Darts & doms: Ricky Busteed stays cool to notch hat-trick in Crewe league
Mar 11 2009 by Peter Morse, Crewe Chronicle
RICKY Busteed completed a hat-trick of darts singles titles with a thrilling final leg decider.
The Pioneers marksman has now won the Carlsberg UK Open League contest three times in five years after his latest success at the Crosville Club.
He beat Queen^s Park GC^s Clive Lucking in an exciting final. Lucking won the first leg but Busteed won the next two. The Golf Club player levelled at 2-2 but Busteed stayed cool to snatch it with a 21-darter completed with a 71 kill.
Earlier Busteed had knocked Cheshire Cheese^s Chris Gibson out 3-1 in the semi-finals, while Lucking was 3-0 winner against Sydney^s Karl Felton.
In the quarter-finals Lucking threw the best arrows. His 15-darter and brace of 16 dart wins - including a 180 - was too much for John Cooper (Pioneers) who registered maximum in his 3-1 reverse.
Gibson pipped Andrew Pitt (White Lion B) 3-2 thanks to a pair of 18-darters and a 180, while Busteed cracked a 17-darter in his 3-1 success over team-mate Tony Richardson. Felton beat Ben Davies (Foresters) 3-2.
In the darts pairs knockout, Premier Division foes John Cooper (Pioneers) and Rob Arrowsmith (Delamere) joined forces for the crown.
Arrowsmith finished a 27 dart leg with a 71 checkout as they ran out 3-0 winners against LMR B youngsters Daniel Ayres and Shaun Wilkinson in the final.
They had both reached the final with 3-2 victories. The eventual winners beat Chris Woolley and Rob Clarke (Pioneers) while the LMR duo saw off Melvyn Roberts and Colin Wilkinson, of Queen^s Park and LMR respectively.
The dominoes pairs knockout final was a family affair. Brothers Phil and Ian Shaw, who play for the Flying Lady, registered a 3-0 victory over father and son team Ivan Pearce senior and junior, who represent the Liberal Club.
In the semis the Shaws won 3-0 against Woodside^s Alan Dennis and Brian Richards. The Pearces beat Cheese^s Kim Lawton and Nathan Linguard 3-1.
Story By: Crewe Chronicle