Saturday January 7st – Sunday 15th, 2012

11 January 2012
Rampant O'Shea rocks Ross to reach last eight
Stockport sharpshooter and former green keeper Tony O’Shea drove Scot Ross Montgomery out of the championship with a speedy 35-minute 4-1 demolition.

With 99 years of experience on the stage, the clash between between the eighth (O’Shea) and ninth (Montgomery) seeds and the spice of an England versus Scotland clash, the ingredients were there for a tasty encounter.

Montgomery added his own blend of ingredient entertaining the capacity Lakeside venue with an impromptu spell of dancing to his theme music, sporting a new pair of eye-catching white spectacles but he was crushed into submission by Silverback.

The opening set went with the throw to O’Shea, the Stockport sharpshooter then snatched the opening leg of the second set against the throw and then defended his throw, Montgomery missing bull for an 86 finish but recovering to exit on double eight after Silverback missed doubles. The Cheshire ace held his throw in the fourth leg to move ominously 2-0 ahead.

O’Shea surged through the third set unchallenged firing out a couple of 180s and an 81 finish completed on bull to extend his match lead.

And then in the fourth he fought back from 1-0 down to level and jettison a 102 leg winning checkout finished on double tops. The Scot leapt in to exit on double six after Silverback failed to clinch a match-winning 141. And then the former American footballer with the Glasgow Diamonds touched down with 96, finished on double nine to pull back a set.

In the fifth Montgomery hit double tops for an eye-catching 120 finish, O’Shea replying with a 104 checkout finished on double 16, adding a 92 finish completed with bull in the next to move within one leg of victory.

Leaving himself on 36, O’Shea agonised as the Scot, who needed 160 hit the two 60s, Montgomery breaking into a broad smile as his third dart failed to find double tops. Silverback fired in double 18 with his first dart.

Assassin Martin shoots down Flying Dutchman Van de Wiel
Martin “The Assassin” gunned down 10th seed Willy van de Wiel 4-2 after almost being squeezed out of the championship by the man in orange.

The Dutchman staged a massive comeback from 3-0 down, pulling back to 3-2, Atkins scrambling through on his favourite double tops.

“I thought of the game three years ago when I missed a double to win 4-0 and went out. Willy is such a good player. I got to 3-0 by the skin of my teeth and then he started to come back at me and I thought, oh no, not again!

“But I have broken my duck. This is the furthest I have been in the tournament, I never did anything as a seed. Perhaps next year I should come back as a qualifier!”

The Assassin found his range in the opening set unleashing a volley of precision doubles for a 3-0 success against the throwing advantage.

A maximum steered the Dutchman into a 2-0 in the next and despite his second maximum he conceded the third leg, Atkins himself hitting a maximum in the fourth. Van de Wiel notched his third 180 of the set but confident Atkins replied with a 137 and moved into a 2-0 match lead with an 88 finish, completed on double seven.

“Free Willy” missed bull for a 90 finish in the opening leg of the next set, Atkins swooping to pick off double eight and then on target with a maximum in the next as he moved 2-0 ahead in the set. The Leeds man captured his sixth successive leg for a surprise 3-0 match lead over the 10th seed.

Twice Atkins had darts for doubles in the opening legs of the fourth set, double 10 for the first and then double 2-0 for a 117 finish, Van de Wiel capturing both with double 16. Atkins raced to the third, exiting on 136 with double 16 but the Dutchman replied with a maximum and clinched the set on his favourite double 16.

Van de Wiel suffered more double trouble in the opening leg of the fifth set but pounced after Atkins fluffed bull for 83 and then the Yorkshireman missed double tops for 151, the man in orange nipping out on double four.

Atkins coasted to double 20, taking the match into a fifth leg and Atkins seized the initiative with a maximum but Van de Wiel pinched the set with 70, completed on that double 16, pulling the score back to 3-2.

As the Dutchman grimaced and constantly chastised his flyaway darts, Atkins defended his throw in the opening leg of the sixth set, missed double 10 for a showpiece 120 exit in the next, recovering to hit double 10 and a 2-0 set lead. Van de Wiel missed double 14 for a match-saving 107 in the third leg, Atkins - who had left 40 after hitting 138 - made no mistake this time to end the gripping 50-minute encounter.

The Count buries second seed Waites to stake claim for title
Ted Hankey staked his claim for a third world title, burying second seed Scott Waites 4-3 in a gripping 74-minute encounter.

Both players uncharacteristically missed doubles in a match dripping with tension but it was “The Count” who swooped back from 2-1 and 3-2 down to win through on a blood curdling 144 match-winning checkout.

“The breaks in the match came at the wrong time for me. I decided to speed up my game and Scott couldn’t handle it. At one point in the match I thought Scott was trying to slow me down. Scott is naturally fast thrower and I practiced with another fast thrower – Dutchman Willie van de Wiel so that I was ready for the match,” said the 43-year-old 15th seed.

Defeated Waites declared: “I could have won 4-0 if I had hit my doubles. I lost this match, although Ted played well at the back end of the game.”

Both players served up some tasty darts in the opening set, fast-throwing Waites surging into a 2-0 lead but then missing two darts for the set in the third as The Count nailed double 10. Hankey swooped to notch a brace of 180s to level. Waites agonised as he missed a further five doubles for the set, Hankey pouncing for a set-winning checkout against the throw, with double five.

Hankey drilled in his fifth maximum to take the opening leg of the second set but costly bull misses for 121 and 90 in the following legs let in Waites for a 2-1 lead and despite missing double 16 for 86 and a further five doubles, he leveled the match with double two.

Remarkably the Halifax player missed 11 darts as he moved into a 2-1 lead with the throw in the next including a 100 checkout, finished with single 20, two double tops. He held his nerve in the next after Hankey failed to exit on 76, taking 2-1 match lead with double 18.

The crucial fourth set saw the Count edge 2-0 in front but it was Waite who clinched the third against the throw and the fourth after missing two doubles before grabbing double five. In the deciding fifth leg the Telford player missed 66 for double tops, Waites missing double 18 and then double nine for a set winning 50. Not believing his luck Hankey missed two double and gratefully slotted the third in double five to level the match.

The fifth also went the full distance, both players still trying to reproduce their best form, Waites hitting the solitary 180 and then missing tops for 120, Hankey repeating the feat and watching on helpless as the Halifax man exited on double 10.

The Count fired in a maximum and 12-darter at the start of a 3-0 rout in the sixth set to plunge the match into a nail-biting deciding set.

And then he added his fourth successive leg, taking the throwing advantage in the seventh set, nervously missing three double attempts before striking double 10 to move within a leg of victory. As Waites grimaced and snatched his darts, Hankey fluffed five match-winning doubles, the gritty Yorkshireman scrambling to double four.

A fallen dart in the next leg failed to deter Hankey as he eyed up a place in the last eight, producing a match-winning 144 checkout finished on double 12.