Saturday January 7st – Sunday 15th, 2012

Fourth seed Farlam guns down Lawman
Fourth seed Lorraine Farlam survived a tough quarter final match toppling Karen Lawman 2-1 to edge into the semi finals.

The Buxton ace needed 49 minutes to dash the title hopes of the former World Master in a match which was overshadowed by big night nerves.

The opening leg went with the throw; double trouble affected both players in the second leg, won by Lawman, remarkably with her 47th dart! The fourth seed took the third leg with the throw, exiting on 90, finished with double tops. The Buxton player won the race to the double but missed three set-winning attempts, Lawman then missing double 16 before Farlam notched double 10 with her second dart.

Lawman, winner of the 1988 World Masters took the opening leg of the second set as the next four legs went with the throwing advantage, the Doncaster player clinching the second set with an eye-catching 75 finish completed with double 20. But Farlam bounced back unleashing a 125 checkout finished on double tops to take the opening leg of the third set, pouncing to finish on double 16 in the next after Lawman fluffed a chance for double tops.

Play was delayed in the third leg after one of Farlam’s darts went missing after slipping behind the staging, forcing part of the new striking stage set to be partially dismantled. Despite missing a match-saving 131 checkout, Lawman composed herself to hit double four on her next throw to take the third leg against the throwing advantage. She leveled hitting double seven for an 88 checkout.

Farlam surged into the deciding fifth leg with 140 and 125 scores, leaving 96 after 12 darts, Lawman firing in a maximum to leave 81 but then missing three match-winning darts, as cool Farlam nipped in to book her semi final spot with double 10.

Deadly Deta makes nursery nurse Rhian the latest casualty
Top seed Deta Hedman dished out the medicine to topple nursery nurse Rhian Edwards 2-1 and reach the last four. But she was forced to dig deep, having to battle back from a first set 3-0 reversal at the hands of Edwards, who finished runner-up in the last world championships.

Hedman will feel she has buried the Lakeside jinx following the 36-minute encounter which saw her despatch 119 and 96 finishes, repelling a superlative 155 finish from Edwards.

Edwards surged through the opening set unchallenged; punishing the top seed for spells of inconsistency which had plagued the Essex-based player 12 months ago. But 52-year-old Hedman turned back the clock, producing vintage form to sweep to a 119 checkout, finished on bull to take the opening leg of the second set, against the throw, holding the advantage in the next but agonising as Edwards fired in double four.

Confident Hedman powered down to the double in the next, the Dark Destroyer blasting in a 96 match-leveling checkout, finished on double tops. The opening leg of the third set went with the throw to Hedman on double eight as the pace of the match increased, Edwards missing double five for a 95 checkout, as Hedman coolly exited on double tops. However the battling Welsh player replied by producing the biggest checkout achieved in the history of the women’s tournament – 155 – to save her title hopes but then missed double tops for a match-saving 74.

Hedman made no mistake firing in double 20 to move menacingly into the last four.

08 January 2012
Brave Trina dedicates victory to Mum Muriel
Golden Girl Trina Gulliver remains on course for a record 10th world crown after toppling England team mate Lisa Ashton 2-0 in the quarter final

But behind the 22-minute victory was a Gulliver’s deep desire to win this week’s women’s world title in memory of mother Muriel – her biggest fan – who died just two days before the tournament began.

The defending champion had wanted to withdraw from the tournament but was told by her dying mother to play in the tournament, promising her: “I will be with you on stage.”

Cheddar-based Gulliver wore her mother’s wedding ring on a gold necklace as she moved purposefully into the penultimate stage of this year’s tournament.

Gulliver fired a 100 and 83 en-route to taking the opening leg with the throw after the Bolton player fluffed two doubles.

The Golden Girl followed up with a 140 in the next, Ashton having a chance to check out but missing three attempts, Gulliver blazing in 140 and 121 shots in the next, annexing the set with a 95 checkout, finished on her favourite double tops.

The rout continued into the next set as the nine times world champ blasted in a maximum as she took the opening leg against the throw on double five.

She missed double tops in the next as Ashton gratefully seized the leg but only after squandering darts for the double.

As nerves crept into the match, both players missed doubles in the crucial third, the Somerset sharpshooter hitting her favourite double 20 after the Bolton player missed a further seven doubles.

After missing double tops for a 74 match-winning shot in the seventh leg of the match, Gulliver watched on as her opponent hit 25 throwing for bull and a 108 match-saving finish. Gulliver planted two darts on the wire of the double 20, firing in the third to win through and produce the top average in this year’s women’s event of 24.60.

An emotional Gulliver, choking back tears smiled and acknowledged the supportive crowd. The past four days have been a roller coaster of emotion for the Golden Girl.

Russian Anastasia melts the Ice Cube
Former champ Anastasia Dobromyslova eased into the semi finals, sweeping aside Wales’ Julie Gore 2-0.

The 27-year-old 2008 title winner, nicknamed "The Ice Cube" was never really challenged as the second seed once again suffered big night nerves on the Frimley Green stage in the 23-minute clash.

Gore opting to wear a shirt featuring the flag of St Davids – a yellow cross on black background – instead of the traditional red dragon was bidding to reach the semi finals for the first time in five attempts.

The former champ grabbed the initiative from the off, taking the first leg against the throwing advantage to send out a warning. The Russian sharpshooter turned the screw in the next exiting on 60 with double tops.

The Llanelli player blazed in 121 and 97 to pressurise Dobromyslova and pull back a leg but the Russian won the race to the double in the next, a 123 coming too late to save Gore as Dobromyslova clinched a set-winning double tops against the throw.

The former world champ stamped her authority on the match, annexing the opening leg with the throw of the second set and followed up with double tops with Gore languishing behind unable to apply any pressure.

Blasting in a brace of 140s and a ton she piled on the agony for Gore racing to the double with the Welsh player needing 183. Dobromyslova missed three attempts for double eight and then planted her next dart in the double 13 segment, while bidding for a match-winning double four.

Gore failed to pressurise once again as the grateful former champion exited on double four, coolly melting "The Ice Cube."