourth set lead only to see the gritty Silsden man claw his way back taking the third leg on double tops and then firing out a 180 as he clinched the fourth leg on double five to take it into a deciding leg.
Thompson was favourite for the leg after hitting a maximum, Jennings sweeping back with 174 but then missing an astonishing six match-winning doubles before scrambling home on double four after Thomson himself had missed doubles to keep his tournament hopes alive.

“I’ve waited 15 years to play at Lakeside,” said a beaming Jennings after his win, spoiling Thompson’s birthday plans!

Joint favourite Scott Waites calls the tune
Joint favourite Scott Waites called the tune, dispatching karaoke-loving Andy Boulton in an absorbing 42 minute encounter 3-1.

After a storming start to the match, the Yorkshireman had to dig deep after the man nicknamed X-Factor threatened to spoil the script but felt the full wrath of the man nicknamed “Scotty to Hotty.”

The 2011 World Master narrowly missed taking the opening leg of the match against the throw when he wired bull for a show-stopping 123 finish. He then leveled and followed up with eye-catching 106 and 116 checkouts to steamroller to a 3-1 opening set success.

As he romped to his third successive leg he blasted in the week’s biggest checkout – 156 finished on double 16 to annex the opening leg of the second set. The following two were swapped but Boulton missed double 11 for a set-winning 142 checkout, as Waites powered in a 180 and 72 finish completed on double tops. The deciding fifth leg was a hard fought affair but Boulton blasted in a 64 checkout to level the match.

Waites opened up a 2-1 lead in the third set but then missed two attempts for double 16 for the set, with Boulton needing 139. After hitting a perfect treble 20, he followed up with treble 19 and looking on in disbelief as his third dart narrowly missed a set saving double 11. Waites grateful of a second chance fired in double 18 with his second dart.

The Halifax player eased into a 2-0 lead in the fourth set including a 134 checkout finished with double 16 but then missed two shots at his favourite double 18 and a brace for double four to win the match, Boulton nipping in to clinch 65 on double four.

Leaving himself 140, Waites hit two 60s but then wired double 10, Boulton powerless to respond as the Yorkshireman returned, needing all three darts to cross the line with a match-winning double 10.

Kist shows vroom vroom to motor into last 16
Lakeside newcomer Christian Kist showed he has lots of vroom, vroom as he motored into the second round, dumping out sixth seed Jan Dekker 3-2.

The 25-year-old from Vroomshop in central east Holland made a dramatic entrance, his fast-throwing emphatic style endearing him to the Frimley Green faithful as he won the all-Netherlands clash in a 48-minute encounter.

Kist is the latest player from the land of tulips and windmills to star at Lakeside, ironically dismissing the Dutch star who burst on to the scene 12 months ago and was expected to make a big impact this year.

Dekker known as “The Coat” marched confidently on to the stage in a trademark white jacket his opponent opting for a more traditional black playing shirt.

The match began at feverish pace as both players pounded the 60 sector with vengeance, Dekker hitting a 180 in the second leg but it was debutante Kist, who works on the roads, who laid down his intentions with a 3-1 success with the throw.

Both players hit maximums – a brace from Kist - in the next set as all four legs went with the throwing advantage. Kist fired in his third 180 to steal the momentum and snatched the advantage to exit on 81 with double 16, leaving a shell-shocked Dekker 2-0 down.

Games went with the darts in the next set, Kist agonising after missing bull for a huge 121 finish in the second leg. A brace of 140s steered Kist ahead in the next, Dekker snatching the leg against the throw with a 58 finish to pull back a set.

A maximum steered the road worker to the opening leg of fourth set against the throw, Dekker delivering an 11-dart reply finished on 81 and defending his throw in the next. Despite hitting a maximum and 134, Kist nipped in to take out 64 with double 18 to level the set.

It was nip and tuck to the double, Dekker missing three match-saving doubles and then Kist two for victory, as a tense Dekker missed a further two darts for double six before hitting the all-important green bit to take the match into a deciding fifth set.

The opening three legs went with the throw, a 120 score paving the way for a match-winning double 10 for Kist - dart’s latest sensational young star.

Willy brushes aside former warehouseman Prins
Flying Dutchman Willy van de Wiel charged into the second round, sweeping aside former warehouseman Dave Prins 3-0 in a rapid 37 minutes.

It was clinical display from the 29-year-old 10th seed from southern Holland, who reaches the second round for the third time.

The Dutch carpenter nailed his intentions in the opening sets, annexing six of the opening seven legs as Peterlee’s Prins screwed his face in agony, suffering his third consecutive opening round dismissal.

The Dutch ace, wearing glasses for the first time in the world championship, stamped his authority right from the off in the opening set with a clinical 3-0 success, Prins struggling to settle in his third appearance on the Frimley Green stage with a new set of 26 gram darts.

Prins powered into the second set to take the opening leg with the throw on double 18, the Dutchman taking the next two and then opening up a 2-0 match lead after Prins failed to pressurise Van de Wiel.

There was more of the same in the third set as Van de Wiel, with the throwing advantage took a 2-1 lead and then booked his passage in the second round with a 54 checkout, completed on double 16.

Afterwards the delighted Dutchman said: “Dave can play much better than that but the first round is always difficult.”

And the 10th seed said that when he feels good on stage his play speeds up.

“My hand shakes when I play so I try to throw quickly. I feel good when I am throwing fast.”