Darts: Vincent is a Dutch master of the perfect leg of darts

The PDC Tour last week headed off to Holland for two Players Championship events, but I had decided a few weeks ago that I would give this one a miss so I could concentrate on the UK Open qualifier weekends held here.

Last week I mentioned how easy it was to hit a nine-darter! Well this weekend Dutch star Vincent Van De Voort decided he^d have a go...three in a week in the PDC, what do I have to do to get one?

The closest I^ve ever got was to have a shot at double 18, I missed and hit it next dart. Ten darts is good, but nine is the ultimate.

No prizes for guessing who won the two event. Phil Taylor added another few pounds to his bank account, and Gary Anderson, a recent new member to come across from the BDO, proved he was a force to be reckoned with by being ^The Power^s^ opponent in both finals.

Back home in Sussex, our team from the Kings Head, South Road, in Hailsham, ventured off to finals night in the Cracker League, held at the Pebsham Club.

We had plenty of matches to play in, and hopefully a few trophies to pick up.

Our team was pretty successful on the night, and I must say that in a couple of the finals we were pretty lucky that our opponents were missing their doubles, not to mention how lucky we were that my wife, Kristina, was hitting the winning doubles.

The match of the evening was the men^s singles final, between Phil Puttick, and our own Dick Matthews.

Both players played well, and the match went to a deciding leg, which, after some superb scoring including a 180, was won by Phil to clinch the title.

Dick played well and had a shot to win, but unfortunately it was not to be.

The night was organised and run by three people who deserve a mention, Mogg^s, Debbie (fresh from filming The Weakest Link), and the infamous chalker, Stephan Pope – I^m always surprised when he turns up in shoes, as he used to referee us when I played footy for Punnetts Town in a pair of turned down Wellies! Anyway, well done to them, and to all the competitors on the night.

No darts over the weekend meant time to catch up on doing odd jobs around the house and garden, in between nipping off to watch the World Superbikes and the Formula One ^canoeing^ fiasco on TV. It must be nice sitting on the grid in a car without a roof for about 40 minutes in a monsoon!

On Monday, our team from the HMI were off to play at the Nuthouse in Seaside Road, Eastbourne, for the second week running. We came away with a good win, and there is still a slim chance of us taking the league title, depending upon the results of the others, especially as the top two teams have to play one another.

The Easter weekend sees myself and Adrian Gray leaving on Friday afternoon for cider country – ooh aar! (Sounded like Ron Coussens for a minute then!)

We are playing in two events in Taunton, Somerset this week, and I^m hoping that my good form continues so I can climb further up the rankings list, and – most importantly – nearer to qualifying for the UK Open finals at The Reebok Stadium, Bolton, in June.

On our way home from Somerset, we have to stop off in Roffey, West Sussex, for a match involving our Superleague team from the Hollington Oak in the Courage National Pub Team competition.

I wonder if Adi has got me an Easter Egg for driving this week!

Anyway, a list of all the Cracker League finalists and winners is below:

League Winners: Mog^s Mob.

Runners-Up: Kings Head South Road. KHSR (A Relf, T Cox, D Matthews, D Weaver).

Runners-Up: Grenadier.

Mixed Triples: KHSR (A Relf, K Relf, T Cox).

Runners-Up: Mog^s Mob (Mog^s, D

Moggeridge, N Haigh).

Men^s Pairs: KHSR (A Relf & T Cox).

Runners-Up: Mog^s Mob (I Pickles & R Lechley).

Mixed Pairs: KHSR A Relf & K Relf).

Runners-Up: Horses (W Self & M

Connelly).

Ladies Pairs: G Bennett & B Vidler

Runners-Up: S Lewis & A Pickles.

Ladies Singles: V Whitmore.

Runner-Up: K Bennett.

Men^s Singles: P Puttick.

Runner-Up: D Matthews.

Captain^s Cup: Mog^s.

Runner-Up: T Cox.

Rodemark Cup: A Vine.

Runner-Up: S White.

180s Cup: A Relf.

Sportman^s Trophy: The Smugglers.

Wooden Spoon: The Bell.

ABOVE: the victorious team from the Kings Head Pub, South Road, Hailsham with their trophy haul from finals night.

Story By: Sussex Express