Wales Break Australian Hearts With Sudden-Death Triumph

WALES stunned Australia with a sudden-death leg victory to win through to the final of the Cash Converters World Cup of Darts on Sunday afternoon, and will face the Netherlands in the decider following their semi-final victory over Spain.

Australian pair Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson looked set to progress to the final of the £150,000 event when they led 3-1 after the Singles games in their semi.

However, Mark Webster and Barrie Bates took a 6-5 win in their Doubles contest, earning two points to level the tie and force a sudden-death leg.

Whitlock kicked off the decider with a 180, but Bates sealed a sensational 12-dart leg with a 116 finish to put his side into the final - sparking joyous celebrations with Webster.

"To be 3-1 down then win the Doubles match and a sudden-death leg was unbelievable," said Webster. "The checkout at the end was quality darts from Barrie and it was an unreal feeling.

"It mans a lot to play for my country and it would be a massive achievement for us to win this tournament. We think we can win it, and after this win there^s no reason we can^t we go all the way.

"Raymond van Barneveld and Co Stompe are great players and did a good professional job against Spain earlier, but me and Barrie may have the momentum now and we^ll take the same attitude into the final that we^ve had throughout this event."

Dutch duo van Barneveld and Stompe will hope to go one better than their football counterparts, who lost in their World Cup final to Spain in the summer, and take the £40,000 first prize.

They had defeated darts^ World Cup^s surprise package Spain in the semis, with Carlos Rodriguez and Antonio Alcinas unable to repeat the form which had knocked out Japan, England and Scotland from the tournament as they lost all four Singles games to go down 4-0.

Alcinas came close to forcing a decisive Doubles game when he led 5-4 in the fourth Singles tie, but Stompe took the final two legs to secure Holland^s passage into the final.

"It^s a great relief to have won because Spain have been great, they beat England and Scotland," said van Barneveld. "I played a good game with a 103 average but Co played well too and we^re on course to win this title now."