Darts
Mixed joy on world stage

STEVE BEATON and Nigel Heydon experienced mixed fortunes in the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace in London.

Southam-based Beaton pulled off a remarkable 3-2 first round victory over Sweden’s Magnus Caris in a controversial first round clash on Saturday night.

Below-par Beaton lost the opening two sets and looked set for an early exit for the second successive year.

Caris began the third set with an accomplished 13-dart finish before Beaton landed double nine to win just his second leg of the match.

Both players held throw in the next two legs before a dramatic decider saw Caris miss three darts to win the match after which he reacted to some barracking from the highly partisan 3,000-strong crowd.

Beaton took full advantage and held his nerve to land double four to keep the match alive.

The start of the fourth set saw opportunities missed by both men before Beaton won it on double four.

The 1996 Lakeside Champion then won his fifth leg in a row by taking out 65 in two darts before hitting double 16 to set up a final-set decider.

Caris won his first leg in nine at the start of the set, with a two-dart 83 finish, before Beaton won the second by taking out 62.

Caris won the third leg to move one away from the match for a second time, after his opponent missed two chances at double 16.

Beaton hit double 16 to level at 2-2 and then took the fifth leg with an excellent 100 finish to break throw.

That proved vital as the former World Champion took out 61 to win the sixth leg and end an incredible match.

Beaton now faces Simon Whitlock in round two on Wednesday, December 28 at 2.30pm.

Meanwhile, Lillington-ace Heydon surrendered a two set lead and slipped to an agonising 3-2 first round defeat against defending champion Adrian Lewis.

Heydon, who lost in the first round to Robert Thornton on his debut appearance at the World Championship last year, started superbly by breaking Lewis’ throw with the aid of a maximum in the opening leg.

It set the tone for an impressive spell of darts as Heydon took the opening two sets to put the world number two under immense pressure.

Lewis made a winning start to set three with the aid of a 95 finish before Heydon won the second by hitting double ten. Lewis took the third leg, but Heydon hit a pressure 76 finish in the next .

That left Heydon needing the deciding leg to record a straight-sets victory but Lewis hit double top to keep the match alive.

Missed doubles then proved costly for Heydon and enabled Lewis to force a deciding fifth set.

Heydon started well by hitting his sixth maximum in the process of taking the first leg against the darts.

The 41-year-old should have established a 2-0 lead but three darts at double top were just off-target and Lewis levelled.

Heydon hit a 180 in the third leg but missed a dart at double 16 and Lewis landed double five to move one leg away from victory.

Heydon won the fourth leg by hitting double top and then won the fifth leg with a break of throw by landing double four with his last dart after Lewis missed six darts at doubles.

Heydon hit his eighth maximum in the next but Lewis was first to a finish and hit double top to level.

Lewis hit a fabulous 11-darter to win the seventh leg and, after two missed darts at double top from Heydon, stepped up to hit the same bed and end an enthralling contest.

A disappointed Heydon said: “When I was 2-0 up I was hitting my doubles really well and I didn’t think I was going to fold as I was feeling so comfortable.

“But I started to miss a few doubles and you can’t give those kind of opportunities to a class player like Adrian.”