Toeing the Oche'

When opportunity knocks on the front door you better not be answering the phone or you’re “out”. That was certainly the case in the opening round of the £200,000 Euro championships. The Old Dart Coach always say’s, “if you don’t win in the first round there is no second.” Opportunities can come in many forms. Dennis Priestley was down 5-3 to Raymond van Barneveld but leveled the match at 5. In the deciding leg Barney missed tops giving Priestly 3 at 36 which he missed. Barney moved on. For world #4 John Part it was the chance to solidify his place in the standing. He came up short losing 6-5 to Colin Lloyd who had six darts at a finish.

One of the more exciting matches of the event took place in the second round between Jelle Klaasen and Jamie Caven. The duo, with Klaasen playing before a home country crowd, combined for 13-180’s with both players having darts to win. Klaasen did 9-8 in the only match to go the distance in the race to 17. The round of 8, which some call the quarter finals, lacked nary a nail biter as Klaasen won 10-5 over Colin Lloyd, Taylor
took out Gary Anderson 10-3, Steve Beaton was a 10-6 winner over Mark Walsh and James Wade got by 10-6 over Mervyn King.

Jelle Klaasen’s run ended when Phil Taylor took him apart in the semi’s 11-3. Klaasen actually led in this one 2-1 when the roof fell in. In his previous match Taylor had averaged an astonishing 118.14 which is an all time record as well it should be. A winner the previous week Steve Beaton continued on form with a 11-10 squeaker over James Wade. Both players failed to hold serve in a matched where both players led at one time. Beaton led 10-7 only to find himself tied at 10. With Wade on 20 Beaton erased double 5 everyone’s favorite double.

In December Co Stampe won in Germany defeating Phil Taylor. After the match he said, “ in many ways we come into these events trying to be the ‘best of the rest’. Steve Beaton can celebrate that at the 2009 European Championships as he was the “best of the rest.” When all was said and done it was Steve Beaton that got to take the stage against Phil Taylor in the final and lose 11-3. Taylor almost put the icing on the cake when he
darn near finished with a nine-darter only to misfire and settle for 11. Here’s the scoop on Taylor. He defends the European Championship he won last year with ridiculous ease going 37-8 in legs, he adds £50,000 to his bank account swelling it to £600,000 in 2009. Thought not reported he probably said after the final, “I’m over the moon.” He is the best but let’s give a little “Hoo Rah” to Steve Beaton who Toeing the Oche’ now crowns the European Champion in Reserve. He was the best of the rest.

Scottish Players Championships.
On Saturday Wes Newton got off the “snyder” with his first ranking title when he took a 6-5 win over a better than “in form” Steve Beaton. To take nothing away from Newton but Beaton missed double 16 for the win.
For Newton that was opportunity knocking and it wasn’t the Avon lady. Newton answered the door with a double 18 and a check for £6,000. Beaton got to the final when Peter Wright missed 3 at a double giving him the chance at a 128 finish which he took with a bull. Newton was challenged only once on the way to the finals. Brendan Dolan took him to 6-5.

Colin Osborne who took out Phil Taylor in the Champions League added his third title of the year with a 6-4 win over Michael van Gerwen. Osborne also won the Players Championship in Barnsley where “The Old Dart
Coach” once spent a year one New Year’s. Osborne was in great form getting to the finals winning 24 legs while dropping only 4. In his semi final win Osborne sealed it with a 10 darter against Brendan Dolan. Van Gerwen may have lost in the final but he stopped the runaway freight train named Steve Beaton 6-3 which is no easy task. Osborn jumped to a 2-0 lead in the final which probably should have been 3-nil but four missed darts allowed van Gerwen a shot at a 118 finish which he took. The Dutchman was inconsistent in scoring with the 6th leg a great example as he had scores of 43,180,26 and 174. The young Dutchman got a 4th leg on a possible nine-darter but couldn’t double after than. Good performance by both players with Osborne getting the £6,000 winner check. Next up the German Darts Championship where £100,000 will be up for grabs. The one Taylor didn’t win.