The penultimate full round of events on the Winmau DPA Satellite Tour of 2022 was completed on Sunday with some excellent finals capping off a great weekend of darting action.
At the Warilla Bowls and Recreation Club in NSW the two Daves, Hanel and Marland (who had 5 event wins between them previous to this Sunday) took on each other in the final having seen off the challenges of Darren Carson (Hanel winning 5-2) and Jamie Browne (Marland winning 5-1) in the semi finals. The final would be a cracking affair with Marland checking out 84 in the opening leg to hold throw before breaking the Hanel throw in 15 darts. Hanel broke straight back though, before Marland made it three breaks in a row. Holding throw Marland moved out to a three leg lead before Hanel comfortably held throw to move back within two legs. Hanel then broke with a 62 check out and had the match back even after 8 legs thanks to an 89 check out. Hanel held a comfortable lead in the ninth leg but was unable to secure 20 in two visits as Marland moved from 157 to 30 in three darts but was then unable to collect 30, leaving 4. Finally Hanel scored the 20 with his next dart and moved a leg away from the win. Throwing first in the next leg, Hanel failed to collect a treble in his opening four visits and at his 15th dart Marland collected the full 78 required of that visit to return the match to parity with the break. Marland then threw for the match and both players secured 140s on their second visit to the oche. Marland followed up with 2 tons as Hanel secured 125 and 100 but he never got a chance to throw at 56 as Marland secured 76 to take the leg in 15 darts, his second event of the weekend and fourth in the season. For Hanel it was his second final loss of the season, having won two finals in that period, including last Friday night.
In Queensland Team Misfits ruled the roost as team mates Robbie King and James Bailey played off in the final for the second time over the weekend, with King determined to put right his final loss of the previous day. King had made the final by eliminating Bill Aitken (who was making his third semi final appearance of the weekend) 5-1. The other semi final saw Matt Mullen fall to Bailey 5-2. In the final James Bailey busted a shot at 72 after King had missed the bullseye for the leg. King then collected the 25 required to break Bailey immediately. King would then have his own bust and then leave 2, as he failed to secure 40 from three visits. A 95 check out from Bailey must have had King fearing a repeat of the night before’s final. Bailey then held throw with a 151 check out in 15 darts. King moved the match to 2-2 by completing his own leg in 15 darts, this time with a 112 check out. Awesome checking out in the space of three legs from both players, however in the fifth Bailey was unable to put away 80 and King pounced on the next visit to lead 3-2 with the break. King then held throw in another 15 darts (this time checking out 72) before breaking his opponent again to lead 5-2. He then held throw by checking out 62 to see the Rocket win the final by six legs to two.
In Victoria Mal Cuming made his third final of the weekend after defeating Curt Horvatek 5-1 in the semi finals. His Team Rebel colleague Stuart Coburn also made the final, having overcome the challenge of another Rebel, and Geelong Easter Classic winner, Sam Ballinger in the semi finals. Ballinger had dismissed the challenge of the man who claimed both previous events at Melton this weekend, Brandon Weening, 5-3 in their quarter final, having also beaten the Team Platinum star at Geelong a month earlier. The Final was a one way affair with Cuming holding throw and then breaking Coburn in 14 darts with four triple digit visits to start the leg. He then held in 15 darts before pouncing on Coburn’s bust of 36 to hit double 4 before holding throw (although Coburn missed out on converting 28 for a break, having thrown a maximum on his previous visit.) In the sixth leg Coburn finally held throw but the comeback was short lived as on throw Cuming threw 180, 60, 140 and checked out 121 to finish in fine style in 12 darts. Cuming had finally broken through on the weekend to claw back the progress Weening had made over the weekend with his two event wins.
In South Australia Danny Porter made it three from three but was a dart away from not even making his third final. Kym Mitchell had multiple match darts in the semi final as she again demonstrated her class at the NDDA. Porter survived them, winning 5-4 to make the final against Brett Selga who had defeated Steve Letts 5-2 in his semi final. The final saw Selga break his opponent immediately before holding throw and breaking again to lead 3-0. Porter had seen this in the semi final and knew things were not dire and with his opponent unable to put away 16 he secured the fourth leg before eventually holding throw in the fifth. A 15 dart leg against the throw and Porter had secured parity in the match at three legs all. He then held throw to lead in the match for the first time and broke once again in the eighth as Selga stood behind him requiring tops to make the match 4-4. Instead Porter was now a leg away from the win and despite taking three visits on throw to secure 8, he finally did so to secure the leg (indeed he had now won 6 legs in a row) and the final 6-3. Porter has been involved in every final this DPA season in South Australia and won eight of them, including the last 5 consecutive finals.
In Perth Justin Miles made his second final of the weekend having defeated Dave Hall in the semi final 5-3. The other semi final had been much more comprehensive with Joe Comito defeating Gary Stevens 5-0. The final saw Comito lose his opening throw in 14 darts despite a valiant effort scoring 119 when chasing a 127 check out. Miles then held throw in 17 darts before breaking for a second time and leading 3-0. Comito secured his first leg, a 14 dart break of throw before Miles broke again in the fifth leg, this time with an 81 check out. He upped this effort in the sixth leg with a 111 check out to lead 5-1. Comito held throw in the seventh leg but could not secure another one in the eighth as Miles secured a 6-2 win with tops, winning his second final of the weekend and his fourth overall this season at the Port Kennedy Tavern.
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