BDO Lakeside World Championship (Day Seven)

For only the fourth time since its 2001 inception (and strangely enough, for the third year in a row), the BDO Women’s World Championship final will be an all-English contest.  Two the true legends of the game, Trina Gulliver MBE and Deta Hedman take to the stage tomorrow in what is certain to be an emotional affair.   Gulliver is aiming to secure her 10th World Championship (though her last win was back in 2011), while Hedman chases the one title that is missing from her remarkable list of achievements that spans 28 years!

Having already disposed of top seed and reigning champ, Lisa Ashton, Trina today claimed the notable scalp of 2015 World Master Aileen de Graaf.  After splitting the first two sets, Gulliver really turned on the style to take the third and deciding set in straight legs.  Deta joined her compatriot in the final by cruising past Ann-Louise Peters without dropping a leg.  Highlights of the win were two clinical checkouts of 106 and 132.

Should be a cracking final tomorrow!

The men are one round back from the ladies, so today’s battles decided the four semi-finalists.  The big news is that the semi-finals will not include last year’s winner Scott Mitchell, or current World Master and World #1 Glen Durrant.  Mitchell went down to another brilliant performance from Richard Veenstra.  From 4-1 down, Mitchell pulled back to within a set, but a timely 12-darter (with a 121 checkout) to start the eighth set again swung the match in the Dutchman’s favor.  Three legs later, Veenstra was in the top four – where he meets Jeff Smith.

Canadian Smith overcame a powerful start from Dennis Harbour to end up winning by a score of 5 sets to 2.  The scoreline certainly doesn’t do justice to Harbour, who produced the set of the tournament so far.  After taking the first set 3-0. Harbour won the second in legs of 12 (140 out), 14, and 14, for a set average of 112.73.  That was to be the last set the Englishman won, as Smith continues his quest to emulate John Part’s memorable Lakeside win 22 long years ago.

Top seed Glen Durrant gave another noteworthy performance, but Scott Waites has shown a marked return to form this week.  Ahead 4-2 in sets, and two legs up in the seventh, it looked pretty good for “Duzza”, but the Yorkshireman had other ideas.  Legs of 14, 15, and 15 kept Waites in the match, and six out of the next eight legs gave him the W.

Jamie Hughes received a fair amount of criticism for his performance in the previous round, but the important thing was that he was still there.  We all knew have had to improve, and improve he did, with a classy 5-1 demolition job on Wesley Harms.  Having won the third set to stay within reach, the Dutchman then struggle badly in the fourth, and Hughes was to drop only one further leg.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login