The final weekend of four of the satellite events got underway on Friday night with a new winner crowned and three regular event winners picking up event victories.
In New South Wales Dave Marland won his fifth event of the season. He progressed past Jamie Browne in the semi finals, with Dave Hanel progressing past a fourth player high up in the NSW rankings, Daniel Pearson, by six legs to three.
In the final Marland started strongly, which was in contrast to some of his previous finals. The second leg saw him break Hanel’s throw in 13 darts.
Two legs later he broke once more in 15 whilst holding throw comfortably in the first leg and holding on as Hanel missed chances in the following two legs on the Marland throw to get at least one break back.
He then secured the last leg pretty comfortably to secure his second final in a row against Dave Hanel, and third in succession, this time 6-0, Hanel being the last man to win a final in NSW apart from Marland.
In Victories Brandon Weening went one better as he progressed past the man who has just moved over from Western Australia, in Graeme Blakey 6-0. The other semi final saw Hudson Nolan fall to Stuart Coburn 6-1.
The final had Coburn break in 14 darts in the opening leg, only for him to lose the advantage as Weening broke straight back in a leg Coburn was out of until a pair of 140 visits put the pressure on his opponent but Weening held firm after Coburn left 20 chasing 60 for the hold of throw. Both players then held throw before Weening asserted his confidence with a brilliant 12 dart leg to move 3-2 up.
Weening pounced on his opportunity in the next leg with Coburn unable to convert 69 and then produced visits of 137, 121 and 140 to help him move to within one leg of the match.
Coburn then held throw comfortably and tried to convert 80 against the throw in the next leg to try and move the match back into parity but he left tops and Weening’s shot at the same total on his next visit secured the win as he took out his sixth event, one more than Marland in NSW.
The man of the moment continued to be Danny Porter in South Australia as he continued his run of being in every state final this season and secured his ninth event win.
He did not have it his own way, however, and once more survived a scare in the semi final against the ever consistent Kym Mitchell.
The other semi final saw Rob Modra defeat Adam Leek and thus Porter and Modra went head to head in a fourth final this season. Porter opened his throw with a 13 darter only to bust a 76 in the next leg and let Modra check out an excellent 123. It looked as though Modra was ready to take full advantage but a consistent leg from Porter saw him hold throw and return to the lead.
Modra held throw again before hitting the lead for the first time in the fifth leg with a break. He then held throw for a 4-2 lead before his opponent won four successive legs, including surviving the last two legs after stumbles towards the finish line of both.
Thus Porter walked away from the oche with a 6-4 win in the final over Modra.
The only new winner of the weekend was Koha Kokiri in Western Australia as he defeated Dave Burke, making only his second final appearance of the season. Kokiri defeated Joe Comito and Burke Bailey Marsh in the semi finals, thus preventing a repeat of the final in the third WA only event.
The final saw Burke survive a scare on throw to move one leg up before comfortably breaking the Kokiri throw. Burke then spurned the chances presented to him in the third leg and despite an uncomfortable leg Kokiri was able to win his first.
Burke then failed attempts at double 5 and Kokiri was able to break back and thus a match that his opponent had chances to lead 4-0 had Kokiri level with his opponent at two legs all. Kokiri then fairly comfortably broke the Burke throw before holding his own to move two legs clear himself.
Kokiri threw a 140 chasing 148 in the next leg to leave eight but Burke held up to the pressure to check out 52 in two darts and move within one. He was unable to break Kokiri in the next visit but did hold his own in the ninth leg to set up a chance for himself if he could get past the Kokiri throw in the next leg.
A 140 start followed by a tonne by Kokiri was somewhat countered with visits of 119 and 96 by Burke but follow ups of 97 and 100 left Kokiri requiring 64 and he checked out the leg and the match on his next visit with his 15th dart to take out the event.
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