Red Dragon Darts star Jamie wins Welsh classic

Teenage Cardigan darts star Jamie Lewis notched the biggest success in his first year at senior level when lifting the Welsh Classic title in Rhyl.

As he beat off a world class field the 18-year-old former pupil at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi picked up 18 ranking points towards qualifying for the World Championships at the Lakeside Club in January next year.

The group in which Lewis was drawn included world star Tony O’Shea, world-ranked number four Dean Winstanley and former world champion John Boy Walton.

At the quarter-final stage the Cardigan darter sprang a 4-2 win against Andy Boulton of West Ayrshire and reached the final after a titanic tussle with world ranked number five and strongly-fancied 24-year-old Joey Ten Berge of the Netherlands.

With the scores tied at 3-3 and the Dutch darter having left himself a double Lewis showed nerves of steel and tremendous accuracy in going out on 107 (20, treble 20, double 18).

In the final he locked horns with one of his challengers for a place at Lakeside next year Scott Marsh of Kent. The west Wales darter hit three maximums in springing a 5-3 win and a fabulous average of 29.97 per dart.

Lewis has three remaining tournaments in which to clinch a place in the world finals. He competes in the British Open at Bridlington (Sept. 17-19), England Classic at Selsey (Sept. 24-26) and the French Open at Gerardmer (October 2-3).