Saturday January 7st – Sunday 15th, 2012

12 January 2012
Top seed Deta is deadly as she topples Farlam

Essex’s Deta Hedman justified her top seeding, winning through to her first final after toppling Buxton’s Lorraine Farlam 2-1 in a 46-minute gripper.

At the end of the day it came down to a sudden death one set play-off after the opening 10 legs of the two sets went with the throw.

Hedman fired out a warning with a 180 and 177 and 14-dart leg in the third leg of the first set, which she took on double five.

The Buxton player produced a stunning 100 checkout in two darts to defend her throw in the second leg, Hedman replying with a set-leveling 78, finishing on double tops.

The following two legs went with the throw, Farlam with the advantage edging ahead in the deciding fifth leg, Hedman applying pressure with a 140. The Buxton beautician failed to put away 100 and Hedman was wide of the mark for a match-winning double tops for 113, Farlam clearing up with double 10 to level the match.

The opening leg of the third set went with the throw but wayward darts for the 36-year-old fourth seed let in Hedman on double 18 – the first leg to go against the throw. With the advantage the top seed trailed Farlam who held her nerve to hit double 10 after Hedman missed double 16 and then double eight for a match-winning 86 finish.

In the fourth leg Farlam missed an agonising five darts before scrambling to double two after nervous Hedman missed double tops and double 10 for a 97 checkout for victory.

It was nip and tuck in the fifth until Hedman fired in a 180 to leave double tops which she clinched with her third attempt to win through to her first final, producing the top average of the women’s tournament – 26.37.

Anastasia fells giant of darts Gulliver to reach final
Nine times world champion Trina Gulliver crashed out of the championship, whitewashed 2-0 by Russian Anastasia Dobromyslova in just 31 minutes.

In a repeat of the 2008 world final, the Somerset third seed failed for the first time to reach the final as the unseeded East European played mind games to topple the Golden Girl.

Arrogance and self confidence exuded from the Russian but Gulliver let her darts do the talking, as took the opening leg against the throw after Dobromyslova missed 10 doubles.

A maximum steered the Golden Girl to the next, the snarling black-shirted Russian taking the third on double 12 and in the fourth she set the pace, leveling the match on double 12 and turning to salute the crowd, the Somerset player bemused by her opponent’s behaviour.

Dobromyslova, clearly slowing the game and playing the crowd, missed double 18 for a set-winning double 18 and a further three for the same double but it was catching - Gulliver missing bull for 81 to steal the set. The Russian made no mistake on her return to the oche, nailing double 18.

The unseeded player – who beat Gulliver in the 2008 world championship seemed to grow in confidence with her mind games over the tense nine times world champ, who fluffed darts for doubles in the opening leg of the second as the Russian exited on 56.

Gulliver was first to the double in the next leg but missed double five for 95, Dobromyslova missing bull for 121. The Golden Girl missed a further two chances as the underdog clinched her favourite double 12 to move within a leg of victory.

Again in the third, the player from Cheddar requiring 105 saw her form desert her as she hit 92, opening the door for Dobromyslova to move into her second final with a match-winning 50.

Both players failed to hit the 24 per dart average, illustrating the tension which had affected both competitors.

Lucky 13th seeding steers Harms to victory
Tournament sensation and Dutch electrician Wesley Harms continued to shock as he fused Paul Jennings title aspirations 5-3, to coast into the semi finals.

But the 13th seed was made to fight all the way by the Hartlepool hotshot who just didn’t know when to give up in the 88-minute clash.

Harms from north west Holland, who started the tournament as a 50/1 outsider had his odds slashed to 10/1 before the game and now they are likely to be further revised.

The opening sets went with the throw, although Harms after hitting a maximum in the deciding leg of the first set missed two darts to finish 58 and then in his next throw he bust 20, which would have given him the advantage.

After the opening legs of the second set went with the throw the Dutchman pounced to take the third on double tops. He raced into a commanding lead in the fourth but needed eight double attempts and double one to clinch the set.

Jenno seized the initiative in the next opening up a 2-0 lead, against the throw, Sparky clinching the third in 13 darts but then missing double 14 for a set-leveling 121 checkout as Jennnings coolly fired in double 19 to level the match with a 115 finish.

A 15-darter paved the way for a 3-0 rout for the Dutchman in the fifth for a 3-2 match lead, who then turned the power up to hit consecutive doubles (five and 15) after he missed double tops with his first dart to lead the set 2-1.

Sparky fired in a spectacular 107 checkout, finished on double 16, sending the orange-clad supporters in the crowd into fits of ecstasy as he took control of the match with a 4-2 interval lead.

He stole the opening leg of the sixth with a 15 dart checkout but then bust an attempt to take the next with 98, Jennings nipping in to exit on double tops, repeating the feat in the next leg against the throw. He held his nerve in the tense fourth to smash in an 11-dart checkout to pull back a set.

The opening three legs of the eighth set went with the darts, Jennings hitting a mere 27 as he suffered a bounce-out in the crucial leg, Harms powering in a 133, which left him 59. A single 19 left him his favourite double tops but nerves forced the dart below the double ring as he confidently steered his third dart into the match-winning double 10 for a place in the last four.

End of an era as Silverback slays Wolfie
Stockport’s eight seed Tony O’Shea ended defending champion Martin Adams’ hopes of a record-equalling third successive world title, dumping him out 5-2.

Adams, top seed and 2/1 title favourite never settled in the clash between darts two elder statesmen – both in their 50s and both grandfathers – as they battled for a place in the last four in the 63-minute encounter.

Silverback’s victory ends near three-year unbeaten spell at Frimley Green for the England skipper and newly appointed BDO director.

He had suffered a pre-match scare when one of the lens dropped out of his only set of glasses. He managed to replace and tighten the frame in time for the match start.

The defending champ dropped his first set of the week as Silverback powered in two maximums and clinched the fourth leg on double six, Adams having missing double tops for a 117 finish in the previous leg for the opening set.

Despite a second maximum from Wolfie, rampant O’Shea clinched victory in the second with a three dart 81 finish to edge into a surprise 2-0 lead.

Taking the opening leg of the third set with his favourite double 16, O’Shea fired out a maximum but was stunned when the defending champ pulled off a 161, finished on bull to put himself in line for the £3000 highest checkout award. Silverback replied taking the third leg against the throw on double 16.

But not to be outdone Wolfie sent his fans into howls of excitement as he nailed 118 finished with double tops to pull back a set.

O’Shea took the opening leg of the fourth with the throw, Adams missing double tops for 160 and the Stockport man immediately producing the game’s top finish of 170 to steal Adams’ prize money for the top shot-out but more importantly move 2-0 ahead in the set. Wolfie missed double 16 for a set-saving 56, the eighth seed pouncing to finish the same required score on double tops for a 3-1 match lead.

Adams is renowned for being a scrapper and he surged through the fifth set unchallenged but O’Shea notched another maximum to defend his throw in the opening leg of the next set and pouncing for double 16 after Adams missed four attempts for doubles. With Adams trailing in the next the Cheshire county player exited on double 16 with his third dart for a comfortable 4-2 match lead.

He rushed into the seventh set, hitting a maximum and notching a two dart 81 finish completed on double 12 against the throw, stunned Adams watching on is disbelief. In the next Wolfie missed tops for 80 and O’Shea again jumped in to exit on double 10.

Adams defended his throw in the third leg, nervously needing four darts but Silverback swept in his third 180 of the set to set up a memorable 52 checkout, completed on his favourite double 16.