Darts: Team bosses are a knockout

It is played in a World Cup format, where the captains play each other, then the secretaries, and if it’s a draw a pairs game is played to find the winner.

The early rounds saw some of the matches go to the pairs games, but ultimately some teams were unlucky.

The first semi-final saw the Derrick Longhurst and Dave Owens from the QE2 A face Paula Duckett and Mary Roberts from the Richmond A.

The QE2 took their first match with a straight 2-0 win, but it wasn’t so easy in this game. Longhurst took the first game, but Roberts took the next, taking it to the pairs game. Eventually the QE2 pair had just enough to take the game.

The second semi-final saw Andy Whiteley and Darren Rich from the QE2 Stiffs take on Cliff Prior and Lee Franklin from the Prince of Wales.

Both team had played two matches before, and both had needed the pairs game in one of those.

With Prior taking the first game it was up to Franklin, who scored a 136 in-shot to start his leg. Some 18 darts later and 300 in the lead, Franklin hit double top to take the spot in the final.

So the final saw Longhurst and Owens from the QE2 A up against Prior and Franklin from the Prince of Wales.

The captains’ leg saw Longhurst face Prior, with Longhurst winning the bull for the first darts, but it was Prior who got the first double-in.

Longhurst scored better until Prior hit a 140, giving him the lead, but there wasn’t much in it.

Prior had 60 left, but missed the double with his second dart and could only leave 20. Longhurst went up for 74, hit 14, then 20, but the last dart was too high.

Prior used all three darts on his next throw, but managed to hit the double with his last dart for the win.

The secretaries’ leg saw Owens and Franklin hit their doubles to start the leg on their first throws. Franklin started slowly, giving Owens a good chance which he took with scores of 137, 95 and 125.

With 47 left, Owens hit single 15 but skimmed the wire for double 16 and missed the double eight. Hit next throw was better, hitting the double with his first dart to take the match to a pairs game.

All four players missed their in-shots, but Longhurst and Prior got them the next time round. Prior scored 80 and 100, while Franklin scored 140 and 81.

This left Prior with 100 for the match – his first dart hit the treble 20, the second was outside the double, but the third went where he needed it, hitting double top for a 100 out-shot and the win taking the captains and secretaries title for the second year on the trot.