Raymond van Barneveld is celebrating again after leading the Netherlands to the first ever PDC World Cup!
The Team Unicorn star was overcome with emotion after he and partner Co Stompe edged out Wales in a fantastic final.
The Dutch duo won the crucial pair by 8 legs to 5 and you could see what it meant to Barney, because it has been a long time since he won a TV ‘Major’ – going back over three years.
The 2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic was his last ‘Major’ title, so you can understand why winning the World Cup means so much to him.
“This is one of the proudest moments of my life,” he said. “To win the World Cup for your country is everything! Co was brilliant throughout and we make a great team!”
Barney added: “It’s been a long time but this is the greatest feeling.”
He shed a tear or two after the final….that’s how much it meant – sheer emotion, sheer class.
“Hopefully I can now have a great World Championship and go to London with confidence, but to win the World Cup is just unbelievable!”
So disappointment for Unicorn man Barrie Bates but still a tournament to remember!
“It’s been a heck of a ride!” he said. “I have enjoyed every minute of it but it was disappointing to fall at the final hurdle. Still, it has been a fantastic experience.”
It was a nervy, edgy pairs contest – not surprising with everything at stake.
Nip and tuck for ten legs as the quartet slugged it out on the big stage for the big prize….
But the Dutch suddenly sensed that it was going to be their moment, their World Cup.
They won three legs on the spin and the World Cup was theirs! Stompe cleaned up to win legs 11 and 12 after Barneveld has missed doubles.
But fittingly, it was left to Barney to win it…..after Stompe hit a brilliant 180, he missed three darts at D16 to win the final…..up stepped Barneveld to hit D4 and cue the celebrations.
Holland had done it!
The singles produced four terrific matches, when Webster was the stand-out performer…..they were split two points each, to set up the fitting finale to the World Cup Final.
Barney beat Bates 8-4 to win his fifth straight singles match….Webster then edged out Stompe in a dramatic game! The Welsh captain took out 160 and 130, while Stompe nailed a 128 finish. But a run of four consecutive legs and an average of 101 sealed the win for Wales.
Webster then backed up with a brilliant win over Barneveld…..to be fair, the Unicorn man didn’t do much wrong. Barney was perfect on the doubles – hitting 6/6 and he banged in five 180s and an average of 101 but it still wasn’t enough!
Webster produced eight 180s and an average of 104. He really was one of THE stand out performers of this inaugural PDC World Cup of Darts.
Bates had a nightmare in his singles clashes and he lost his 6th straight game, when going down 8-6 to Stompe…..but his amazing 116 finish to win the sudden-death shoot-out in the semi-finals against Australia will go down as one of the highlights of the darting year!
World Cup Final result:
Netherlands 4-2 Wales
Raymond van Barneveld v Barrie Bates (8-4)
Co Stompe v Mark Webster (6-8)
Raymond van Barneveld v Mark Webster (6-8)
Co Stompe v Barrie Bates (8-5)
Barneveld/Stompe v Webster/Bates (8-5)
Winners - £40,000
Runners-up - £20,000
By STUART PYKE at the PDC World Cup of Darts
Photos courtesy Chris Sargeant