Netherlands Take Cash Converters World Cup Of Darts Glory

THE inaugural Cash Converters World Cup of Darts was won by the Netherlands, as Raymond Van Barneveld and Co Stompe took a 4-2 victory against Welshmen Mark Webster and Barrie Bates in Sunday^s final.

The Dutch duo walked away with the £40,000 winner^s cheque at the Rainton Meadows Arena following a fine tournament, as van Barneveld ended three years without a televised title in style.

After the pair had shared the four Singles matches in the final with Wales, for whom Mark Webster won both his games with ton-plus averages, the Netherlands ran out 8-5 winners in the decisive Doubles game to take glory.

While Stompe won more than half his team^s legs in the final, van Barneveld fittingly posted the winning double four as his team took glory - leaving both Dutch stars in tears afterwards.

"On Thursday when our flight was cancelled we thought we might not even make it to the tournament so it^s incredible for us to win the World Cup," said van Barneveld.

"I^m so proud, both to win the event and to play with Co. He has been brilliant throughout the weekend and he has been telling me for three weeks that he had a dream we would win the tournament.

"He^s getting better all the time and he showed his quality in this tournament. It^s a huge honour to have won this with him."

Stompe added: "I was privileged to play with Raymond and it^s an amazing achievement.

"I^ve played darts for 20 years but this is my first televised world title, and it means so much to me. We^ve been great as a team and we were determined to come here and enjoy ourselves, which we^ve done."

The Netherlands had ended the hopes of giant-killers Spain in the semi-finals, as Carlos Rodriguez and Antonio Alcinas failed to produce the form which had seen them knock out Japan, England and Scotland on their way to the last four.

Wales ended Australia^s hopes in the other semi-final, which saw the teams locked at three points each following the Welsh stars^ 6-5 Doubles win.

The match went to a sudden-death leg which Whitlock, who was paired with Paul Nicholson, opened with a 180, only for Bates to hit a 116 finish for what he described as the best moment of his career.

"It^s been a great weekend and we were close to winning, but I^m really proud," said Bates. "It^s the first time I^ve played alongside Mark and it was a real pleasure because he^s a fantastic player who showed his true colours this weekend.

"I was disappointed I didn^t win any of my Singles games in the final and maybe it would have been different if I had, but the semi-final was fantastic and the 116 was the best shot I^ve ever hit."

Cash Converters World Cup of Darts
Final
Netherlands v Wales
Raymond van Barneveld 8-4 Barrie Bates
Co Stompe 6-8 Mark Webster
Raymond van Barneveld 6-8 Mark Webster
Co Stompe 8-5 Barrie Bates
van Barneveld/Stompe 8-5 Webster/Bates
Final Score: Netherlands 4pts, Wales 2pts

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 8-4 BARRIE BATES
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD secured first blood for the Netherlands in the Cash Converters World Cup of Darts final, defeating Barrie Bates 8-4 in their Singles game.

Although Bates took the opening leg on tops, van Barneveld won the next five without reply, hitting two 180s and a 100 checkout in the process as he took command of the game.

Bates won the next two, stepping in to punish a missed double 16 from the Dutchman in the seventh and hitting an 81 bullseye finish to pull back to 5-3.

Bates hit a maximum in the next, but missed his chance to reduce the gap to one leg as van Barneveld landed double eight for a 6-3 cushion.

Both players saw their doubles desert them in the tenth, with Bates landing double one to edge a scrappy leg, only for van Barneveld to be swift in wrapping up victory.

He first set up a double 14 finish with a 180, before completing an 11-darter in the next to seal the point.

MARK WEBSTER 8-6 CO STOMPE
MARK WEBSTER produced some finishing of the highest order in taking an 8-6 victory against Co Stompe in their opening Singles game of the Cash Converters World Cup of Darts final.

The duo shared the opening six legs with some fine darts, trading 91 finishes at one stage before Stompe edged 4-3 up with a 62 finish.

Webster, though, found another gear to win the next four without reply, twice punishing misses from Stompe before landing checkouts of 160 and 130 to brilliantly lead 7-4.

Stompe replied with a fine 128 checkout, and a 64 finish for a 14-darter pulled him back to within a leg at 7-6, only for Webster to seal victory in 13 darts on tops.

MARK WEBSTER 8-6 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
MARK WEBSTER completed a Singles ^double^ over the Netherlands with a 8-6 win over Raymond van Barneveld as his sensational form in the Cash Converters World Cup of Darts final continued.

Having seen off Co Stompe with a 100 average, he bettered that with eight 180s and a 104 average to defeat the world number three in style and give Wales a 2-1 lead.

Van Barneveld was restricted to just six darts at a double in the game, hitting all six and including a ten-dart leg, but Webster^s heavy scoring and clinical finishing proved too good.

Webster hit two 180s in the opeing leg, which he won on double two, only for van Barneveld to land checkouts of 76 and 96 to lead 2-1.

The Dutchman also hit a 180 in the fourth, but Webster checked out 72 and then 76 in regaining the lead.

The see-saw nature continued with van Barneveld taking the next two despite further maximums from Webster to move 4-3 up.

Webster, though, found another gear to win three without reply and take command before van Barneveld hit the best leg of the tournament with a ten-darter of 180, 140, 145 and double 18 to pull back to 6-5.

Webster hit a 180 and double top to win his seventh leg before missing the bull for the win in the next, as a 97 finish from van Barneveld pulled him back to 7-6.

Van Barneveld then kicked in with a 180 to start the next leg, only for Webster to hit a maximum of his own to leave 72, which he checked out on tops.

CO STOMPE 8-5 BARRIE BATES
CO STOMPE ensured that the Cash Converters World Cup of Darts will be decided by the Doubles contest with Wales after defeating Barrie Bates 8-5 in the final Singles game.

After sharing the opening eight legs, Stompe found an extra gear to hit 180s in five successive legs as he swept to victory.

The pair traded double top finishes to open the match before Stompe led on double ten and Bates hit a 180 in winning the fourth, and also swapped double six and double 18 finishes in the next two.

Stompe set up a double top finish with a 162 score in the seventh, while Bates hit a 76 checkout to take the eighth, and the pair exchanged 180s as the Dutchman edged 5-4 up.

Stompe landed another maximum but missed a dart at double 12 for the next, we Bates hit double eight to level at five-all with double eight in what proved to be his last chance to win a leg.

He could only watch on in the next three, as Stompe piled home further 180s in winning legs of 13, 12 and 14 darts to take the point and square the final.

NETHERLANDS 8-5 WALES
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD ensured Cash Converters World Cup of Darts glory alongside Co Stompe for the Netherlands, as they defeated Wales 8-5 in their Doubles clash at the Rainton Meadows Arena.

The inaugural PDC World Cup went all the way to the deciding Doubles game, with the scores tied at two-all after the four Singles contests.

The Dutch took a 3-1 lead, only for Mark Webster to win two successive legs for Wales to level.

Van Barneveld^s 69 finish in the seventh was bettered by a 136 from Barrie Bates to level, and double tops from Stompe and Webster left the scores tied at five-all as the tension rose.

Stompe hit double 14 for the 11th leg, and secured the key break with double nine for a 7-5 lead, before he hit a 180 and van Barneveld fittingly posted double four to seal the win.