BARNEY ON SONG - COULD THIS BE NO.3?

Raymond Barneveld was back to his best as he clinched a place in the final of the Embassy World Championship with a 5-2 win over Mervyn King. Barneveld proved too strong for King and will face Ritchie Davies in Sunday's final at the Lakeside Country Club. Ritchie Davies booked his place in the final by beating Gary Anderson. Welshman Davies continued his impressive form to triumph 5-2 over his Scottish rival.

Raymond Desperate To Regain Title

Dutch ace Raymond Van Barneveld says he is determined to make it a treble of title wins at the Embassy World Championship in Frimley Green this weekend. The world number two was crowned champion in 1998 and 1999, but he has been a frustrated spectator as Ted Hankey, John Walton and Tony David have since held aloft the coveted trophy. To realise his dream, the 35-year-old had to overcome Mervyn King in the second of Saturday's semi-finals to make the Final.

King inflicted a 5-3 defeat on Van Barneveld at the quarter-final stage 12 months ago but Barney was able to turn the tables this year in a thrilling encounter. "I want to win this title so badly, for myself and my family," said Van Barneveld. "I've been in superb form in the last few months. It's the kind of form, which you need to get into the final. "But it doesn't just stop in the final. You have to play marvellous darts to win the Embassy."

JOB DONE: An emotional Raymond van Barneveld is interviewed by BBC's Ray Stubbs after his victory.

Semi-finals results (best of nine sets) (Seeds in brackets) Ritchie Davies (Wal) def Gary Anderson (Sco) 5-2 Raymond Barneveld (Ned) (2) def Mervyn King (Eng) (3) 5-2

Welsh darts star Ritchie Davies (right) made his way into the final of the 2003 Embassy World Darts Championship when he defeated Scotland's Gary Anderson in a thrilling semi-final at the Lakeside in Frimley Green, England. Davies had the darts as the first semi-final got underway but it was Anderson who got into the groove first. His opening throw produced a maximum and that was enough for him to reach the double first and go ahead.

He hit another 180 in the second leg which he won before Davies made it 2-1. The Welshman was so close to levelling the match when he grazed the bull wire in an attempt at 170. Anderson stepped in and checked out on 64 to claim the first set. Anderson needed 17 darts to take the first leg of set two and Davies squared it when both players missed a string of chances at the double. The Welshman claimed the next leg against first throw advantage and went on to make it one set each. Davies made it four successful legs in a row and then five as he began to get a grip on the game - taking his three-dart average above 95. Anderson came back but another cracking leg from Davies (12 darts finishing with a 140 game shot) put him 2-1 in front. The Scotsman took the initiative in the fourth as he bashed out legs with 13 and 14 darts to go 2-0 up - collecting two maximums on the way. Double eight came to Davies' rescue in the third as he pulled back to 2-1 before holding his advantage and forcing the set to a deciding leg. Anderson had the first throw but high scoring put Davies well in front and he hit double five to go 3-1 ahead in sets.

Anderson (right) knew he had to make a move and took the darts off Davies when the players returned from their short interval. It took him 17 darts to go two up but needed just 11 in the next leg as he followed a 180 with a treble 19, double 12 checkout. Davies took 16 throws to take the darts off his opponent in the opening leg of set six but back came Anderson with a 14-dart leg before moving to 2-1 ahead. Back came the man nicknamed "Lamb Chop" when he hit a 15-dart leg to even up the set.

He then knocked in two consecutive maximums to set himself up for a shot at a nine-darter - he missed the next treble but won the set and was soon 4-2 in front and one set away from victory. Yet another 15-dart leg from Davies set him off in the seventh set and he looked favourite to go two in front. Battling Anderson hit a timely 110 checkout to level but Davies was on fire - hitting back with a 12-dart leg to put him one leg away from a place in the final. Double ten had served him well all the match and it did not let him down when he really needed it. His dart went neatly into the centre of the double and he was into the last two! "The darts just flew in again this afternoon," said a delighted Davies afterwards. "I started slowly today which was different to my previous games, but I managed to fight back and the deciding leg in the fourth set was the crucial one. "I'm looking forward to the final now.

Ritchie Davies Welsh fans

If anyone would have told me at the start of the week that I would be in the final, I'd have laughed at them. "Anderson said: "Going 2-0 up in the fourth set and then losing it 3-2 is not good enough. I just threw it away. "It's been a good week for me. Three Scotsman in a tournament, that's good enough for us."

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RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 5 - MERVYN KING 2

King was intent on getting back into the final - he lost to Tony David last year - and held his throw with a 15-dart first leg. Barney (right) replied, finishing on double tops and King hit back for a 2-1 lead. But darts were going with the throw and Barney was soon back on level terms with a 13-darter. "The King" had the throw in the deciding leg but maximum and a 131 a from Barneveld left him on

double 16. He missed by nailed the double 8. Barney was in fine form and checked out on 110 (60 18 x16) in the first leg of set two and he was soon two in front as King missed six shots at a double. Barney was two sets up moments later after getting double five after missing tops and double ten. The best moment of the match came in the opening leg of set three. King went off with 180 and Barney followed. The crowd went berserk when both players repeated the feat with their next throws. King then missed a treble and left himself on 52. Barney got his 60 but just missed treble 19 as he went for a nine-darter. King failed to get out and Barney stepped up to hit double 16 for a ten-dart leg. Another 12-darter from Barney put him 2-0 ahead but King hit back to make it 2-1. The revival was short, however, as Barney found another 12-darter to move 3-0 ahead in sets. Barneveld was motoring and a 14-darter from the two times Embassy champion got the fourth set underway. But King was still full of fight and a 13-darter and 14-darter put him 2-1 up. He had the darts in the fourth and missed five shots to take the set. However, Barney also made several rare misses and King's double one was enough for his to take the set but trail 3-1 at the interval. King (pictured right) came out with renewed determination and held his throw to take first blood.

Barney levelled and then went 2-1 up. But the Dutchman's scoring totally deserted him in the next leg and King broke back and then hit a 14-darter to get back into the match at 3-2 down in sets. Barneveld was trying to put a poor patch behind him and claimed leg one in the sixth. King hit back with a 14-darter but Barney was back in front when he checked out on 102 (60 10 x16).

King had the darts in the fourth leg and, as both players missed opportunities, he levelled to 2-2. Barney though held his throw to go 4-2 up in sets - just one away from a place in the final. King was clearly disturbed by something and had words with referee Rab Butler. But Barney was unaffected and took the darts off his opponent. The Dutch player knocked out a spectacular 12-darter in the next - finishing with a 161 check-out (60 51 bull). He watched King miss an attempt at 72 and then stepped up to finish 100 with two darts (60 tops).

Raymond van Barneveld's Dutch fans.

"I dream for the last two or three months of the title," said Barneveld. "I want to win it for Holland, but most of all for myself." King complained afterwards that the air conditioning in the arena had blighted the flight of his darts.

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Ladies Embassy

FINAL TRINA GULLIVER 2 - ANNE KIRK 0

Favourite Gulliver got in front from the off as she piled the pressure on Kirk by taking the opening leg against the throw - hitting 18 double nine to get out. Gulliver went two up when she declined a shot at double five but hit two and then double four with her third dart. Kirk had the throw in the third leg but high-scoring Gulliver roared into the lead and checked out with Kirk not even on a shot out.

Kirk, though, had not just come to make up the numbers and got in front of Gulliver against the throw in the first leg of set two. Gulliver hit a 25 instead of the bull to finish off an attempt at a 121 checkout and Kirk followed up with 18, double tops.

Kirk got herself in the driving seat when she checked out in the second. Needing 56 she hit 16, x1, x19. Gulliver then turned on the style and got back into the set with a brilliant 12-dart leg to make it 2-1. Kirk just missed a 93 checkout and Gulliver stepped up to level it when she just got inside double ten with her last of three darts. A maximum from Gulliver hurt Kirk in the fifth leg and the defending champion stepped up to collect her third title in a row when she checked out on 93 - 19, treble 18, double 12. Trina Gulliver 2 (28.31) Anne Kirk 0 (23.40)

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