As Mick Jagger said in the rock classic, ‘In fact it’s a gas…’
The UK Open at Bolton set new standards in darting achievement and excitement. Early doors Anastasia Dobromyslova showed true class in a fighting loss to World Master Robert Thornton. Then the phenom Michael Van Gerwen stunned us all with three consecutive 100 plus shot-outs – then he blew it, losing to Thornton. Vincent Van der Voort, blond hair like a well-used scrubbing brush, was timed at 4.5 seconds to throw three darts and blitzed Colin Lloyd. Then Adie Lewis let rip and won the match of the Flash Harrys against Wayne Mardle. We even had the humour of new daft nicknames like Mark Frost, who calls himself ‘Frosty the Throwman.’ I wished I had coined that one.
I said from the start that a ‘hot streak’ player would again emerge like Shayne Burgess in 2003 and Taffy Barrie Bates two years ago. Scott Waites of Huddersfield, chiselled from Yorkshire whinstone grit, was the hot ticket this year till Ronnie Baxter stopped him in Round 4.
TOP LADS HIT HIGHS
I was not the teeniest bit surprised when Phil Taylor did a 9-dart – his FOURTH in this competition – at 1.37 on Saturday afternoon.
The Power has taken his game to new levels since early March. The new darts flew true in the Premier Darts League, and from week five he averaged around 107 and rising. He followed up the 9-darter with a 114.5 average in a win over Wes Newton. This is a record, the best ever average in a televised match anyplace, anyday.
But the beauty of the ‘FA Cup of darts’, with an open draw after each round, is that sometimes sheer class is not enough. Barney beat a tired Taylor on Sunday and the way lay open for ‘fresh legs’. Gary Mawson was a pleasure to commentate on, a cross between Bluto, Popeye’s nemesis, and Rafa Benitez, and he did himself proud against James Wade.
Wade is 25, a grand lad and took six of the last seven legs in the final. His clashes with Taylor and Barney will set the tungsten template for the next two years till Van G gets cooler and Stokie Adie loses the nerves.
HOT BEDS; HOT SHOTS
There were about eight lads from York and district at our finals, and Chris Thompson, a solicitor’s clerk, made the last eight. This is the deep under-pinning of our super-healthy sport. Once it was the valleys of South Wales who chucked up the stars or the depths of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Now you get the feel that the Yorkies, especially, meet each other day in day out. So the high level of achievement is maintained.
Also, with Taylor, Lewis and Hamilton, Stoke on Trent has a great claim to be Tungsten City Central. So how about a Top City League like in ice hockey? Names: Stoke Stackers. Eboracum Exocets. Middlesbrough Machetes.
Could work. Should work. Would work.