This thread made because of the hijack created in the English Premier League thread.
Darts is one of the most popular pub sports in the world, and collects a decent TV audience in the United Kingdom, Europe and around the world. Like snooker, there is some decent money at the top of the game, and the best player in the world, Phil Taylor, made over 1MM pounds this year IIRC, with his prizemoney for winning the last World Championship being a quarter of a million pounds.
Anyway, this weekend is the last day of the newly formed World Cup of Darts, contested in two man teams. Like the world cup of football, it involved a number of countries (24 in this case) a group stage, semi's and a final, and some epic English fail.
In the qualifying rounds the top 8 teams (England, Netherlands, Australia, Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland, USA and Canada) played a weaker team that had won an initial qualifying round in a short, somewhat high variance best of 11 legs match. Spain went on to beat England 6-5 and knock them out before the group stage.
Today is semi-final and final day. In the first semi-final, Netherlands beat Spain 4-0. The second semi is on now, Wales for Australia. The format for the semis and final is 4 singles matches and a doubles match, just like the Davis Cup tennis, but the doubles is played last and worth double. If it ends 3-3 a sudden death leg is played, almost equivilent to a poker flipament. Its good theatre and a decent sport if you have someone to get behind.
Currently Simon Whitlock (AUS) is playing Mark Webster (WAL) the match is locked at 3-3 first to 6 and the tie itself is locked at 1-1 Webster and Whitlock winning their first doubles.
Okay, would have preferred at 3 pointer for the doubles.
Then if you lose 3-1 you'd win and if you lose 4-0 then you lose anyway.
Whereas in the group stage it made sense to give them a 2 point for it.
Personally I think its crap that in a tie like this with 5 rubbers that you can win 3 of the rubbers and lose, but obviously Sky in the UK want to make it as high variance as possible and hopefully get games going to that 5th game, so I understand where they are coming from.
Nicholson leading Bates 3-2 but has the throw for the 6th leg. Its amazing as the commentators have mentioned that Australia almost did an England and fall to Ireland, winning 6-5 where I think Ireland had chances to win.
Still need to close this out to play against Barney and Stompe.
I quite like the set up they've got going it makes it more interesting. Really like the loser starts the next leg as well means that you get rewarded if you get off to a good start.
I quite like the set up they've got going it makes it more interesting. Really like the loser starts the next leg as well means that you get rewarded if you get off to a good start.
If Bates lost that, that was game over.
Rubber = match.
For example, in Davis Cup if we win the first 3 games then the last two matches would be dead rubbers.
3-1 now, it would be good in the Davis Cup, but lets embrace the variance here. :P
Kingweed, for another punt I will gladly take Whitlock against any Englishman not named Taylor in the World Champs in a last longer, but we can decide that later on.
Kingweed, for another punt I will gladly take Whitlock against any Englishman not named Taylor in the World Champs in a last longer, but we can decide that later on.
when's the draw for this?
Last edited by uistbhoy; 12-05-2010 at 01:06 PM.
Reason: n/m found it
