Sunday saw the conclusion of four state events on the DPA calendar with all the winners adding to previous event victories in 2022.
In Victoria Brandon Weening fell at the final hurdle of a three peat as the man he had put to the sword twice already over the weekend finally got revenge, Stuart Coburn winning the final 6-4.
Weening had made the final after he defeated Sam Ballinger 5-3 whilst Coburn took out Tim Gatward with a 5-0 win. In the final Coburn held throw at his first attempt in 18 darts before Weening did the same in 14 darts.
Then holds of 17 and 18 dart duration had them match at 2-2. In the fifth leg a 140 penultimate visit and then a 72 check out saw Weening take the first break of the match.
Coburn broke straight back but Weening then secured his second break to move in front once more but yet again could not hold to go two legs clear. Coburn finally held throw, in 13 darts, to move to five legs. He then secured a third successive break of the Weening throw to secure the match and the event.
In NSW Dave Hanel made his seventh final of the season and was joined by David Cairns. Hanel had defeated Shane Wolter 5-3 and Cairns won his semi final by the same scoreline over David Boyle. In the final Cairns started astonishingly strongly.
He checked out 157 in a 12 dart opening leg before breaking the Hanel throw with a 78 check out. Hanel held throw before breaking his opponent back, although Cairns had his opportunities in the leg. Hanel then held throw in 14 darts as he ramped up his own game, before winning the last three legs in a row, including a 15 dart final leg, the match finishing 6 legs to 2, and Hanel securing his third event of the season.
In South Australia Danny Porter capped off a remarkable season by winning ten events of the 14 played just in South Australia. He had defeated Jacques Wadey 5-3 in the semi final. In the final he would face Kym Mitchell once again, after she defeated Jed Nethercott in her own semi final, the final scoreboard reading 5-3. The final saw Porter start very strongly as he broke the Mitchell throw in 14 legs. He then held throw before missing chances to lead 3-0 as Mitchell took full advantage to hold her own throw. Porter got back on the winning way by holding throw to lead 3-1 and then broke Mitchell in 15 darts. Another hold and break and Porter secured the event with a 6-1 victory on the final.
The final of the four venues played on Sunday was in Western Australia where Howard Jones was looking for his second event victory over the season as Bailey Marsh chased his fourth of the season, to equal Justin Miles effort at the Port Kennedy Tavern.
Marsh had made comfortable work of his semi final with a 5-1 win whilst Jones eliminated Pusey 5-3 at the same stage. Marsh opened the match by winning the first leg against the throw, although both players spurned multiple darts at it.
A 76 check out and after 17 more Marsh darts he was two nil up. Jones held throw before Marsh busted 40 on his own throw and Jones pounced to tie the match up after four legs. 14 and 16 dart hold of throws later and things were even again before Marsh broke his opponent’s throw and then held to move within a leg of the victory. Jones then held in 17 darts before both players again threw away multiple chances in taking the tenth leg. Eventually a double two gave Howard the upper hand as he now held the first visit in the deciding leg.
Marsh and Jones went similar paths in the opening three visits before a 134 visit from Marsh seemed to trump the 85 visit of Jones. A 140 visit then left Jones requiring 46 and Marsh faltered on his next visit with 57 leaving 72. Jones then hit the oche and secured the 46 he required for the win with last dart in hand. The final result of 6-5 handed Jones that second event victory of the season.
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