Legends share spoils in Bridlington
Words by Simon Rimington
Deta Hedman and Lisa Ashton both added further glory to their storied careers in a weekend of two halves in Bridlington. With the field stacked with PDC Ladies Series stars and stalwarts of the amateur game once again it was two of the most famed ladies' players of all time who shared the spoils.
Hedman arrived at the Saturday events off the back of a quarter final run in a tough warm up competition on the Friday evening and maintained her form throughout the inaugural event striking 5 maximums and a near 70 running average as she rolled back the years. Her run was not without its scares however, Phonsawan Whillis forcing her to come from 3-2 down to take a deciding leg. In beating Eleanor Cairns 5-0 to secure a final spot she was at her clinical best, missing only a single dart at a double and averaging more than 75. Cairns did little wrong, but every mistake was ruthlessly punished. On the other side of the draw, it was Joanne Oldershaw who moved through the rounds to make the final, having survived a deciding leg against Toni-Lee Bowstead, she repeated the trick against emerging talent Angela Kirkwood, surviving a match dart to take a place in the semi-finals where she dispatched Sara Mortimer with similar ease to the other semi-final. The final was a game befitting the first ever final with some brilliant and nervy darts scattered across the game, Hedman opening with a majestic 14 darter before being pegged back as Oldershaw levelled and then broke, Deta returned the favour to level once more. A further 3 breaks gave Joanne opportunity to throw for the match but darts at 40, 20 and 10 were all shelled letting Deta in to secure another break. Deta was able to find the hold of throw she needed in the final leg to become the first winner on the Women’s Championship Tour.
The second competition began during the conclusion of the first, with Hedman and Oldershaw afforded a rest, eyes were on the other boards to see who might come through the draw and pressure ‘The Heart of Darts.’ The competition kicked off with Angela Kirkwood and ‘Miss Dynamite’ Eleanor Cairns playing out an absolute barnstormer, Cairns posted her highest recorded average of 82.92 but it was not to prove enough as she was dispatched 4-2, Kirkwood averaging 83.48. Kirkwood then reeled off 12 legs on spin to make a semi-final against Samantha Kirton. Kirton rampaged through the players from the north, the Dorset native seeing off Scotland, Yorkshire, and Durham with ease to make the semis. The semi saw Kirton maintain her excellent level as she averaged 73+ to win through the final 5-4, Kirkwood disappointed to slip below 70 at the worst possible moment. In the other half of the draw, Hedman proved even more dominant than the morning, dropping just a single leg against the woman who pushed her so close in the morning session, Oldershaw, en route to the final. The final was to prove a tight affair between the morning champion and the player with the highest running average of the day, moving into the final as the only player topping 70. The final was a tight affair once more. Hedman initially charged into a 4-1 lead just a leg away before Kirton held with an 84 finish and then pinned a magnificent 126 on D6 to break throw and give herself the throw to level the match. Sadly, for Kirton, two misses at D4 were to prove her undoing as Deta stepped in, slotting D5 and secure the double with a 5-3 triumph.
Moving into Sunday, we saw the blockbuster arrival of Lisa Ashton into the Women’s Championship Tour, to renew old rivalries and forge some new ones.
Event 3 saw Ashton announce her arrival on the tour with a string of incredible performances, at 95, 100, 87 and 82 to make the final for the loss of just 3 legs, seeing off Linda Hindmarch, Rebecca Garrett, Angela Kirkwood and PDC Ladies finalist Kim Holden. The other half of the draw saw Derbyshire’s Rose Mort rolling back the years picking up wins over Event 2 finalist Kirton and two White Rose natives on her way to a semi-final with a resurgent Casey Gallagher. The first 6 legs were shared with only one leg passing 21 darts, Rose missed one dart for 4-3 missing tops for a 111 finish, Casey stepped in to take the leg in 21 and then produced an excellent 20 dart break with Mort sat on 16 to take it to a decider. The final saw Lisa find the form of the opening games storming into a 3-0 lead using just 51 darts, Gallagher stuck with her and took the 4th in 17 for a steadying hold. Lisa kicked the afterburners at this point, holding in 12 and following with a 112 finish for a 15-dart break and a 94.39 average. Casey produced a superb 77.49 but it was no match for the 4-time champion of world who opened her account in some style.
Event 4 saw Ashton again steam her way through the draw, her only dropped legs coming in a tight quarter final with Saturday double champion Deta Hedman, Deta missing 4 darts to level at 3-3 only for Lisa to step in and finally hit tops to take the match. Lisa’s other wins came against Kelly Haverson, Sindy Stiles, Sonia Mager, and new semi-finalist Sally Whiting. An honourable mention for York’s Jody Hancock, who without a Super League or County appearance to her name made the quarter-finals despatching Rebecca Hoyland and Rose Mort before coming up short against Whiting. In the other half the draw, Kirkwood finally got over the line to make a final, coming from 3-1 down against Sam Kirton in her toughest test. Her other wins over Holden, Cairns and Zoe Holland came for the loss of a solitary leg. The final was to prove a test too far. Kirkwood posted a 73 average but Ashton was once again a step above, recording a 5-1 victory with all 5 winning legs posted in under 18 darts. Kirkwood will be thrilled as a run to the final was enough to secure 2nd place in the order of merit and the 3rd highest running average of the weekend.
After weekend 1 Deta Hedman leads the table narrowly from the consistent Kirkwood, Ashton’s Sunday heroics sit her in 6th spot. With 68 180’s and 386 scores in excess of 140 it was truly a stunning start to the LP Metal Detecting Women’s Championship Tour. We also saw 11 players average in excess of 60 for the full weekend. We look forward to events 5-8 in Middlesbrough in July, where the table will start to take further shape.