Toeing the Oche': AT THE WORLD CUP

This time Netherlands would come in as the two-time defending men’s champions with the Women of Wales defending the title they won in Rosmalen, Netherlands in 2007. 10 countries also sent 2 person youth teams. When the three days of play ended Netherlands had retained the men’s title 100-84 over England with Australia third at 76 a 13 point margin over 4th place Canada. The Welsh women were not able to defend as they shared third with Sweden at 31 points while England took the Cup with 46 points. America riding a singles win by Stacy Bromberg took second with 36 points. The difference for Wales was a first round singles loss by Rhian Edwards 4-3 to Russian Irina Armstrong. Had Edwards of won that game Wales would have finished second by a point. Funny old game is darts. Finland completely dominated the Youth Cup winning 82-47 over Wales with the Republic of Ireland third at 45. Some could argue that with the rise of the PDC the men’s field might have been a little light. Although the men’s single’s winner did average 107 which is not too Chablis. A little light may be true but the passion of representing one’s country remains as strong as even.

As is usual opening day play had its’ share of surprises. England’s favored 4 man team, playing one leg each first to 9 win, would lose at 16 to Scotland who would then loose to Canada. On the other side of the draw once the Netherlands escaped with a 9-8 win over Australia they skipped into the final’s beating Republic of Ireland 9-6. Sweden’s lady duo of Carina Ekberg/Maud Jansson took out the reigning women’s champs Russia 4-2. The Ruskie’s were probably feeling the loss of multi time World Champion Anastasia Dobromsylova now tossing tungsten with the PDC. Sweden squeezed by Finland 4-3 to reach the finals against England. Lisa Ashton and Karen Lawman, the English duo, were extended but escaped with a 4-3 win against the USA and a 5-4 decision over Wales to reach the staged finals. Old timer’s may remember Karen Lawman as the niece of former American International Judy “W” Campbell who also played pair’s with the Old Dart Coach. Finals day at the World Cup is always special . The opening girls final was a barn burner matching Zoe Jones of Wales against Aliisa Kosivirta of Finland. Ms. Jones jumped to a early 4-0 lead, in the race to 6, as both girls struggled with elusive double’s. Kosivirta got off the “snyd” with double 1 but misfired in the next leg to fall 1-5 down. Sometimes strange things happen in darts. Old Mo, for momentum, put on the white shirt with the blue cross of Finland as Kosivirta won the next 4 legs to draw level at 5. When Kosivirta won the deciding leg against the darts she became the title Girl’s World Youth Cup Champion. All hail Finland’s Aliisa Kosivirta who got a little help from her new friend MO.

The boy’s final lacked some of the drama of the girls’ but none of the passion. Jamie Lewis of Wales faced off against Tuomas Tikka of Finland. In the race to 6 legs Lewis broke through winning the first leg against the darts. As both players won legs with the darts Tuomas was able to narrow the gab to 5-4 with on a nifty 13 darter. Leading 5-4 Lewis strung together his best darts of the morning with a 100,120,140 and a double for the title.

Runner-ups in the last World Cup the Swedish duo of Carina Ekberg and Maud Jansson squandered numerous double chances but then so did the English duo of Lisa Ashton and Karen Lawman. That and some “dodgy” play kept this one close. It was possible that the winner of this match could decide the World Cup as only 5 points separated England at #1 and Sweden at #2. With the score tied at 2-2 the English duo just missed fewer doubles pulling into a commanding 5-2 lead. Lisa Ashton made 100 disappear to give the English pair the World Cup title.6-2.

A hardy well done to the Finnish Youth Mixed Duo of Tuomas Tikka and Aliisa Kosivirta as they jumped to an early lead over the Republic of Irelands mixed pair of Patrick Meaney and Aoife Ryan then held on to win the title 6-5.

The men’s pair final matched Anthony Fleet and Geoff Kime of Australia against Northern Irelands Daryl Gurney and John Elder. Northern Ireland took a 4-2 lead when the wheels fell off their darting cart. Fleet and Kime took advantage of some missed double’s along with some stylish play to win the next 3 legs for a 5-4 lead. In the 10th leg Northern Ireland wanted just 79 to take the match to the 11th leg when Daryl Gurney missed the double allowing the Lads for Down Under to take the leg and the title 6-4.

The Ladies Final matched Julie Gore from Wales against the USA’s long time number #1 Stacy Bromberg. Ms. Gore was trying to hold the title won two years ago by countrywomen Julie Robbins. When Ms. Gore took the opening leg against the darts it looked good. Bromberg answered with 2 on the trot. Tied at 2 and 3 Bormberg took charged in the 7th leg and the route was on. Bromberg would run the next four for the title. For Bromberg the win was a long time coming but she can now etch her name as World Cup Champion along with some of the greats from women’s darts like Linda Batten (Eng.), Sandy Reitan and Kathy Maloney of the USA and the only two time World Cup winner Tina Gulliver of England.

The Men’s singles of the World Cup has always been special. The great men of darts have won the coveted title. Eric Bristow four times, John Lowe twice, Raymond van Barneveld along with the late Leighton Rees and Nicky Virachkul of the USA. Strangely missing from that list is Phil Taylor who’s only World Cup chance came up short in Zandvoort, Netherlands in 1991. Joey ten Berge from the Netherlands and Tony O’Shea of England would “toe it up” in the finals. It was a match with some great darts that in the end wasn’t close. Berge had checkouts of 121 and 120 but they were few and far between. Once tied at 3 the steady playing O’Shea would roll to the title 6-3.

The final event of the World Cup is the men’s team event. Netherlands and Canada on paper looked to be a classic nail biter. They came out of the same qualifying group with Netherlands escaping with a 9-8 win in that meeting. As it turned out it was Netherlands again Canada’s Ken MacNeil. The wooden shoe guy’s winning 9-4 over MacNeil and 9-5 over Canada. MacNeil would win 3 legs in 18 darts and 1 in 17. Congrats to the Netherlands for defending their World Cup title and making it three in a row. As they say in the land of windmill’s, canals and window shopping “goed gedaan.”