Koha Kokiri locked in a return to the World Series of Darts stage at Wollongong by winning the day event on Tuesday at Warilla Bowls and Recreation Club, getting past 52 other players all aiming fort the same prize in the process.
The opening quarter final of the day saw Brenton Lloyd open with a 140 against the throw of Dave Charnock but Charnock got back into the leg with visits of 140 and 100 leaving him on 136. A 138 from Lloyd left him needing 56 and he was able to convert first to take the break. Lloyd then opened with 140 and 96 as Charnock hit two tons and a 140 to leave 161 and he checked it out to return the match to parity.
Two visits of 140 left Lloyd on 221 but a 96 as a maximum left Charnock close by only for Charnock to misfire on throw and Lloyd hit his third 140 in succession to leave 81. It was Lloyd who secured the third break in a row. He then opened with a 140 on throw and followed it up with a maximum, eventually securing a hold of throw in 14 darts. Charnock then held throw with a double 8 after Lloyd had put pressure on by scoring 130 to leave 55.
Lloyd then checked out 123 to return the match to a two leg gap. Charnock then struggled to check out in the following leg but with Lloyd far enough back he had the time to still get the leg. Lloyd went within one leg of the match having achieved visits of 125 and 140 before checking out 116 in the eighth.
On throw Charnock then held throw before breaking the Lloyd throw in 15 darts to move the match to 5-5. In the deciding leg Charnock threw an 82, 137 and 100 to open with Lloyd scoring 80, 100 and 140. Neither player pounced on their chances for the next two visits but Charnock hit 80 to win the match 6-5.
In the second quarter final Brandon Weening opened with a 134 on throw in the opening leg of his quarter final with James Bailey, but later busted chasing tops. Bailey was unable to take advantage and thus Weening had another shot at the leg but left 20 and this time the Bull pounced to take the lead.
The next leg saw both players struggle but it was Bailey who gave his opponent more opportunities than he should have and this time Weening pounced. Against the throw Bailey then opened with a 121 in the third leg but more consistent throwing from his opponent, and a 92 check out, saw Weening hold throw for the first time and take a 2-1 lead. Bailey then had a failed shot at Shanghai but with Weening unable to convert 94 the Bull came back to take out the leg. Despite a maximum and 140 from Bailey in the next leg Weening was good enough to take out the leg. He then broke the Bailey throw after both players missed chances at the leg.
In the seventh leg Weening opened with multiple ton visits and then backed it up with 85 and 140 to leave 176. Two spurned visits to the oche from Weening meant Bailey then had a chance at 56 but he left 20 only for Weening to then do the same. This time Bailey punished his opponent to take the leg and put the match back on throw. Both players struggled in the next leg but a 121 from Bailey got him into a good lead only for Weening to respond with a 140. Bailey threw a 125 to leave 65 whilst Weening responded with a 95 to leave 108.
Eventually Bailey threw a double 5 to move the match back to parity at 4-4. Weening opened the next leg on throw with a ton visit and later in the leg a 99 visit left him needing the big fish. He failed to take that out and then struggled to check out with Bailey pouncing to take another break and move to within a leg of the match. A 140 on his third visit put Bailey well ahead in the tenth leg only to be matched by Weening on the next visit.
Bailey then left 135 after securing a second successive 140 with Weening leaving 117 as he also scored another 140. 99 left Bailey needing double 18 as Weening left 24 with a 93. Bailey left 8 on his next visit and a double 12 with his last dart in hand saw Weening take the break, move the match into a deciding leg, and have the walk for that leg. Weening opened with 66 in the eleventh leg and then both players scored 140s before a maximum from Bailey moved him to 181. Weening then hit a ton and Bailey left 53 with 128.
Weening moved to 148 on his next visit and Bailey gave him a shot at it as double 10 went awry. 140 left Weening on 8 as Bailey busted chasing the match once again. Weening finally secured the double four to take the match with his second dart and win 6-5.
Daniel Pearson defeated David Cairns 6-1 in the third quarter final. A 177 from Pearson left him needing 24 and with Cairns missing out on 38 he took out the required score to take the break first up. He then held throw comfortably before two visits of 140 in four visits and a 70 check out had Pearson quickly up 3-0.
He then threw 121 and 180 before checking out in 15 darts to lead by four legs. The fifth game went a bit longer but with Cairns busting an attempt at 38 Pearson checked out with tops to move a leg away from the match. The next leg took even longer but Cairns finally secured a leg with a 32 check out against the Pearson throw. Cairns then missed a shot at 30 and Pearson punished him on the next visit to take out the match 6-1.
In the last quarter final Kokiri opened with four 100 visits in succession against Blake Hatchett’s throw and eventually took the leg in 17 darts. Hatchett then comfortably broke the Kokiri throw in response. He then held throw despite taking two three visits to clear 120. Kokiri held the next leg comfortably to draw the match level at two legs all. Hatchett opened with 121 and backed it up with a 133 visit to help him take out the fifth leg and lead 3-2 on throw. Kokiri was then extremely comfortable on his throw once more before he broke the Hatchett throw in the seventh leg.
The next leg was a case of Hatchett not taking the opportunities presented to him as Kokiri failed to score twice chasing 24 but on the third attempt he secured the score to move a leg away from the match. He secured that fourth leg in a row with a visit of 140 on his second visit and 100’s on his fourth and fifth time at the oche. A 60 check out and Kokiri had won the match 6-3.
In the first semi final Dave Charnock had the first throw. However it was his opponent, Kokiri, who took the early impetus, scoring two tons in a row to leave 160 late in the leg. He was unable to convert and eventually Charnock held throw. Both players struggled in the next leg but Kokiri was able to hold throw with a 66 check out.
Against the throw Kokiri threw 180 and 100 in the third leg but a 134 from Charnock got him a little more into the leg only for Kokiri to leave 81 after a 140 visit. Two darts from Kokiri and he was 2-1 up with each leg going against the throw. Kokiri then held throw in 19 darts to win his third leg in a row. In the next leg a 102 left Charnock needing 40 and he threw it in 2 darts on his next visit.
Kokiri then threw 125, 139 and 125 to leave 76 and took the hold of throw to move 4-2 up. Against the throw he then threw 140 and stayed well ahead in the seventh leg to move to one leg away from the win. Charnock secured a 140 visit at his second time at the oche against the Kokiri throw in leg eight and had a shot at 72 but left tops. Kokiri needed 46 for the win but failed to secure it and Charnock pounced with his next dart to go 5-3. In leg nine a 83, 100 and 91 from Charnock left him well ahead of his opponent and with a 100 visit he left tops.
Kokiri missed out on a shot at 104 to leave double 16 but Charnock got the required double 20 with his first dart at the next visit. Kokiri needed to hold throw in the tenth leg for the match and threw three successive 140s to leave 81. He then left 32 with Charnock well behind and won the match with his last dart in hand on his next visit, securing 6-4 as the final score.
Brandon Weening held his throw with a double ten in the first leg of his semi final against Daniel Pearson. In the second leg Weening scored a 140 upon his second time at the oche and a 140 two visits later left him needing 170. He failed to collect that but eventually secured the leg to lead 2-0. Daniel Pearson opened with 100 and secured a 140 in his fourth visit of leg three against the throw before throwing 120 to leave 22.
The double 11 with his next dart gave Pearson his first leg of the match and put the game back on throw. Weening secured a maximum against the throw in the opening of the fourth leg and eventually left 70 which he took at his next visit. In the next leg after nine darts Weening had 187 and Pearson 153 left. With last dart in hand Pearson threw double 18 to secure the break straight back. He then opened with 100 on throw and held in 16 darts.
Weening left 36 as Pearson missed out on 105 in the seventh leg and a double 18 with last dart in hand put Weening back in front, 4-3, with the match staying on throw. Weening then threw 134 and 140 to take a strong lead against the Pearson throw. A 140 then put Pearson back in the leg but eventually Weening took the leg by collecting 48 with his last two darts to lead 5-3. A 171 in his fourth visit on throw and Weening left 172. Eventually he set up 76 with a 55 visit and he got that in three darts after Pearson missed out on 130 in the visit prior. Thus Weening took out the match six legs to three.
In the final Kokiri broke the throw of Weening at the first attempt before the Victorian busted chasing 76 against the Kokiri throw. Kokiri missed the bull on his next visit and two darts later Weening was back on level terms with the required 76 pocketed. Weening opened with a 135 in the third leg and a 100 on his fourth visit left him requiring 160. Weening’s next visit left the door open for Kokiri but he did not take full advantage and left 118.
However Weening left 40 and then 10, twice, at the end of the leg and Kokiri finally pounced to lead 2-1 with not a single game yet to go on throw. A maximum on Kokiri’s second visit and then a follow up 140 helped Kokiri to be the first player to hold throw in the match in the fourth set. Weening then secured a visit of 125 and two of 140 on throw to help him hold throw for the first time in the match and lead 3-2. A 140 on his second visit saw Weening take a slight lead in the next leg but Kokiri showed all his experience by checking out 54 with Weening only needing 36 behind him and tie the match up again at 3-3.
Opening 140s from both players was followed by a 140 on Weening’s third visit in leg seven. 105 left 76 as Kokiri put pressure on this opponent with a 137 visit leaving him requiring 68. With Weening missing Koha nailed that 68 with two darts. Kokiri opened the eighth leg with 140 before 137 from Weening. Both players scored 140 visits over the next four visits. And Kokiri missed bull for the leg on his fourth visit. Three darts later and he was one leg away from the big stage. Opening visits of 140 and 125 put Kokiri in front and despite a 171 from Weening leaving him needing 44 Kokiri three tops with his next dart in hand to win.
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