We went in today with Leonard Gates the last hope for American glory at Lakeside. ‘Soldier’ faced Steve Hine, who saw off the efforts of Gates’ fellow countryman, Kevin Luke, in the first round.

Gates, who came here as the #15 seed, started with a poor 30, but bounced back to leave 91 after 12 darts. A miss from the 91 proved costly, and Hine pocketed the leg. ‘Soldier’ soon leveled the score, but the Englishman needed just 15 darts to regain the lead. It looked good for 2-2 as Gates raced down to 64 in 12 darts. Nine darts later, he was still stuck on D1 as his opponent cleaned up on tops.

Legs of 15 and 12 gave Hine the advantage in Set 3, but the Texan tied the score with winning legs of 14 and 19. Gates had the throw in the fifth, but when he failed to finish the required 70, it was mow a two set deficit.

The first four legs of the third set all went with the darts, which left Hine with the throw in the fifth. Both players ended up on 24 after 15 darts, but Hine had the first shot at it – and hit it.

So, it turned out a very disappointing week for us, especially when we had such high hopes. Roll on 2023…

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