Day 7

:00:34. > :00:41.Good afternoon. The Lakeside is quiet for the first time this week

:00:42. > :00:45.because we have no afternoon darts. Last night all of these seats were

:00:46. > :00:53.full and the place was buzzing because we had women's and men's

:00:54. > :00:58.quarterfinals. The semifinals and the finals at the weekend. This

:00:59. > :01:05.afternoon, we get to present from the hallowed stage in the company of

:01:06. > :01:14.Mr broken back Mountain, Bobby George.

:01:15. > :01:19.Here is what is coming up. Stephen Bunting took his sparkling form into

:01:20. > :01:25.his quarterfinal last night. He was against Rick Hofstra. Tony Eccles,

:01:26. > :01:33.in his last year at the Lakeside, faced off against Robbie Green. The

:01:34. > :01:39.women's number one seed, Deta Hedman, was in action against Irene

:01:40. > :01:46.Armstrong. We will look ahead at tonight's quarter of finals between

:01:47. > :01:53.Alan Norris and James Wilson. We have Jan Dekker, who is taking on

:01:54. > :02:06.Martin Adams. Also, Robbie George Torrence schoolteacher. -- turns

:02:07. > :02:12.schoolteacher. And we pause to pay tribute to former finalist Phill

:02:13. > :02:20.Nixon, who passed away recently. 20, Bobby. Another 20. 100. Great

:02:21. > :02:27.darts from Bobby George. And great darts so far from Stephen Bunting,

:02:28. > :02:28.the number one seed, who boasted a three figure average going into his

:02:29. > :03:13.quarterfinal against Rick Hofstra. We now introduce Dutch

:03:14. > :03:59.international, Rick Hofstra! Double 12, Bobby for the nine dart

:04:00. > :04:06.finish! Do not take anything for granted in this matter. After won

:04:07. > :04:13.the first set. It is one like a piece in the second set.

:04:14. > :04:24.-- one leg apiece. Straightaway, a chance at the start

:04:25. > :04:32.of this next leg. Very useful indeed. He looks to try and break

:04:33. > :04:40.back and win this set against the throw.

:04:41. > :04:55.Bunting has already nicked the darts in this leg.

:04:56. > :05:10.He has led Rick Hofstra back in there. -- he has allowed.

:05:11. > :05:23.He does not need asking twice, not in this mood, Rick Hofstra.

:05:24. > :05:44.I used to the sky. -- eyes to the sky.

:05:45. > :05:58.Rick Hofstra leaves himself on a finish. That is better! He wanted to

:05:59. > :06:14.pressurise the Rick Hofstra throw. He has done exactly that.

:06:15. > :06:30.Stephen Bunting has got an opening. This is for the break back.

:06:31. > :06:56.At the moment Bunting's checkout percentage is 19. The top seed.

:06:57. > :07:10.He is giving himself a bit of work to do here, Stephen Bunting. Early

:07:11. > :07:18.days in the match. The darts leaving the hand with the usual ferocity but

:07:19. > :07:25.not the usual accuracy. Rick Hofstra's second maximum of this

:07:26. > :07:36.match. No question, Rick Hofstra is gaining in confidence with every low

:07:37. > :07:45.score that Stephen Bunting posts. That is six out of six! We have

:07:46. > :07:58.waited 25 years for a nine dart finish on the Lakeside stage. Will

:07:59. > :08:04.it be Rick Hofstra? It may be but it will not be right now. Almost the

:08:05. > :08:10.subject of another trivia question there. That one would have been

:08:11. > :08:35.easier to recall. 994 Rick Hofstra. -- double nine

:08:36. > :09:21.four Rick Hofstra. Nine legs of darts, Rick Hofstra has

:09:22. > :09:28.won six of them and he has won six legs of darts against the number one

:09:29. > :09:34.seed, with a checkout statistics -- statistic of a mere 30%, and an

:09:35. > :09:38.average in this game of a mere 86. What he has been able to do is throw

:09:39. > :09:46.Stephen Bunting of his natural rhythm. Stephen is taking a little

:09:47. > :09:53.time out with -- to adjust the flights and adjust the focus. I

:09:54. > :09:59.think if you said to Stephen at the start of the game that he would need

:10:00. > :10:09.to win five out of seven sets to make it through, he would still have

:10:10. > :10:13.probably fancied his chances. But of course when you are playing against

:10:14. > :10:18.an opponent who has run you close before, on three separate occasions

:10:19. > :10:22.in the recent past, it is bound to play on your mind. Darts players

:10:23. > :10:27.will tell you that they simply play the board, they do not play the

:10:28. > :10:33.man. And mostly they are lying to you. It is impossible not to get

:10:34. > :10:41.caught up in what your opponent is doing. Not to be affected by what

:10:42. > :10:48.your opponent is doing. And it just seems like Rick Hofstra, just maybe,

:10:49. > :10:51.has the measure of Stephen Bunting. When he loses to him, he does not

:10:52. > :11:10.lose by much. And he beats him as often as not.

:11:11. > :11:20.Stephen will be first to a finish here. We think he has slowed down

:11:21. > :11:47.since losing the second set. Another missed double four Bunting.

:11:48. > :11:49.Topps has been a disaster zone first even in this game. He has only hit

:11:50. > :12:30.it once. -- double tops. That will do him the world of good.

:12:31. > :12:41.He has missed 17 darts at a double. Double one in that first set, seven

:12:42. > :12:48.of those for the set. Another three at the business end of the second

:12:49. > :12:52.set. And another to just then. But he held his nerve to win that leg

:12:53. > :13:00.with the darts. Crucial for Stephen that he does not fall three behind.

:13:01. > :13:03.Talk about the problem he has had with double top, he has only headed

:13:04. > :13:58.once in seven attempts. He is not finding the treble with

:13:59. > :14:07.his usual regularity. Stephen Bunting looks a little bit rattled

:14:08. > :14:16.at the moment. Rick Hofstra has won six of the eight legs -- last eight

:14:17. > :14:20.legs against the number one seed. Invariably fills that up. But he

:14:21. > :14:24.didn't today. Is that endemic of the fact that he is not on top of his

:14:25. > :14:41.game? The average is 101 in his last

:14:42. > :14:48.match. 92 in the matter before that. So far, 86 in this match. Whatever

:14:49. > :14:53.happens in the remainder of this game, the other players who are

:14:54. > :15:01.still in the competition will feel that Bunting's air of invincibility,

:15:02. > :15:04.perhaps, has just taken a little bit of tarnishing. So money guys still

:15:05. > :15:12.left in the tournament. He is odds-on to win it. I do not think

:15:13. > :15:17.there is a perhaps about that. I think it is going. That aura of

:15:18. > :15:22.invincibility is going. He averaged 100 in his second round match for

:15:23. > :15:27.the first time in the Lakeside stage, having done so all year.

:15:28. > :15:30.Everybody thought, here we go. He came backstage and told as he did

:15:31. > :15:36.not play that well. Everyone thought, here is the champion.

:15:37. > :15:40.Including, I am sure, in their heart of hearts, some of his opponents.

:15:41. > :15:45.But Rick Hofstra has shown that if you start well against Stephen

:15:46. > :15:53.Bunting, he does not like playing catch up. Having said all of that,

:15:54. > :15:54.if Rick Hofstra is favourite to reach the quarterfinals it is not by

:15:55. > :16:17.much. This is the leg. Stephen Bunting

:16:18. > :16:24.will be looking to put the pressure on Rick Hofstra. Hofstra has done

:16:25. > :16:31.well, when he has had the darts he has held on four out of five

:16:32. > :16:34.occasions. He would expect to win this set anyway because he has the

:16:35. > :16:43.darts in the potentially deciding fifth leg. But he can increase that

:16:44. > :16:49.element of doubt in Hofstra's mind. It will be a big psychological

:16:50. > :16:59.factor. Stephen is taking a lot of water on board, it is ferocious Lee

:17:00. > :17:10.hot on the stage. 180! The second one went in and followed its target.

:17:11. > :17:14.I wonder what will of the pointing is about. It seemed significant. --

:17:15. > :17:25.Earl of the pointing. Three tonnes for Hofstra in this leg

:17:26. > :18:04.so far. He went for a double 18. A set out

:18:05. > :18:09.here, I doubt it will have the same significance but you never know. --

:18:10. > :18:34.dart. Double eight, two darts at it for

:18:35. > :19:00.the third set. Two mode set hearts hit the dust. -- two.

:19:01. > :19:41.That is a set back! He is on the board.

:19:42. > :19:55.We were speaking earlier in the week about the importance of improving

:19:56. > :20:00.his accuracy around the finish. So far today, as the pressure

:20:01. > :20:07.intensifies, he has only hit six out of 26. That is not good enough for a

:20:08. > :20:12.potential winner of this tournament. He would be the first to admit.

:20:13. > :20:20.Throwing for the set he has hit just one and he has missed ten.

:20:21. > :20:39.He is nowhere in this leg as well, Stephen Bunting. 55, 33, before that

:20:40. > :20:52.60. 66 left, double 18 left for him now. Hofstra takes the first leg of

:20:53. > :21:01.set number four. Funny way to go about 126 but he was not under

:21:02. > :21:08.pressure. It is the treble 19 that is normally the first target. If you

:21:09. > :21:17.miss it you have another chance to hit it and then you can take out the

:21:18. > :21:22.bullseye, but whatever works. Stephen, of course, wasn't on a

:21:23. > :21:32.finish. The mark of any great champion, how he can deal with

:21:33. > :21:44.adversity. He is only one set down up to this point. He has got it back

:21:45. > :21:50.to 2-2, crisis averted. He just does not seem happy in himself out there

:21:51. > :22:04.at the moment. They will have a break after this set. 180!

:22:05. > :22:28.If it is 3-1 in a race to five, the top seed will be under the cosh.

:22:29. > :22:39.Good darts. Excellent darts. Picked off with ultimate ease. Double

:22:40. > :22:48.eight, then, the Stephen Bunting. Didn't have to think about it.

:22:49. > :22:57.Getting going now. Game on. But he wasn't under pressure. The doubles

:22:58. > :23:03.have not come as easy when he is. That was with the throw. The rest of

:23:04. > :23:14.the set goes with the throw. Bunting must break.

:23:15. > :23:19.Blood pressure. Hofstra starts with a 59, Bunting weighs in with a

:23:20. > :23:55.ton-30. -- 40. He will probably take that 98, just

:23:56. > :24:05.about. He would have liked a second treble 20. And he will definitely

:24:06. > :24:24.take a 134, leaving him 132 to break the throw. He could be in a bit of

:24:25. > :24:34.Barney rubble here. He has set himself up beautifully, despite not

:24:35. > :24:43.getting what he needed. Trouble 18 leaves a bullseye here.

:24:44. > :24:54.Can he break? Yes, he is going to double seven. He has passed it, he

:24:55. > :25:16.can't break. -- bust. A moment of contemplation for Rick

:25:17. > :25:27.Hofstra. 68. This is crucial. Double four, two darts at it. He needs

:25:28. > :25:40.this, and he gets it. Crisis averted, doesn't let Bunting wake

:25:41. > :25:45.him. -- break. Good response from Stephen there. It has been a tale of

:25:46. > :25:56.missed doubles, this match fit him so far. -- for him. He could have

:25:57. > :26:01.broken in the last, but he didn't. Now he is under pressure just to

:26:02. > :26:07.hold, to have another go at breaking Hofstra. Both men starting with a

:26:08. > :26:23.ton-40. You got the feeling as Rick Hofstra

:26:24. > :26:32.post before approaching the oche at the end of last -- the last leg,

:26:33. > :26:37.that he was having real fun. He has only ever reached the semifinal of

:26:38. > :26:45.one major in his career, that was 11 years ago. He deserves this moment.

:26:46. > :26:49.He is laying the foundations. It does look at the moment as if he is

:26:50. > :26:57.going to have to hold in the last leg for a 3-1 lead. It looked like

:26:58. > :27:04.Stephen would win the previous leg and he didn't, and Hofstra can put

:27:05. > :27:07.that 32 under pressure. Stephen has not been hitting the doubles under

:27:08. > :27:19.pressure. Again Hofstra makes him great. Bullseye to pile on the

:27:20. > :27:31.pressure on this double 16. What are you made of, Stephen? There is your

:27:32. > :27:35.answer! This leg could have a neon sign post about it, saying crucial.

:27:36. > :27:50.Even then it would understate the case. It is the difference between

:27:51. > :27:59.two sets each 3-1 to Hofstra. Only 55 from Hofstra, throwing first. He

:28:00. > :28:04.should win it, he has got the darts. Only 100 from Stephen Bunting as he

:28:05. > :28:22.tries to take advantage. Where is Hofstra's screwing? -- screwing. --

:28:23. > :28:25.scoring. This is the difference in experience, Stephen knows what it is

:28:26. > :28:30.like to finish out tournaments under pressure. Rick does not have the

:28:31. > :28:39.same weight of experience behind him. That is better, but will it be

:28:40. > :28:51.good enough? He still needs Stephen to fail. That is a great switch to

:28:52. > :29:07.19s. He would have wanted more. He is still 60 points or so ahead.

:29:08. > :29:24.Look at this, when he needs it. 180! Gets the maximum. Down to 65. 223

:29:25. > :29:37.for Hofstra, good start and response -- starting response from him. 180!

:29:38. > :29:54.65 for a set against the darts. Ron at double ten. He has missed it!

:29:55. > :30:00.Calm down, she says. I think Rick Hofstra is the coolest dude at

:30:01. > :30:08.Lakeside right now. He goes to take a drink of water, composes himself.

:30:09. > :30:36.He needs double 16 for a 3-1 lead. The dart at double eight. -- the

:30:37. > :30:42.dart. Pretty good. He has been missing some darts. But Hofstra's

:30:43. > :30:51.miss at double eight could be crucial. The players leave the stage

:30:52. > :30:59.after an engaging first session. Absolutely bang dead level.

:31:00. > :31:04.It was all square at the interval. And it was even Stevens in the

:31:05. > :31:05.fifth. A vital leg coming up. We will see this one right through to

:31:06. > :31:48.the end. Stephen with the darts. If anybody

:31:49. > :31:54.is on a little more pressure, excruciating pressure in this light,

:31:55. > :32:02.it is Stephen. -- in this leg. He will not want to be broken again.

:32:03. > :32:11.That will ease some of the pressure. The vice loosened its grip. And the

:32:12. > :32:18.arm can relax and find a couple of more troubles to move within 140

:32:19. > :32:38.points of a 3-2 lead in sets from 2-0 down.

:32:39. > :33:09.He has hit tonne plus in all four visits in this leg. Bunting.

:33:10. > :33:15.Probably the least important of the set darts he has missed in this

:33:16. > :33:39.match so far. There have been a few of them.

:33:40. > :34:06.Stephen Bunting knows he will be back. Hofstra is still way behind.

:34:07. > :34:14.Not much pressure there from Hofstra. Another chance for

:34:15. > :34:18.Stephen. He has been practising the troubles. But when it matters he has

:34:19. > :34:36.really struggled. He takes the lead in sets for the

:34:37. > :34:47.first time in this quarterfinal. That was only a set with the darts.

:34:48. > :34:54.But if he was nine to one on at two sets all, it really is worth backing

:34:55. > :34:59.him from here. However, Hofstra fans will feel that their man is there or

:35:00. > :35:28.thereabouts. The name of Bunting's son Tobias is

:35:29. > :35:30.on the tip of his dart. 18 months old. He is not here at this

:35:31. > :35:49.tournament. Extraordinary that he has missed 19

:35:50. > :36:04.set darts and he seems to be getting away with it, Bunting.

:36:05. > :36:37.This is Hofstra's set with the darts. If he holds this set, it is

:36:38. > :36:39.back to 3-3. He will still be frustrated because he knows he had

:36:40. > :36:41.an excellent chance to win that fifth set after breaking the Bunting

:36:42. > :37:10.throw. The first setback after the resumption. -- the first set back.

:37:11. > :37:11.He still has not checked out more than 80 for all tournament, Stephen

:37:12. > :37:43.Bunting. -- 84. I think the word is unerring. I am

:37:44. > :37:52.not sure that was the word that Wilma had on her mind or on her

:37:53. > :38:00.lips, actually. The Hofstra clan proudly supporting their man. Wilma

:38:01. > :38:09.keeps telling her man to use his head. Think, think, think. He might

:38:10. > :38:11.have been better advised, if he thought about it, to stay in the

:38:12. > :38:40.treble 20. His cover shots are badly let him

:38:41. > :39:10.down, Hofstra. -- have badly let him down.

:39:11. > :39:19.The third 140 between the two players to this stage in the leg.

:39:20. > :39:25.Stephen has the luxury again being able to set this up. -- of being

:39:26. > :40:07.able. Hofstra is looking at the board at

:40:08. > :40:24.the moment with an increased sense of incredulity.

:40:25. > :40:29.This is for a break after five missed darts at doubles for Stephen

:40:30. > :40:50.Bunting. His finishing is becoming

:40:51. > :40:51.increasingly wayward now. Does he bite the bullet or does he bite the

:40:52. > :41:28.dust? This year, Rick Hofstra lost to Ross

:41:29. > :41:39.Montgomery in Ghent. He was beaten by Robbie Green in the last 32 at

:41:40. > :41:42.the world Masters. He has to go back to January for a German Gold cup

:41:43. > :41:52.victory. He is being put under pressure now. Trading maximums.

:41:53. > :41:57.Bonding with his eighth, Hofstra with his sixth. The tournament with

:41:58. > :42:05.its 200th. And if you do, all the way from New Zealand and lose your

:42:06. > :42:06.first round match, having won your preliminary, it is pretty good in

:42:07. > :42:33.the crowd. There is Mike Day, all the way from

:42:34. > :42:34.Auckland. He has had fun. Jan Dekker enjoying the fact that the tension

:42:35. > :42:51.is on other people. He will fancy his chances, Rick

:42:52. > :42:53.Hofstra, not least because Stephen has not hit anything over 84 all

:42:54. > :43:39.tournament. There you go, Wilma, he says. That

:43:40. > :44:13.is what I can do. But there are, says Stephen, that is

:44:14. > :44:25.what I can do. 9-60 leads in terms of maximums in this game. -- 9-6, he

:44:26. > :44:58.leads. 97 and 180 in this leg for bonding. -- Bunting.

:44:59. > :45:11.Stephen Bunting in a position to set things up for himself. 76 remaining.

:45:12. > :45:18.It is looking as though we will go to another crucial decisive leg in

:45:19. > :45:27.this set, in which the pressure will be on Rick Hofstra. He really sped

:45:28. > :45:52.up. Now for the treble 20. Double ten,

:45:53. > :46:02.then, for the Stephen Bunting. -- for Stephen Bunting. He has missed

:46:03. > :46:10.40 doubles. Almost half of them set darts. But if Stephen Bunting can

:46:11. > :46:21.break here he will fancy his chances of romping away. But Hofstra under

:46:22. > :46:29.pressure started with a ton-40. Still struggling at top, Stephen

:46:30. > :46:37.Bunting. He has only hit it twice in 14 attempts in this match so far.

:46:38. > :46:45.Not a single set, really, where Stephen's finishing has been

:46:46. > :46:55.exceptional. A crucial leg for Hofstra. If he wins it it is 3-3.

:46:56. > :47:06.Only the one leg separating the two men at the moment. That is mighty

:47:07. > :47:14.impressive when you are throwing at two sets each. That is pretty good

:47:15. > :47:23.as well. A finish of 125. Can Bunting claw himself to a finish?

:47:24. > :47:31.You bet! Pressure on 125, Rick Hofstra.

:47:32. > :47:45.He just adjusts. He needed the treble for a finish. He has 64 left.

:47:46. > :47:48.This is Stephen's first big check-out of the tournament and it

:47:49. > :47:59.is not going to happen so Hofstra has a chance. Two legs each, 64

:48:00. > :48:11.points each. Hofstra with a first crack at it. 16 and double 16. That

:48:12. > :48:23.was really wild. Not only did he miss it, he missed it the wrong side

:48:24. > :48:40.of the double. This is the 4-2. Double eight. Yes! -- this is for

:48:41. > :48:55.4-2. Surely now the Bullet has fired his way into the semifinals. Game

:48:56. > :49:02.on. The Bullet is heart and to the Dutchman it looks like things are

:49:03. > :49:11.pretty black and white. He was 2-0 up, now he is for-2 down. It sounds

:49:12. > :49:23.like he imploded but that has not been the case at all. Legs, -- legs,

:49:24. > :49:32.and six have gone to a crucial point. But Bunting has won them all.

:49:33. > :49:42.Did he change his mind in the middle of the throw? He set up the finish

:49:43. > :49:47.and he never got the opportunity to close it out. That is crucial

:49:48. > :49:56.against any player, never mind Stephen Bunting. I wonder if he

:49:57. > :50:03.aimed at single eight, changed his mind in the middle of the throw,

:50:04. > :50:08.aimed down towards the big 16, because for these players hitting

:50:09. > :50:17.that is 99 times out of 100, and just overcompensated under pressure,

:50:18. > :50:24.decided instead of going eight tops, double 16. Either way, a

:50:25. > :50:34.moment in this match. Stephen now is already on a finish of 74. -- a big

:50:35. > :50:43.moment. The first leg of set number seven, there is to go into the

:50:44. > :50:50.semifinals. He is firing now on all cylinders! Not a vintage performance

:50:51. > :50:57.but the finishing line is approaching. It is only the third

:50:58. > :51:12.time he has hit double top all match.

:51:13. > :51:18.He arrived at the Lakeside saying things are looking bubbly for the

:51:19. > :51:27.Bullet, having practised his doubles, but back to the practice

:51:28. > :51:31.board. 16 out of 56, 20 9%. That is not championship winning firm and if

:51:32. > :51:38.he had a bit of an error about him at the beginning of this final he

:51:39. > :51:47.has lost it. Even if he does go on to win 5-2. It is easy to build up

:51:48. > :52:03.an error when he days -- when you do what he did in Hull. He did not drop

:52:04. > :52:12.a set of the way through. You can do that and then today you are too -0

:52:13. > :52:16.down against Hofstra. Hofstra is part of a big Dutch contingent which

:52:17. > :52:32.will be swelled in Cavan -- coming months.

:52:33. > :52:58.Going back to Stephen's aura, very quick to create and very quick to

:52:59. > :53:14.dissipate. -- difficult to create. Just ask Manchester United. Double

:53:15. > :53:19.19, 158! Biggest finish by a street in the Stephen Bunting and it moves

:53:20. > :53:25.him within a leg of his first ever world championship semifinal.

:53:26. > :53:38.Magnificent 158 against the Hofstra pro and he is nearly there. --

:53:39. > :53:48.Hofstra throw. The finishing line very much in focus.

:53:49. > :54:01.Has Rick Hofstra got any fight left in him, having seen Stephen take out

:54:02. > :54:15.158 to move a leg are. -- a leg are. It would break the hearts of

:54:16. > :54:27.lesser men. With six darts, Stephen has got one point fewer than Rick

:54:28. > :54:33.has with three. Back he comes. Wesley Harms is one for watching the

:54:34. > :54:40.DVDs and analysing every leg, every set where things went wrong. It is

:54:41. > :54:46.pretty clear for Rick, only one leg he needs to watch, the last one of

:54:47. > :54:52.set number my honourable friend. Missed set darts, double 16, double

:54:53. > :55:02.eight, and instead of being 3-1 up he was 2-2. From that point it very

:55:03. > :55:11.rapidly went south. He is coming now, he is on his way. Isn't it

:55:12. > :55:16.extraordinary? A match can turn on two missed darts. Stephen Bunting

:55:17. > :55:26.has missed 19 set darts, Rick Hofstra has missed just two. This is

:55:27. > :55:42.for the match. He missed the big 14 there. Well, well. Tops if he comes

:55:43. > :55:49.back. You have to take 97 out, no two ways about it. This is massive,

:55:50. > :56:03.treble 18. Somewhere they are, truth be told. This is it, then, the

:56:04. > :56:13.Stephen Bunting. -- some way away, truth be told. Tops for the Bullet,

:56:14. > :56:20.he wins 5-2. Hofstra looks stunned, Bunting elated. He makes his first

:56:21. > :56:26.world championship semifinal. A thrilling victory that was closer

:56:27. > :56:31.than the scoreline suggests, and the Bullet marches on.

:56:32. > :56:44.It looks like a whitewash to Stephen Bunting. But it shows as he goes

:56:45. > :56:48.further he will feel the pressure. He was thinking, Hofstra has not

:56:49. > :56:56.played very well, he skipped a round. I think he could have walked

:56:57. > :57:02.it. He thought, this is going to be easy for me, and he almost came

:57:03. > :57:09.unstuck. It could have been 3-1 down and that would have changed the

:57:10. > :57:13.game. He was struggling. The darts were not going in. He had a break,

:57:14. > :57:18.came out, and did the same again, couldn't get a double, and Rick

:57:19. > :57:23.started coming back to him. He was lucky, to be honest. I don't think

:57:24. > :57:30.he played very good darts, compared to what he has done. But he is

:57:31. > :57:34.happy, he is in the semifinal. He will be against Tony Eccles Robbie

:57:35. > :57:36.Green. We will not tell you because we are going to show you the

:57:37. > :57:43.highlights. Every Friday afternoon the man would be biggest darts brain

:57:44. > :57:50.in the world imparts some of his insight. It is usually the training,

:57:51. > :57:54.how young players should learn. What you should learn is, wherever your

:57:55. > :58:04.first dart goes, follow it with the other two. Throw the dart and in

:58:05. > :58:11.your mind through the same. You are learning to group your darts. Let's

:58:12. > :58:15.talk about gamesmanship. We run the Lakeside stage for the first time

:58:16. > :58:20.presenting together so I get a feel of how intimate it is. In the

:58:21. > :58:31.commentary, you hear about mind games. We never get the feel of what

:58:32. > :58:41.that is like. Talk about slow play. If a guy is fast, you can slow him

:58:42. > :58:49.up. Give me an extreme example. This will be 26, bed and breakfast. I

:58:50. > :58:54.just want to point something out to everybody watching. The distance

:58:55. > :59:00.between the oche and the edge of the stage is just this. It looks much

:59:01. > :59:03.bigger on TV. When you see the players standing behind, you could

:59:04. > :59:09.literally touch them on the shoulder. It is very intimate. I

:59:10. > :59:19.will be the fast player. You have just lost four sets in a row and you

:59:20. > :59:27.are getting desperate. He is playing well, a big 39, I am happy. You come

:59:28. > :59:39.off and I think, let him wait. I am in no rush. It puts you off. Another

:59:40. > :59:47.five there, that is no good. It has taken you 15 seconds to throw them.

:59:48. > :59:54.I have not really finished yet. Now it is your turn. I am also

:59:55. > :00:01.acknowledging your game, you are supposed to play the board. Look at

:00:02. > :00:14.that, I got the loose dart because of that. Slowing you up puts you out

:00:15. > :00:18.of your rhythm. What about the walk? One player in particular does

:00:19. > :00:36.this. Can you mess up the eyeline of the player on top? Live television,

:00:37. > :00:48.isn't it marvellous? ! I have to completely reset myself. Yes, you

:00:49. > :00:53.have two set yourself. -- to. I will do an impression and you tell me if

:00:54. > :01:07.you know who it is. Let's guess who this is.

:01:08. > :01:31.Yes, I like the stance. Ted Hankey! Brilliant. We have dealt

:01:32. > :01:38.with how you can slow play when you are at the oche. It is not illegal

:01:39. > :01:42.but it is gamesmanship. I have already demonstrated how close you

:01:43. > :01:45.are to the player. What can you do from behind the player when you are

:01:46. > :01:52.not throwing, that could put them off? You are the darts player and

:01:53. > :02:04.you are going to go and throw. I will stand behind you. That is

:02:05. > :02:12.awful. What are you doing. You just take your darts. I would want to

:02:13. > :02:23.turn around and throw it this way. You can flick your flights. It does

:02:24. > :02:30.put you off. They do actually do that. And some players here have

:02:31. > :02:37.done it. But they are masters at it. You cannot really see them do it.

:02:38. > :02:42.When I am watching, I can see them slowing him up. There is no rule to

:02:43. > :02:49.say you cannot do it. Surely you get used to it? Take someone like Martin

:02:50. > :03:00.Adams, 21 years here, he is never going to fall for that? No. The only

:03:01. > :03:10.thing that you hear... There is noise all the time. When you are up

:03:11. > :03:19.here, it is nice and quiet. A player requires 32. As he is going for the

:03:20. > :03:29.double, some idiot shouts out, Miss! We will try that. I would be the

:03:30. > :03:43.idiot. I have only got two darts. Ready?

:03:44. > :03:58.Idiot! It does work. It does work, yet! , on, John Lowell! That is a

:03:59. > :04:03.bit crude. When players try mind games, it is the ultimate compliment

:04:04. > :04:07.because it means you are on top as a player? Exactly. The idea of this

:04:08. > :04:11.game is to beat your opponent. There is nothing in the rule book that

:04:12. > :04:16.says you cannot do it. That the problem. They don't all do it. But

:04:17. > :04:22.it does happen. They have had trouble getting here. Through the

:04:23. > :04:30.play-offs or whatever. The first thing was you shouting out to me.

:04:31. > :04:34.You called me an idiot. Excellent. It is not just throwing darts at the

:04:35. > :04:39.board. There are other things going on. It is so much smaller here than

:04:40. > :04:42.you see on the television. Most of the crowd are on top of you. It

:04:43. > :04:46.gives you an idea of the cauldron and some of the mind games. It may

:04:47. > :04:50.have taken place last night between Tony Eccles and Robbie Green. That

:04:51. > :05:00.is coming later. Let's look at tonight 's quarterfinals. The first

:05:01. > :05:02.one features Jan Dekker. He needs to find his top gear against Martin

:05:03. > :05:10.Adams, who is finally playing close to what we would expect. The other

:05:11. > :05:14.quarterfinal is between James Wilson and Alan Norris. James Wilson made

:05:15. > :05:18.his debut last year and he has been throwing really well ever since.

:05:19. > :05:24.Alan Norris has the bit between his teeth and I think he has the darts

:05:25. > :05:28.to make it all the way through to at least the semifinal. That one,

:05:29. > :05:37.Bobby, I would not want to miss. I cannot call it. Norris has got a lot

:05:38. > :05:42.of passion. That is what I like to see in a player. He is playing well

:05:43. > :05:47.and he is really enjoying himself. I think Wilson may have a tough game

:05:48. > :05:50.on his hands. I think that would be one of the best games of this

:05:51. > :05:58.tournament. Really looking forward to that. In the other case, and I

:05:59. > :06:03.don't mean to keep saying it, I love the kid, he is wonderful, he has got

:06:04. > :06:07.a great smile and a wonderful family with him, but Jan Dekker needs to

:06:08. > :06:15.find something else. Of all the players in the quarterfinals, he is

:06:16. > :06:26.lucky to be there? Lucky. He has taken his chances. 86 is not

:06:27. > :06:31.championship darts. He is playing a guy who has done it and won the trip

:06:32. > :06:35.-- T-shirt three times. 21 times on this stage. One thing I will say

:06:36. > :06:41.about Martin, it is finishing. If they miss, he is going out. That is

:06:42. > :06:48.why he is going to get into the semifinals. That is the difference.

:06:49. > :06:54.He gets decent starts. He hits 100 averages. In his first nine Nazi is

:06:55. > :07:07.probably just under 90 all the way through. -- in his first nine darts

:07:08. > :07:14.he is probably just under 90. We have seen players who start slow, in

:07:15. > :07:22.many tournaments before, they crash out in the quarterfinals. One of the

:07:23. > :07:27.most famous finals was Phil Nixon losing the first six sets and then

:07:28. > :07:31.coming back. That is on everybody's minds. We lost Phil Nixon this year.

:07:32. > :07:39.There have been quite a few tributes paid this week. He was a lovely guy.

:07:40. > :07:49.To be 6-0 down. I thought that was over. Phil got the double. He got

:07:50. > :07:55.another one. Then we sat down again. That is what we done. He came back

:07:56. > :07:59.to 6-6 and lost the last one. I have never seen that in darts before.

:08:00. > :08:07.That was unbelievable darts, to have that much bottle to be 6-0 down. He

:08:08. > :08:11.played his game like he was just starting. It took in 20 years to

:08:12. > :08:16.reach the Lakeside. It was his dream. He was the ultimate underdog.

:08:17. > :08:20.He won the hearts and minds of the fans and he continued to do so until

:08:21. > :08:32.he passed away recently. His wife has been talking to the BBC.

:08:33. > :08:44.It was his lifetime ambition. It is what he played darts for. The night

:08:45. > :08:47.before we set off, we were in our local pub. One of the local

:08:48. > :08:53.businessmen set to fill the night before, what do you think you will

:08:54. > :08:56.do when you go down there? And Phil turned around and said that he was

:08:57. > :09:05.not going to lose. He had waited that long. He rolled with everything

:09:06. > :09:13.that happened that week. The rest of us were falling to bits. He just got

:09:14. > :09:23.on and did what he had to do. It is very surreal. You feel very shot

:09:24. > :09:26.off. -- closed off. It is hard to explain. You go through so many

:09:27. > :09:39.emotions. You are scared, you are proud. In my case, you want to be

:09:40. > :09:44.sick! So proud. When the break came, I was in two

:09:45. > :09:50.minds as to whether to come down into the player room. My friend

:09:51. > :09:57.asked me if I went down yesterday. I said yes, but he was not 6-0 down

:09:58. > :10:03.yesterday! I came down and he was throwing darts quite furiously as

:10:04. > :10:08.the board. I stood behind him and he said something I cannot say! It was

:10:09. > :10:15.not very polite. He finished his drink, you had a cigarette and he

:10:16. > :10:18.just absolutely... He went and walked up the stairs and it was a

:10:19. > :10:23.good two or three minutes before it was time to come back out. The

:10:24. > :10:29.marshals were telling him it was too early. He wanted to go. He was

:10:30. > :10:34.ready. They told me couldn't. He stood at the top of the stairs. We

:10:35. > :10:39.were all just looking at him. The marshal at the time, Mike, he asked

:10:40. > :10:44.me what the matter was. I told him he was in a bit of a mood. He asked

:10:45. > :10:46.me what I thought would happen. I've said to him that he might just

:10:47. > :11:08.played darts night. There it is! Look at this! You would

:11:09. > :11:12.have thought he had won the title! When he won the first set, we were

:11:13. > :11:20.just so happy that he won one set. The worst thing I could think of was

:11:21. > :11:23.that they would get beaten 7-0. Nobody will remember all of the

:11:24. > :11:26.other games. It would have just been the final that would get spoken

:11:27. > :11:34.about. The more he kept winning, it was not just us, it was the whole

:11:35. > :11:43.room. Grown men were picking me up and throwing me around. You could

:11:44. > :11:48.feel the whole room. Set by set went and we were all thinking, he cannot

:11:49. > :11:56.do this. When it went to six apiece. It was just madness.

:11:57. > :12:05.Can you believe it? 6-0 down at the interval. And the scoreline noun --

:12:06. > :12:11.now is 6-6. Even though he lost the last set

:12:12. > :12:19.3-0, he might as well have won it. The fan merely got was insane. He

:12:20. > :12:22.won local hero in the north-east. He might as well have won it. He did

:12:23. > :12:27.win it in my eyes anyway just by getting there.

:12:28. > :12:32.The thing with a great final like that is no one ever talks all these

:12:33. > :12:36.years -- years later about the averages, they talk about a player

:12:37. > :12:40.who spent two decades trying to get here. Let's not forget Martin Adams

:12:41. > :12:45.as well. He had been here so many times at that stage and he could not

:12:46. > :12:50.win a title. He always bottled it. And here he was again. People

:12:51. > :12:57.thought it was the ultimate capitulation. I thought he was going

:12:58. > :13:03.to do it again. He always had hard games. He always seemed to make it

:13:04. > :13:09.hard for himself. He had a chance to win. He ran out of petrol. I thought

:13:10. > :13:15.he was going to get a puncture. I never, ever seen anyone come back

:13:16. > :13:19.from 6-0 down. In this sort of tournament. And the way that Martin

:13:20. > :13:24.was playing. It went to the last set. All right, he beat him in the

:13:25. > :13:29.last set but it was unbelievable. It all happened right here. The set

:13:30. > :13:36.changes, dartboards change, but the walls don't. The seats, I think, are

:13:37. > :13:45.still the same. It all happened in this room. It doesn't matter what

:13:46. > :13:50.memory you are pulling out. Every person that has played darts and got

:13:51. > :13:55.to do it for a living, this is the one they want to win. This is the

:13:56. > :14:02.one they start out. They have at least passed through this oche. What

:14:03. > :14:08.was this room like at 6-6? Unbelievable. When Nixon hit a

:14:09. > :14:14.double, people were going mad. They wanted it. I thought he was going to

:14:15. > :14:20.win. He deserved to win. To come back from 6-0 down, really. If he

:14:21. > :14:25.had won it, it probably would have been the best game of darts ever. It

:14:26. > :14:29.is a the you never expect from any player. The pressure must have been

:14:30. > :14:34.tremendous. He must've thought he had nothing to lose, was losing

:14:35. > :14:38.anyway. He threw his darts like he normally did. This week has not just

:14:39. > :14:44.been about the darts we are watching, but honouring the memory

:14:45. > :14:51.of Phil Dixon, who we lost recently to cancer. Let's go back to the

:14:52. > :14:53.darts last night. Let's concentrate on the ladies. The top half will

:14:54. > :15:06.actually play tonight. Fallon Sherrock has Anastasia

:15:07. > :15:12.Dobromyslova to content with. The lady who has won it the last three

:15:13. > :15:15.times in a row is not really in a row is not fully informed. The same

:15:16. > :15:21.could be said about tonight's other quarterfinal. We have debutants

:15:22. > :15:30.Tamara Schuur, who knocked out Trina Gulliver, and she faces last year's

:15:31. > :15:38.runner-up, Lisa Ashton. We already know the first ladies' semi.

:15:39. > :15:46.Ann-Louise Peters getting her inaugural taste of world

:15:47. > :15:53.championships victory. She is playing Julie Gore, who has never

:15:54. > :16:06.won out of seven times of asking. We will pick this one up at the start.

:16:07. > :16:16.This is Ann-Louise's first year at Lakeland. She faces perhaps the

:16:17. > :16:23.success story of the week so far. Julie Gore has been coming here

:16:24. > :16:27.every year since 2008 and finally, finally, at the seventh attempt,

:16:28. > :16:34.managed to win a match on the big stage. With the draw expanded there

:16:35. > :16:43.was a familiar challenge facing Julie. Let's see if she can reach

:16:44. > :16:53.the semifinals for the first time. Both brilliant players. Like you

:16:54. > :17:00.said, Ann-Louise, qualifier, and has had a break from darts for a while

:17:01. > :17:06.and decided to come back. She has qualified, so fair play to her.

:17:07. > :17:16.Julie has been around for a long time, like you said, and is a

:17:17. > :17:24.brilliant player. She has not showed that on this stage as yet but

:17:25. > :17:28.speaking to her an hour ago she said she feels, rather like Dave Prins,

:17:29. > :17:37.she can relax now that she has won a game. She can do this. Welsh

:17:38. > :17:52.international, coming up to 50 caps for Wales. Well-respected person on

:17:53. > :18:01.the circuit. Kicked off the quarterfinal with a ton-20. She has

:18:02. > :18:08.a chance now to put a bit of pressure on Ann-Louise, who has the

:18:09. > :18:12.darts in this opening leg. What do you make of her darts and her

:18:13. > :18:22.flights in particular? You don't see too many of those around. Julie? She

:18:23. > :18:28.has her own technique. Every dart player has her own technique, and

:18:29. > :18:32.the flights... Not a lot of people use those sort of flights but it

:18:33. > :18:40.obviously works for her so go with it.

:18:41. > :18:56.I wonder how much difference the darts themselves to make. Treble

:18:57. > :19:08.14, and what a start! A 124 check-out, if you please! She has

:19:09. > :19:17.got straight in there, hasn't she? So how much different to the darts

:19:18. > :19:22.make? If I gave you Julie's darts, surely you'd still stick them in the

:19:23. > :19:34.treble 20. It is all personal preference. Not everything macro

:19:35. > :19:44.will suit every person. -- not every dart will suit. It is the same as

:19:45. > :20:04.how people hold the dart, personal preference.

:20:05. > :20:18.Ann-Louise has two children, which is why she gave up darts for a

:20:19. > :20:26.while. Andreas and Christian. They are ten and four.

:20:27. > :20:47.A couple in, I would going to see a maximum? -- are we going.

:20:48. > :20:57.Six from 122 if she needs them. She took out a 131 in her first-round

:20:58. > :21:01.match. Treble would have left the bullseye, but she strayed into the

:21:02. > :21:33.wrong treble. 92 left. Treble 12 four double 18. No, she is

:21:34. > :21:46.staying on the 20s. When therefore a double 16 to level the set. -- when

:21:47. > :22:04.there are -- one more for a double 16.

:22:05. > :22:34.22. -- double two. Two eights to increase the lead.

:22:35. > :22:50.She means business, doesn't she? She has had two darts at the double and

:22:51. > :22:56.hit them both. Julie had four to level the set and she missed them

:22:57. > :23:02.all. That is why it is Ann-Louise on the brink of a 1-set lead. This is

:23:03. > :23:08.the trouble, as you found on Saturday lunchtime, Trina, and it is

:23:09. > :23:13.why your success is so extraordinary. In the women's

:23:14. > :23:18.format, best of three sets, it is so difficult if you start slowly to

:23:19. > :23:26.turn it around. It is a short and not and it is incredibly hard. -- a

:23:27. > :23:34.short format. You have to go off straightaway and have good form and

:23:35. > :23:52.it is hard to do. 60 points on the floor, first bounce, out of the

:23:53. > :24:05.match. -- first bounce-out. Another one on the floor.

:24:06. > :24:26.Julie was actually in the Army. She was in the veteran early -- veteran

:24:27. > :24:29.Terry -- in the vets' division. And then she was a bouncer, believe it

:24:30. > :24:46.or not. No, actually, I believe it! Probably a little bit less glitter

:24:47. > :24:58.in her hair if she was stopping people getting into a nightclub. I

:24:59. > :25:08.would say some, yes. -- say so. She has just gone off the boil in this

:25:09. > :25:09.leg. She needs, you feel, a couple of trebles to leave herself on a

:25:10. > :25:40.finish. Treble 20? Stay there. She will be

:25:41. > :25:47.back with Julie on 175. If you are new to darts, perhaps you will not

:25:48. > :25:48.know that 170 is the biggest number that can be checked out with three

:25:49. > :26:07.darts. There are not very many but some

:26:08. > :26:14.numbers below 170 that you can't check out with three darts, and 162

:26:15. > :26:32.is one of those OD numbers. -- one of those numbers. Double ten, then.

:26:33. > :26:39.Five missed doubles from Ann-Louise, or for the set. Treble

:26:40. > :26:57.17 and bull. She pauses, checks. You don't want

:26:58. > :27:17.to get it wrong up there. They call this the madhouse. No score.

:27:18. > :27:36.20 leaves tops. Double one. So it has to be a single 18. Ann-Louise

:27:37. > :27:46.would probably give you good money for one of those double ones. She

:27:47. > :27:53.has missed eight for this set. Nine. There it is.

:27:54. > :27:59.First blood to Ann-Louise Peters and she is one leg away from victory as

:28:00. > :28:18.we rejoin it. In the same way as it is difficult

:28:19. > :28:26.to come back from a slow start in this short format, a 124 shot in the

:28:27. > :28:34.first leg can give you momentum to the finishing line. Of course. It is

:28:35. > :28:39.a big stage up there, and massive audience, and a big atmosphere, and

:28:40. > :28:43.it is hard to cope with at times, and if you can do that under

:28:44. > :28:47.pressure it will give you confidence.

:28:48. > :29:01.What is your biggest out shot? At the Lakeside I mean. I can't

:29:02. > :29:10.remember. My favourite is 114, for personal reasons. I was just about

:29:11. > :29:17.to ask you why and you held up your hand and said, personal! Unless you

:29:18. > :29:26.want to share them. It is a friend of mine at that point in time who

:29:27. > :29:39.was poorly and I actually said, this is the Julia. And I took it out.

:29:40. > :29:50.Fantastic and a great story. Was that in the final? Yes it was. It

:29:51. > :30:04.was for the match. Even better. Hello. She is playing very well. If

:30:05. > :30:28.she hadn't strayed there, she would be on the finish. And Louise on the

:30:29. > :30:33.finish. Julie is going to hit something really big now to put the

:30:34. > :30:48.pressure on. She does not want to lose 3-0. She needs to hit that

:30:49. > :31:18.treble. Six starts for a place in the semifinal. Come on. Apply some

:31:19. > :31:35.pressure. Bit of pressure on there. And Louise, for the match. He looks

:31:36. > :31:42.nervous but at the moment he does not have any reason to be. But what

:31:43. > :32:18.can Julie Ward do with this? -- Julie Gore. Yes! First leg to Julie

:32:19. > :32:22.Gore. And Louise to first. Game on. Now from billing on the brink of the

:32:23. > :32:25.match, she has two darts for it. Well she think about that? Difficult

:32:26. > :32:36.to get it out of your head. She might. I have seen her comeback from

:32:37. > :32:44.this sort of situation before. She is quite remarkable but let's see if

:32:45. > :33:22.and Louise can keep cool. -- Ann Louise. She was slightly shaky

:33:23. > :33:33.starting the leg. That last part was important. Julie has managed six so

:33:34. > :33:46.far. She is struggling. This is not the Julie Gore that I know. What it

:33:47. > :34:01.time for that score in the match. She is punishing everything. 220

:34:02. > :34:31.ahead. She seems almost to be at her best. If you loose darts. -- if you.

:34:32. > :34:41.She has left double four. She cant leave herself a finish now. Ann

:34:42. > :35:01.Louise steps up to the ochie under no pressure whatsoever for her first

:35:02. > :35:05.semifinal. Finishing fever. Julie will take time and make sure she

:35:06. > :35:18.leaves herself with a finish, any finish. Now she will. And having

:35:19. > :35:59.taken that out, the pressure on Ann Louise is even greater. She missed

:36:00. > :36:05.the treble 19. That is a great dart. The pressure is on. She needs to do

:36:06. > :36:20.this now. This is the dream of her father to be here and win it. She

:36:21. > :36:49.has missed ten match darts. This is to level the second set at two legs

:36:50. > :36:54.all. Can she do it? Game, shot and the match, Ann-Louise Peters. She

:36:55. > :36:59.gets over the line on her lakeside debut. She has reached the

:37:00. > :37:03.semifinals. Julie Gore will look back on this championship with some

:37:04. > :37:10.satisfaction after six years of trying she won a match. It was not

:37:11. > :37:15.to be today and it is Denmark going through to the semifinal.

:37:16. > :37:21.The ice cube had melted. Joining Ann-Louise Peters is the number one

:37:22. > :37:27.seed Deta Hedman. Or alternatively Irina Armstrong. It took the first

:37:28. > :37:39.set and we will turn it at one late each in the second. -- and we will

:37:40. > :37:42.join it. She knows she has to break this

:37:43. > :38:02.through. She has two chances to do it. A decent start for detail. --

:38:03. > :38:11.for Deta Hedman. Look at this. This is better. She will try and stretch

:38:12. > :38:20.the gap. 180. Her first maximum return and. That was crucially

:38:21. > :38:39.timed. -- her first maximum of the competition. Whoever wins this match

:38:40. > :38:43.will have a day off on Friday. They will play a semifinal on Saturday

:38:44. > :39:08.lunchtime and the final on Saturday evening between the two men's

:39:09. > :39:22.semifinals. 20 leagues top is. Arena cannot finish. -- Irina Armstrong. A

:39:23. > :39:46.shot at tops for a third team doctor. No problem at all. She moves

:39:47. > :39:49.with then one leg of the semifinals. Only 57 from Irina Armstrong. Deta

:39:50. > :40:42.Hedman seems in the mood to -- punished that. She relished that

:40:43. > :41:02.third start. -- she rushed. He is pleased with his lady who is not bad

:41:03. > :41:42.far away now. -- not that. He was very relaxed. She went for the

:41:43. > :41:54.bull's-eye. Her scoring has let her down and she will be disappointed

:41:55. > :41:59.with her averages. She must win this to stay in the match. She needs both

:42:00. > :42:17.of these. The second was an excellent start. She knew she had to

:42:18. > :42:46.hold that. This is the chance that she must take. Back in the treble 20

:42:47. > :42:58.with her first dart. This time she has followed it in. She looks

:42:59. > :43:08.disgusted with that third dart. Still over 100 points ahead. That

:43:09. > :43:13.was unlucky. When you are playing against Deta Hedman you cannot

:43:14. > :43:40.afford to have five darts falling on the floor. That is worth 200 points.

:43:41. > :44:04.Not much in this leg but crucially it is Deta Hedman with those darts.

:44:05. > :44:11.That was a good last dart. Irina Armstrong has not left a finish.

:44:12. > :44:37.Deta Hedman playing for a place in the semifinals. She is one dart

:44:38. > :44:47.away. Double top. That is a good marker. Just rolling it in. Double

:44:48. > :44:55.ten Deta Hedman. Game, shot and the match Deta Hedman. A straight sets

:44:56. > :45:01.victory for Deta Hedman. She has seen off a Irina Armstrong. She

:45:02. > :45:06.makes her way through to the semifinal, the dream of a first

:45:07. > :45:19.world title in 20 14 is still very much alive for her. We will sort out

:45:20. > :45:29.the other half of the draw this evening.

:45:30. > :45:37.Talk about overwhelming favourite, Anastasia, you are the standout

:45:38. > :45:44.candidate for another women's title. Are you comfortable being the

:45:45. > :45:47.marked woman? To be honest, I try not to think about it. I am

:45:48. > :45:52.preparing very hard and I hope I will do my best here, that is about

:45:53. > :45:58.it. What would it mean to secure a hat-trick three in a row here? Every

:45:59. > :46:02.win is good, but the World Championship is always special. What

:46:03. > :46:08.are your reflections on the match against Karin Krappen? It was not

:46:09. > :46:14.the best game for me or Karin. I do not know what happened. Maybe it was

:46:15. > :46:21.because it was the evening, maybe we had not played each other for a

:46:22. > :46:31.while. I don't know. No excuse! It has been a bit of a wait. How

:46:32. > :46:38.difficult has that been? Do you lose rhythm because you have not played

:46:39. > :46:43.for a few days? I just tried to practice, go to the gym, go for a

:46:44. > :46:51.war, and not think about the games. I am just trying to focus. Speaking

:46:52. > :46:55.of your next game, 19-year-old Fallon Sherrock. She is so young and

:46:56. > :46:59.just at the beginning of her journey. It is such a massive

:47:00. > :47:05.occasion for her to play you. She is so young and so good. I have later

:47:06. > :47:21.-- played her a couple of times and I need to play well. Could it be

:47:22. > :47:26.tight? Hope no! Good luck! Little Richard Ashdown, our new MC,

:47:27. > :47:34.joins us on the stage. You get closer to the action. Your lakeside

:47:35. > :47:41.story goes back almost as far as Martin Adams? It does. It was 1994

:47:42. > :47:46.it that I first came here. I was in the front row. It was the wrote that

:47:47. > :47:52.Bobby got to the final. He had a back injury. I saw him before the

:47:53. > :48:03.back injury. I was 15. You would have been what, four feet? And now

:48:04. > :48:07.you are all grown up. And now you were doing the calling. I went up to

:48:08. > :48:11.the commentary box to do the spotting, we call it. I know all of

:48:12. > :48:17.the numbers and the checkouts. The cameramen need help and need to know

:48:18. > :48:23.where the players are going to throw, so Bobby recommended me for

:48:24. > :48:30.spotting. That was a good shout. The best in the business! He has studied

:48:31. > :48:34.it since he was a little boy. His hobby was to get the videos of the

:48:35. > :48:41.darts players. I knew that he could do the job. You have got to know the

:48:42. > :48:53.guys that you are spotting for. Some people go a different way. He knew

:48:54. > :48:59.the people and where they went. That was his job. What was it like this

:49:00. > :49:05.year to step on the stage in the place you have been in for all those

:49:06. > :49:09.years, nerve wracking? Bobby got me refereeing on the exhibition set. I

:49:10. > :49:14.have lots of experience in clubs and pubs. I have done TV events before.

:49:15. > :49:19.The history and what this stage means in darts is huge for little

:49:20. > :49:23.me. I am trying to think back to Saturday. The first game that you

:49:24. > :49:30.introduced would have been a nine time champion getting knocked out.

:49:31. > :49:35.Trina Gulliver was knocked out before we came on air, so that was

:49:36. > :49:44.your first experience. And then we went live on BBC One. I was going to

:49:45. > :49:51.referee the first game. And then the player had the number four and the

:49:52. > :49:56.number four was missing! We had to change the number rang after the

:49:57. > :50:00.first set. Darts players are superstitious. They might think,

:50:01. > :50:04.hold on, he is up on the stage, a woman has been knocked out, the

:50:05. > :50:12.reigning men's champion has been knocked out, they might want read a

:50:13. > :50:20.few! -- want read of you. Any mistakes yet? You rehearse it over

:50:21. > :50:27.and over in your head. I say the walk on 20 times before I'd actually

:50:28. > :50:32.goes. -- it actually goes. What is your favourite? You record on camera

:50:33. > :50:39.last night, dancing on the oche when you did not know you were in shock.

:50:40. > :50:45.I have no idea! It is the big players that can really crank it

:50:46. > :50:52.up, Stephen Bunting, Deta Hedman, they have been good fun to bring in.

:50:53. > :50:59.We even had the opportunity at the weekend for a crowd warmer, to bring

:51:00. > :51:04.in Bobby. That meant a lot to me. I brought Bobby onstage 20 years after

:51:05. > :51:21.I first saw him. He got you your job. Last time I met him I went to

:51:22. > :51:31.Brecon in Wales with him and did a show. I had to introduce him! I

:51:32. > :51:40.said, he is a virgin MC, he has never done this before. They all

:51:41. > :51:45.cheered. After two or three exhibitions he started talking. He

:51:46. > :51:52.is very good at his job. Big weekend for you. You are going to get to

:51:53. > :52:00.call two competitors on. We have only shown Stephen Bunting going

:52:01. > :52:06.through. Now we will see Tony Eccles, who says this is his last

:52:07. > :52:10.Lakeside. He was taking on Robbie Green. We are going to keep you in

:52:11. > :52:27.and not cut you out of this! It is the 2014 Lakeside World

:52:28. > :52:30.Championships. We introduce the holder of nine ranking titles in his

:52:31. > :52:42.career. He is the reigning British classic champion, Tony Eccles !

:52:43. > :53:28.We now introduce a former world Masters finalist, the 2012 Belgian

:53:29. > :53:47.open champion, the number four seed, Robbie Green!

:53:48. > :54:44.Let's get straight you the action. They spent the first-born eggs and

:54:45. > :54:57.this is to the first set. -- they split the first four legs.

:54:58. > :55:07.It just means that any slight individual error or a missed double

:55:08. > :55:12.early in the game, it is not as significant as it would be earlier

:55:13. > :55:20.in the tournament. Later in the game, it could still be supremely

:55:21. > :55:28.significant. What is happening with Robbie's scoring in the last leg?

:55:29. > :55:37.Just one score of 100 plus. That was in his last five visits. But at the

:55:38. > :55:42.moment, Tony is not taking advantaged. Two legs all and just a

:55:43. > :56:17.point in it. This is better. Much greater

:56:18. > :56:25.accuracy. Look at that for grouping! 180! He has The

:56:26. > :56:29.headlines... His first maximum are just the right time in this decisive

:56:30. > :56:34.leg of the first set. You could have fit and other doesn't darts in the

:56:35. > :56:44.treble 20. It has left him 83 points away from the set. Now, just 32. How

:56:45. > :56:48.about that? Hitting the accelerator just when he needed to. Power to the

:56:49. > :57:02.first set. Here we go in the second. Wonderful outshot. He missed three

:57:03. > :57:35.darts at double 16 earlier in the set but this time, inch perfect.

:57:36. > :57:51.Ton 40, ton 40, to start the set from Robbie Green.

:57:52. > :58:41.Treble would leave double eight. Double 12, he has left. Double six,

:58:42. > :58:44.all the way across at three o'clock. Not quite. And how significant will

:58:45. > :58:56.that prove as Robbie approaches the board? And he aims at double top

:58:57. > :59:09.against the darts. He takes the leg. And a little bit of daylight.

:59:10. > :59:26.As we saw yesterday, you never write Tony Eccles off.

:59:27. > :59:34.Lisa Ashton is here. Per day 's work is done. She has the opportunity to

:59:35. > :59:44.put her feet up and enjoy Tony Eccles against Robbie Green.

:59:45. > :59:58.We all enjoyed Lisa's match against Aileen de Graaf. That was a cracking

:59:59. > :00:15.encounter earlier today as this is shaping up to be. 180. That treble

:00:16. > :00:26.20 already looking like the baseline at Wimbledon. He has found his

:00:27. > :00:39.rhythm. His average is going up and up. What a start this is. He is

:00:40. > :01:02.looking to find out what he has hit. That leaves artichoke gate. --

:01:03. > :01:08.artichoke gate. No problem. He is at his imperious best. A little bit of

:01:09. > :01:12.scoring trouble early in the game and double trouble early in the

:01:13. > :02:25.third leg of the first set. He overcame that. Now he has hit his

:02:26. > :02:44.stride. Straight back in again. He has broken the crew once already in

:02:45. > :02:54.this set. That is a great start. He currently has the biggest cheque out

:02:55. > :03:11.of the turn and. -- the competition. 64 but Tony Eccles. Treble 16 and

:03:12. > :03:49.artichoke gate. This is a set point for a two set lead. He needs tops.

:03:50. > :04:12.Robbery to throw first. Game on. -- Robbie.

:04:13. > :04:36.A lot of embroidery and Robbie Green's shirt. 180! That is his

:04:37. > :04:42.third maximum. He has the names of his children on his sleep. But

:04:43. > :05:26.closest to his heart is Liverpool football club. He is playing in his

:05:27. > :05:37.away kit tonight. That is very much part of his uniform. Brilliant,

:05:38. > :06:07.absolutely brilliant. He has another look at 170. Another treble 19. Not

:06:08. > :06:11.far away. But this is set point. Second set to Robbie Green. Green is

:06:12. > :06:21.the colour at Lakeside at the moment. He leads 2-0. Third set,

:06:22. > :06:31.first leg. Robbie Green to throw first. Game on. As he stands behind

:06:32. > :06:39.him, he would be thinking I had a chance to break back. I gave myself

:06:40. > :06:49.a chance but it was not to be. Robbie Green has an average of over

:06:50. > :06:53.95, his best of the competition. His chequered statistics are better in

:06:54. > :07:15.this game up to this point than in either of his previous matches where

:07:16. > :07:30.they were fairly tidy as well! Very little letup from Robbie Green. 180!

:07:31. > :08:03.He has had a ten died leg already this week. What about an 11 dart

:08:04. > :08:19.leg. Nose is in front. An 11 dart finish always sends out a message to

:08:20. > :08:23.the competition. Quite apart from anything else, the players will want

:08:24. > :08:31.to win this match because there is a big jump in prize money between the

:08:32. > :08:40.quarterfinals and semifinals. ?15,000 at least the man who wins.

:08:41. > :08:53.In this order form, Robbie Green is practically unplayable. He is like

:08:54. > :09:18.Luis Suarez. He is finding the treble is when he needs to find

:09:19. > :09:38.them. He has ?5,000 theoretically at the moment. Robbie Green was a

:09:39. > :10:10.fraction away from 170. He might not win this leg. That would have been a

:10:11. > :10:24.12 dart finish. That is imperious. Third leg. Robbie Green to throw

:10:25. > :10:38.first. Game on. He leaves on the way. 180. He gets another maximum

:10:39. > :10:45.and this will take some stopping. In this sort of mood it is a rare dart

:10:46. > :10:56.that this is its target from Robbie Green. That is about as bad as it

:10:57. > :11:15.gets. That took his average below 100. Stephen Bunting had a match on

:11:16. > :11:19.the Lakeside stage this year for he averaged three figures. Robbie Green

:11:20. > :11:33.is growing -- going the right way about emulating that. He is

:11:34. > :11:40.averaging 99 after a terrible first set. Look at that! Tony Eccles has

:11:41. > :12:03.done virtually nothing wrong in this set. Here we go. He is in poor

:12:04. > :12:30.position unless Robbie Green can check at 143. Tony Eccles against

:12:31. > :12:49.the darts. Fourth leg, Tony Eccles to throw first. Game on. In that

:12:50. > :13:10.match against Wesley Harms, Tony Eccles came back. He must win each

:13:11. > :13:22.of the next few legs to stop himself from going down. A terrific standard

:13:23. > :13:26.in this match. The eyes of the crowd were staring at the board and

:13:27. > :13:54.looking at the players. The big screens dotted around the arena.

:13:55. > :14:16.180! He likes sixteens. It might be a teensy year. Game, shot and the

:14:17. > :14:30.fourth leg. This gives us a deciding leg. This is the difference between

:14:31. > :14:38.being 3-0 down or 2-1 down. What a set this is. Robbie Green took two

:14:39. > :14:42.legs with 11 darts and then 14 darts. Tony Eccles has bounced back

:14:43. > :14:51.with a 14 dart finish leg of his own. Superb playing from both

:14:52. > :15:02.competitors. This is a typical quarterfinal match. That was really

:15:03. > :15:11.unlucky. This is a massive time in the match. You must pay testament to

:15:12. > :15:20.the quality of both of these players. Both have previous

:15:21. > :15:22.quarterfinal experience. Both have played one match and lost one match

:15:23. > :15:40.at this stage in the Lakeside tournament. Robbie, very much in the

:15:41. > :15:45.driving seat to take a 3-0 lead. It leaves him double 12 and 813 charter

:15:46. > :15:56.when he comes back in a moment. This is extraordinary. You will rarely

:15:57. > :16:07.see a better set of darts. What a way to win it! 11 darts, 14 darts,

:16:08. > :16:19.14 darts, 11 darts, 13 darts. What it means is Robbie Green is two sets

:16:20. > :16:29.away from the semifinals, and Tony Eccles is three down with a maximum

:16:30. > :16:39.of seven to play. Six to play, excuse me. The finishing in that set

:16:40. > :16:50.was perfect. All five legs were won with the first double. Robbie Green

:16:51. > :16:55.has won nine legs with 15 darts or less. The checkout starts so why he

:16:56. > :17:00.has been so effective, nine out of 14 is brilliant. -- the checkout

:17:01. > :17:16.statistics show. He has shown character and

:17:17. > :17:23.resilience in abundance in the match against Harms. This has been a good

:17:24. > :17:28.start to a crucial fourth set for Tony Eccles. It does not look as

:17:29. > :17:41.though it is going to be punished, with Robbie away back on 337. There

:17:42. > :17:43.is a break after this set. It goes without saying it is a set that Tony

:17:44. > :18:05.Eccles must win. He has not found a ton plus in this

:18:06. > :18:19.leg. Robbie Green, double four for Tony Eccles. Six legs in a row, one

:18:20. > :18:32.without missing a double. Again came a magnificent response. 129 from

:18:33. > :18:36.Robbie Green. His only victory against Tony was in the

:18:37. > :18:44.quarterfinals of the England National Championships in 2012. The

:18:45. > :18:52.other two meetings have ended up in Eccles victories. There was a

:18:53. > :19:01.whitewash in August. Tony came out on top in the final of the 20 12th

:19:02. > :19:14.Scottish Open. -- 2012 Scottish Open.

:19:15. > :19:55.Good switch down to bull's-eye. If he had hit the half bull he would

:19:56. > :20:05.have been able to finish but that cannot be done.

:20:06. > :20:11.Very frustrating with that first dark. It looked for a moment as

:20:12. > :20:22.though there was a chance that Tony might be able to get it back against

:20:23. > :20:29.the darts. 61 from Robbie Green. 34 double four after heading the bull.

:20:30. > :20:44.He has not hit the double four. That is what a double miss feels like.

:20:45. > :20:56.Double 16 for a two leg lead. One missed double in seven legs. 104

:20:57. > :21:03.checkout. Not bad finishing, is it? Not bad scoring, either.

:21:04. > :21:17.Significantly, a leg against the darts. Still, the finishing is

:21:18. > :21:23.mightily impressive. And the scoring is not bad either. 180! Nine between

:21:24. > :21:40.them in the match, Robbie Green with the lion's share. Can he follow them

:21:41. > :21:47.in? Can he follow them in? Quite. Scoring this high, there is a bit of

:21:48. > :21:58.a frisson through the crowd. Are they going to witness history? If a

:21:59. > :22:08.nine dart finish is going to happen, this feels like the sort of

:22:09. > :22:13.match where it could. Absolutely. Both men on 130. Who will be the

:22:14. > :22:26.first to take it out? This is for the set. Went for the bull. Robbie

:22:27. > :22:35.Green with the same shot, 130. 55... -- double five, great

:22:36. > :23:19.finishing from Robbie Green. It is a long time we have -- since

:23:20. > :23:27.we have seen a score as low as 43 from Robbie. He has won a sizeable

:23:28. > :23:38.tournament this year and reached the semifinal of the World Masters, and

:23:39. > :23:47.reached the final of the World Open and Antwerp Open. This is a man you

:23:48. > :23:59.cannot write off, Tony Eccles. Tony has four out of the ten

:24:00. > :24:21.maximums. Robbie will want to apply some

:24:22. > :24:36.pressure. The only way to do that... Very unlucky. Tony will

:24:37. > :24:50.consider pressure applied. 24 tops, for the set. 20 four tops.

:24:51. > :25:23.Double top... He has got it. And the two players leave the stage with

:25:24. > :25:30.Tony Eccles still in the hunt. The five-minute break has not done

:25:31. > :25:34.Robbie Green any harm. That is his 100th three figure score in the

:25:35. > :25:42.tournament. 36 of them were in this game. 100 three figure scores in 12

:25:43. > :25:51.cents one set of darts. Not bad, is it? -- in 12 sets. It is a ton of

:25:52. > :26:07.tonnes. He may be fourth seed but he did not

:26:08. > :26:12.win a tournament in the last 12 months. He was runner-up in Wales

:26:13. > :26:16.and Antwerp. Tony Eccles did when the British Classic. Apart from

:26:17. > :26:30.that, he only went beyond the last 16 wants. -- wants.

:26:31. > :26:37.He beat Robbie on his way to winning the British Classic. Getting drawn

:26:38. > :26:51.against Robbie Green brings the best out in Tony Eccles. There is a light

:26:52. > :27:00.box down there and if you are not careful, you can burn your hands.

:27:01. > :27:09.You should leave it to the referee. Can Tony pressure for 150? Tony

:27:10. > :27:13.Green has just popped his head around the corner of the commentary

:27:14. > :27:15.box. If he was on the mike at this stage he would say it is a big

:27:16. > :27:25.finish, but he is a big man. He set himself up beautifully.

:27:26. > :27:42.Again, a grimace from Tony Eccles. To take the first leg of set number

:27:43. > :28:13.five, double eight. Matches like this are why we come to

:28:14. > :28:18.the darts. Big difference between the two men in set score, but look

:28:19. > :28:27.at the first nine act dash next to no difference between the two men.

:28:28. > :28:35.Through the first ten darts, the scoring has been nearly identical

:28:36. > :28:59.but it is the checkout where Green has been sensational.

:29:00. > :29:32.That is the only treble Robbie has hit so far this leg.

:29:33. > :29:57.Robbie Green is still not on a finish. This for a 15. Leg. Robbie

:29:58. > :30:06.back at 198. He has struggled to get consistent scoring. He

:30:07. > :30:19.overcompensated with the second start. The second leg Tony Eccles.

:30:20. > :30:28.The third leg, Tony to throw first. That is the ninth leg that he has

:30:29. > :30:36.one, Tony Eccles. He is 3-1 ahead in sets. He took the crucial deciding

:30:37. > :30:43.leg in the third set and are we going to see another maximum? What a

:30:44. > :30:56.set that was, that third set. Absolutely critical. 180! They keep

:30:57. > :31:13.on coming. That is the 12th of the match so far. If you are just

:31:14. > :31:30.joining us, but had said was made up of five legs and none of them went

:31:31. > :31:39.beyond 14 darts. -- that third set. Robbie is looking at 117. That was

:31:40. > :31:48.in and out. That nearly hit us in the commentary box! I must confess,

:31:49. > :32:04.I flinched when that came back out of the board. Robbie Green, for a

:32:05. > :32:11.leg advantage in set number five. He missed that. He is frustrated. A

:32:12. > :32:32.chance for Tony Green. -- Tony Eccles. That could have been the

:32:33. > :32:39.foundation to get him back. Yellow red Robbie Green is now one leg away

:32:40. > :32:50.from taking a 4-1 lead. You can never really tell but that's good

:32:51. > :32:57.did. -- that Scolari did feel big. It could be a turning point. Robbie

:32:58. > :33:04.was so far ahead in that leg and he had some bad luck and he displayed

:33:05. > :33:11.some carelessness. All of a sudden, Tony Eccles was looking to steal the

:33:12. > :33:20.leg against the darts. If he had taken it, my goodness, but he

:33:21. > :33:27.didn't. Those are the times in the competition friend you field the

:33:28. > :33:46.opportunities are crucial. -- when you feel. That was one of those

:33:47. > :33:56.times and Tony missed it. 180. His ninth of the match. The 165 was

:33:57. > :34:06.perfect. That was just a bit too high. Robbie Green following that

:34:07. > :34:13.with the perfect maximum. He will stay there now. He needs the

:34:14. > :34:22.poolside. What a way to do it! That Hirst said those two Robbie Green!

:34:23. > :34:35.What a finish. Is there any coming back from that? -- the first set to

:34:36. > :34:42.Robbie Green. The most remarkable thing about Tony Eccles playing

:34:43. > :34:50.against Wesley Harms was the context of the checkout and that is another

:34:51. > :34:58.big one for Robbie Green. 125. It was done in fantastic fashion. He

:34:59. > :35:04.took the set. Never a man that betrays his emotions but even he had

:35:05. > :35:12.a self-satisfied nod about the way he finished that. 180! Still the

:35:13. > :35:21.scoring is so impressive and he is into double figures. Tony Eccles

:35:22. > :35:45.cannot quite find his rhythm. Ruth cannot cope. Treble 17 and the

:35:46. > :35:56.bull's-eye. Surely not? Treble 18. That leaves the poolside. -- that

:35:57. > :36:03.leaves the bull's-eye. This is darts from a different planet! Lobby to

:36:04. > :36:12.throw first. Game on. -- Robbie to throw first. We will be winding this

:36:13. > :36:21.back in a few minutes time just to make sure we have seen it correctly.

:36:22. > :36:25.Robbie has never reached the semifinal but this performance is

:36:26. > :36:32.definitely worthy of a place at the top table. It has been magnificent.

:36:33. > :36:47.67% finishing, an average score of nearly 96. Absolutely magnificent.

:36:48. > :37:20.How big does that missed shot earlier from Tony Eccles feel now?

:37:21. > :37:31.Treble 17. Bull's-eye! So close. We just expected him to hit it. That

:37:32. > :37:46.would have been a third successive leg for he took it with poolside. --

:37:47. > :38:08.with the bull's-eye. That felt a little bit rushed. Just a little

:38:09. > :38:19.bit. Can he take this? The finishing line is getting closer and the

:38:20. > :38:24.doubles are getting smaller. The second leg Tony Eccles. Bird leg it

:38:25. > :39:03.is Tony Eccles to throw first. Game on. -- bird leg. 180. He was runners

:39:04. > :39:21.up in the Masters championship in 2009. 180. This is just fantastic.

:39:22. > :39:31.180. Robbie Green has the chance of dieting information when he returns

:39:32. > :39:44.to the ochie. -- doubts greatness. Some people cannot watch. It felt

:39:45. > :39:47.like he was going to do it. This place was bouncing, absolutely

:39:48. > :40:10.bouncing. They are willing him on, this crowd. He does not want to lose

:40:11. > :40:22.this leg having missed darts and a double to take the lead in the set.

:40:23. > :40:35.And there is some pressure from Tony Eccles and he is a wonderful

:40:36. > :40:49.fighter. He has missed more darts. There is the 17. Surely he will not

:40:50. > :41:00.miss? Robbie has another chance. It is all right, Ruth. It is just a

:41:01. > :41:24.game of darts! He has the chance to move one leg away. He has missed

:41:25. > :41:32.again! Tony Eccles looking at this. 14 missed darts. The chance to move

:41:33. > :41:41.one leg away from the semifinals. He was playing so well. This is what

:41:42. > :41:50.pressure those two great players. Finally. Having finished so well

:41:51. > :42:08.throughout the match, he starts to wobble. Game on. Now he is in the

:42:09. > :42:13.position to take the match. That final, in the Masters in 2009, he

:42:14. > :42:21.missed a dart for the win against Martin Adams and he lost. Tony

:42:22. > :42:31.Eccles is showing his resilience and he needs even more now. He must win

:42:32. > :42:34.the next two legs to stay alive. Remember, he said he was going to

:42:35. > :42:38.retire after this competition and this could be the last leg of his

:42:39. > :42:49.professional career. Lynn cannot to watch this. I wonder what is on that

:42:50. > :43:22.phone. It is always harder when you cannot do anything about it. It is

:43:23. > :43:32.not over yet. Tony has got the darts back, just about. Twice in a row he

:43:33. > :43:46.had the treble 19 last time. -- he hit. Tony Eccles is the vibrant. --

:43:47. > :44:17.the vibrant. He is coiled and ready to pounce. For the match. A great

:44:18. > :44:29.first dart. In the match dart goes begging. -- another. He has headed.

:44:30. > :44:46.He takes this into a deciding fifth leg. He is the man who never knows

:44:47. > :45:04.when he's beaten. Game on. Wesley Harms was on 40. Robbie Green did

:45:05. > :45:19.get a that start here but he missed it and that is a huge 106 checkout.

:45:20. > :45:26.Where is Robbie scoring? Oh, there it is.

:45:27. > :45:37.He came back from 2-1 and, more significantly, 3-2 down to beat

:45:38. > :45:44.Wesley Harms. He is getting himself and hide standing chance of taking

:45:45. > :45:47.this set. -- an outstanding chance. One step at a time for Tony Eccles,

:45:48. > :46:01.it is the only way he can go. He needed the 16 for double top.

:46:02. > :46:08.Funny how being on the brink of defeat frees up the arm. Being on

:46:09. > :46:16.the brink of victory makes it almost impossible to release the darts!

:46:17. > :46:29.Low-pressure. Well, not much. But this is for the set. It is a set in

:46:30. > :46:34.which Robbie Green missed a match dart. He has been there before and

:46:35. > :46:49.it has all unravelled for him. Tony Eccles takes the set. 4-2. Still,

:46:50. > :47:01.all of the olds stacked in Kong's favour. -- all of the old.

:47:02. > :47:38.Nice start. Can Tony respond? He can. Still with a two set a band,

:47:39. > :47:43.still the overwhelming favourite. The finishing line is getting close.

:47:44. > :48:22.And a little bit closer. 180. Treble 12 four double 18. That

:48:23. > :48:32.missed match dart did not seem to do him much harm. He moves back within

:48:33. > :48:39.two legs of a place within the semifinal. He has been two points

:48:40. > :48:42.away with one dart in his hand. He has slowly improved since his

:48:43. > :48:47.Lakeside debut in 2010, when he lost the opening match of the tournament

:48:48. > :49:00.to Tony O'Shea, Robbie Green. He then reached round two in 2012. Last

:49:01. > :49:04.year, he went one better, reaching the quarterfinals when Tony O'Shea

:49:05. > :49:11.beat him again. Will he go one better here? Or will he stall in the

:49:12. > :49:24.quarters? He will kick himself if he does.

:49:25. > :49:38.It is only going to take one wriggle through from Tony Eccles -- one

:49:39. > :49:45.break of throw from Tony Eccles. That is how crucial every leg of

:49:46. > :49:51.darts is, despite the fact it is first to five and Green is for-2 up.

:49:52. > :50:15.-- Green is for-2 up. So, a 14th 180 followed by 16 and

:50:16. > :50:29.tops to move the leg away again. Ruth, we feel for you. He has got to

:50:30. > :50:34.hit this. Double six, now. The first leg of the match, he won that way.

:50:35. > :50:44.He has done it that way. It is crucial. Three legs left,

:50:45. > :51:15.potentially in this set, Tony Eccles has to break the Green throw. That

:51:16. > :51:19.will take us through to a thrilling ninth set.

:51:20. > :51:22.It is only going to take one inspirational moment from Eccles and

:51:23. > :51:36.the game could change. It does not look as though that

:51:37. > :51:42.inspiration is likely to come in this leg. He will only have one more

:51:43. > :51:48.chance. Robbie has hit 164 already in this match. This time he does not

:51:49. > :51:52.really needed. This time, he definitely cannot get it starting

:51:53. > :52:03.with a one, but straight back in at treble 20.

:52:04. > :52:39.Tony, nowhere. Robbie... He is on 41, having hit the treble. So, 32.

:52:40. > :52:45.And a double 16, the one he missed. Tony assessing what he needs. He is

:52:46. > :52:57.going to go for it. And he gets it as well. 180! Will he get to within

:52:58. > :53:02.a leg of the finals? The tension is rising and the heat is on. Here is

:53:03. > :53:21.the chance for Eccles to break. He needs to break. 12 for bull. Double

:53:22. > :53:27.13 instead. Massive dark, missed. At one stage, Robbie Green missed 14

:53:28. > :53:32.darts in a row to move within a leg. Then he had one dart for a

:53:33. > :53:39.place in the semifinals, which he missed. Under all sorts of pressure.

:53:40. > :54:35.One more dart. Double 4-mac... He is finishing early in the game.

:54:36. > :54:43.Just when he looked like he could do no wrong, Kong has frozen as the

:54:44. > :54:48.finishing line approaches. He has hit only three of his last 20

:54:49. > :54:55.doubles, including a missed match dart. You say he missed one, he got

:54:56. > :55:04.the chance to miss one. I wonder how many more would or could have been

:55:05. > :55:14.missed in that deciding leg. He has been able to manoeuvre his way to

:55:15. > :55:31.within one leg of the match. Eccles at his best has had two ton 40s.

:55:32. > :55:32.Apart from a loose first art, it has worked, but he is not on a finish.

:55:33. > :55:59.Tony will be. What he would do for a 140 here.

:56:00. > :56:12.Great last act. Will he be back? Treble 20 and bull, he will be back.

:56:13. > :56:22.He can do this in two darts. This is for a place in the semifinals.

:56:23. > :56:34.Robbie Green, the fourth seed. Treble 20. Tops, he needs. To more

:56:35. > :56:48.match darts missed! Monumental 87 for Tony Eccles. Double 18. 99. --

:56:49. > :56:55.double nine. And the finishing line is inside again. Eg is himself up.

:56:56. > :57:06.It is top spin a match. -- he is geeing himself up.

:57:07. > :57:19.He has missed three more of them. The missed match dart count rises to

:57:20. > :57:29.six. Tony has a chance at double four.

:57:30. > :57:42.He has missed four darts to stay alive, double four. He misses

:57:43. > :58:02.another two! This is absolutely extraordinary. Wow!

:58:03. > :58:17.It is Robbie who will throw first. I think Tony thought he had broken. He

:58:18. > :58:28.has not. Well, well, well, Robbie, how are you feeling? Still scoring

:58:29. > :58:37.OK. That is a solid start. He has the darts in this leg. But those

:58:38. > :58:40.darts, those match darts, will be weighing very happily on his mind.

:58:41. > :58:58.-- very heavily. I wonder if that match against

:58:59. > :59:04.Martin Adams has gone through his mind, five years ago. He lost the

:59:05. > :59:17.game when he missed the match dart. The tension is palpable, the heat

:59:18. > :59:28.rising all the time. It is tropical. Again, it takes a little bit closer,

:59:29. > :59:31.but. He will be thinking, as he is scoring, it will be all about the

:59:32. > :59:44.battle on the double. That has been pressure from Tony Eccles. He would

:59:45. > :59:53.come down here. A brilliant 171. This is just fantastic. Here comes

:59:54. > :00:04.the finishing line. It is Robbie Green who is their first again. His

:00:05. > :00:14.next dart is for the match. But this time, he finds the double. Robbie

:00:15. > :00:24.Green! That is sheer exhilaration on the face of Robbie Green. He threw

:00:25. > :00:30.some stunning darts. But the man who would be King is two games away from

:00:31. > :00:35.the coronation. Credit to Tony Eccles. He played his part in a

:00:36. > :00:39.superb match. If it is to be his last in the Lakeside stage, what a

:00:40. > :00:45.match! Robbie Green is through to the semifinals.

:00:46. > :00:48.He is indeed. As we welcome you back here Robbie has been watching

:00:49. > :00:53.himself and going through it all again. Bobby George has been bending

:00:54. > :00:58.his ear and saying you should have went with that finish. My heart goes

:00:59. > :01:02.out you having to go through that. There was a period when you came

:01:03. > :01:07.back from the interval and you got some marvellous checkouts. That is a

:01:08. > :01:17.glimpse of how when you have a good day, you can beat anyone. Yes. I

:01:18. > :01:25.just have to sustain it now. I felt the game started off all right and

:01:26. > :01:30.then it got a little sloppy. Is this the question of your performance,

:01:31. > :01:48.closing it out? You need to prove that to yourself? You need to learn

:01:49. > :01:52.and I need to be -- to improve. I need to make sure it doesn't happen

:01:53. > :02:00.again. It is always at the back of your mind. We watched Stephen

:02:01. > :02:07.Bunting and he won his match. He admitted that he felt nervous. Is it

:02:08. > :02:12.an open semifinal? Stephen Bunting won comfortably in the end but I did

:02:13. > :02:22.not feel he played as well as he could have done. He was scrappy. He

:02:23. > :02:33.was playing to first. It is open. I was disappointed in his performance.

:02:34. > :02:36.What did you think? I think he studied very slowly but there's the

:02:37. > :02:43.game went on, he studied to get to grips with it and took control of

:02:44. > :02:49.it. But if he gets on top of you, he will bully you. So you need a quick

:02:50. > :02:55.start. This is the ochie, and BBC One. Robbie, you are in the

:02:56. > :03:04.semifinal. What does it mean? It means everything. It is the pinnacle

:03:05. > :03:09.of your career. I am one game away from the final. I have one more game

:03:10. > :03:15.to play and it is one game at a time. I must go through this. You're

:03:16. > :03:20.not going to become world champion by playing easy games. You have to

:03:21. > :03:23.fight for this. From the very beginning it felt like someone would

:03:24. > :03:30.have to beat Stephen Bunting to get this title. It is the same with

:03:31. > :03:45.every turn and. You must not Stephen Bunting out. He is playing so well.

:03:46. > :03:51.-- with every competition. We enjoyed watching you play just as

:03:52. > :03:59.much. The thing is you can usually rely on hometown support. All of the

:04:00. > :04:08.Merseyside supporters for watching all of the boys together. You have

:04:09. > :04:12.split the country. Everyone back home is looking forward to this.

:04:13. > :04:18.They no one of us will be in the final and that is great for them. It

:04:19. > :04:25.has all the makings of a really great game hasn't it, Bobby George?

:04:26. > :04:34.Both of them have that thing of getting over the finish line. It

:04:35. > :04:39.will be close. Do not miss this opportunity. But you cannot think

:04:40. > :04:46.like that. You have to do it naturally. You cannot think about it

:04:47. > :05:01.too much. The best of luck to you. We will be here with you. We are on

:05:02. > :05:05.a from 3:15pm. -- on-air. You would never sign the permission slip for

:05:06. > :05:35.this. We sent Bobby George back to school. We sent to the mathematics

:05:36. > :05:45.class to make it more interesting. Oh dear! OK. Hello. Lots of students

:05:46. > :05:49.see Bobby on the television all the time and he is a very relevant

:05:50. > :05:55.person to them and he deals with mathematics every day. It is

:05:56. > :05:59.important to promote mathematics at every opportunity and he is a local

:06:00. > :06:04.legend services too much to turn down. Did think mathematics is

:06:05. > :06:08.boring? Well you need mathematics and everything you need in life. It

:06:09. > :06:16.is just not numbers and writing it down. -- do you think. Mathematics

:06:17. > :06:20.is hugely important in school and we are trying very hard here to raise

:06:21. > :06:45.the profile and make it enjoyable and relevant. 96. He was sharp. They

:06:46. > :06:49.definitely have the ideas of doubles and trebles and manipulating

:06:50. > :07:00.numbers. That is something we can build on. Here we go. Just throw the

:07:01. > :07:08.same. There you go. Don't think about it. Not that. You have got the

:07:09. > :07:17.darts close together. A round of applause. It was really fun meeting

:07:18. > :07:22.Bobby. I love darts. My grandfather used to play in the league. He has

:07:23. > :07:26.died now but he got me into darts and it has been really wonderful

:07:27. > :07:31.meeting Bobby. I really pleased that I have won the dark wood. Thalik

:07:32. > :07:35.Mohan-Raj it is really important for the children to see someone up

:07:36. > :07:40.Robbie's magnitude and to see him interacting with them and talking

:07:41. > :07:53.about his career and his enjoyment and his passion for everything. It

:07:54. > :07:56.is great. You go. School is out. We would like to say thank you to

:07:57. > :08:05.everyone at the school for hosting this. You cannot do algebra in the

:08:06. > :08:13.dark but in terms of engaging children and getting them to like

:08:14. > :08:21.maps, it seems like a way you can really bring imagination to early

:08:22. > :08:32.maps lessons. It gives the children a chance, those who are not very

:08:33. > :08:38.good. All it is is six times tables. If you can teach them basic things

:08:39. > :08:42.and you carry on from there to different combinations, they grasp

:08:43. > :08:48.it very quickly. They were fantastic. They really enjoyed it.

:08:49. > :08:52.Young Sam, he got the darts close as together so he took on the dark

:08:53. > :08:57.board. I let them a quiz to do to win a set of my darts. I'm

:08:58. > :09:04.interested to see who wins it. Your darts are brilliant. I have an

:09:05. > :09:08.waiting for you to say that. I have to tell you something, it is the

:09:09. > :09:18.first time yesterday, set up my darts, he says to me last night that

:09:19. > :09:27.he scored his first 180! That is his first time. Do you know what I hit

:09:28. > :09:32.after it? 26. You have hit at once now, you will do it all the time.

:09:33. > :09:37.You go. The children have asked for a lunchtime darts club as well.

:09:38. > :09:40.Bobby made a nice difference there. But back to the big boys tonight. A

:09:41. > :09:48.reminder of what we have coming up and stop you have the lady

:09:49. > :09:57.semifinal. Fallon Sherrock takes on Anastasia Dobromyslova. -- the

:09:58. > :10:11.ladies semifinal. That will be a close in counter. Then we have the

:10:12. > :10:30.men's quarterfinals. James Wilson takes on Alan Norris. Jan Dekker

:10:31. > :10:36.takes on Martin Adams. The man standing next to me has a remarkable

:10:37. > :10:42.record. 21 consecutive years and it is now 14 appearances in the

:10:43. > :10:49.quarterfinals. I am glad someone was counting because I wasn't. That is

:10:50. > :10:54.unreal. You have done the quiet way this year. We know you haven't had

:10:55. > :11:02.the best of form leading up to this competition. You are still in it.

:11:03. > :11:08.You're getting closer. I am back buzzing. It has been hard work. I

:11:09. > :11:13.have worked hard over the past few months and I am pleased to get some

:11:14. > :11:21.of the competitions under my belt. I have regained some confidence. How

:11:22. > :11:24.much difference does it make, the fact that you come here in the

:11:25. > :11:30.knowledge that on three occasions this has been your stage and this

:11:31. > :11:34.has in your title? It gives you great comfort. You know all the

:11:35. > :11:39.experience that you have playing the games here, it is all about being in

:11:40. > :11:43.the final. First of all you have to get to the final. Then you take it

:11:44. > :11:56.from there. But you must get there first. Jan Dekker is a tough

:11:57. > :12:01.competitor to play. It is a hard way, no matter what way you look at

:12:02. > :12:05.it. Jan Dekker has a great record here at the Lakeside. Other

:12:06. > :12:11.commentators have said that we have not seen the best from him yet. He

:12:12. > :12:18.got to the semifinal on his debut. He has the knack for the big stage.

:12:19. > :12:28.I hope he leaves his best at home but this much. If he is in tiptop

:12:29. > :12:32.shape, I will be in trouble. We will have a good game of darts and

:12:33. > :12:40.hopefully I will come out on top. You have been there before. I wish

:12:41. > :12:45.you the best of luck. Thank you. Remarkable. Stephen Bunting had

:12:46. > :12:57.averages of over 100. That game was not close. All of the quarterfinals

:12:58. > :13:02.tonight for me close. Wilson against Norris, that would be close. Martin

:13:03. > :13:12.Adams versus Jan Dekker, Jan Dekker has not really shown that he can

:13:13. > :13:17.play top darts. Martin Adams has not lost many shots and he is finishing.

:13:18. > :13:26.That is the most important part of the game. Martin Adams is finishing

:13:27. > :13:31.great and scoring reasonably. You want to see all of these matches

:13:32. > :13:40.from 5:30pm. That is all from us by now. The highlights programme is on

:13:41. > :13:52.at 11 minutes -- 11pm tonight. Thanks for joining us.