Anchors can't pull off their cup upset

It was Knockout Cup week in the William Hill Darts League.

The Welcome Anchors hoped they could pull off an upset when Oli Sumner took the first singles against Ex Service Cobras.

But the Division One side took all the remaining games to romp home 11-1.

The in-house derby between Liberal Us of Division Two and Liberal lads from the top flight when with the higher-league team by an impressive 12-0.

Rise of the ASMs and Ex Service Sports had a cracker of a game, with the ASMs recording a 10-2 win.

This was aided by Mark Forman (19 and 20 leg darts) as Sports’ Mark Gray and Brad Martin both hit 180s.

There was a shock at the Ex Service as the 501s went down 7-5 to Cricket Club.

Some of the closest games of the night were all-second division affairs.

Chatsworth Hotel looked like they were set to end the Red Arrows’ unbeaten campaign, but eventually went down in sudden death.

After leading 4-2 in the singles, it looked like Chatsworth were about to inflict a first defeat on the Arrows.

After sharing the first two doubles the home side led 6-4, but Paul Tuplin and Mark Simpson won the final pairs for the Arrows to leave the game all square at 6-6.

It was the Arrows who won the sudden death 1001 leg to progress through to the next round with a cracking 7-6 win.

WMC Aces were at home to lowly Seaview Raiders, who took a surprise 4-2 lead after the singles.

They then won the first of the doubles to lead, but thanks to Gareth Jowett (3x100, 106, 140), Spencer Davis (3x100, 2x140) and Tony Goodwin (171) they managed to force an unlikley looking team game.

Raiders were just too strong in this, and just edged it, to progress through to quarter-finals.

The Ex Service C couldn’t field a team, so Seaview Next Tuesday received a walkover.

Pro-Am Qualifier

The First Pro-Am Qualifer of the year will be held at the Ex Service Club on Friday, January 27 - a last man standing event.

Entry costs £2 and the winner will progress to play with one of the eight professionals on November 5.

Other entrants will score a point for all games they win, giving them the chance to also book their place into the event.

Lowe v Bristow Team Event

The final John Lowe v Eric Bristow team qualifier will be held on Sunday, January 29 at the Liberal Club.

The winner of this event will make the teams competition captained by the two legends.

The next 12 highest point scorers will also make up the 18 competitors for the competition which will be held on February 24.

Gordon Smith became the latest player to qualify for the Lowe v Bristow match.