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You just couldn’t beat it for darting drama, as both Peter Manley and James Wade gave it absolutely everything they had but just came up short in two epic all Unicorn battles.

Shepherd looked to have lost it but Manley missed two darts to win in regulation in the final set. That is now 13 chances that Shepherd’s opponents have blown so far and the Unicorn youngster is riding his luck to show that darting dreams really do come true!

Whatever happens now, Shepherd has won £22,500 and his brilliant performances have earned him a deserved spot at the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts.

Part was awesome…..for that matter, so was Wade! It was thrilling fare at the Alexandra Palace. The Canadian was almost lost for words after winning 4-2 in that tie-break.

“Wow, it is some feeling and I am proud at the way I played out there. James oozes class and he kept coming back at me. If you give him a chance, he is lethal and I have no doubt that James will be crowned World Champion one day,” Part said.

Unicorn’s two-times former World Champion added: “But I feel great and my aim is to win the thing for a third time and I really believe I can do it.”

He raced into a two sets lead as Wade struggled with his doubles….but the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix Champion suddenly woke up and finishes of 82 and a brilliant 141 pulled a set back. The big check-outs kept on coming. Part hit the bull for a 127, Wade hit back with a 148 but it was the Canadian who moved into a 3 sets to 1 lead.

He would feel he missed his chances to make it 4-1 but give Wade great credit, as he took out 101 and a brave 70 under pressure to claw it back….and there was more to come, as another 82, followed by a 106 levelled it up at three sets apiece.

It was breathtaking stuff, it really was. Part pulled clear again and missed darts to win the opening two legs of the 8th set….but when he missed, Wade didn’t and we were heading for a decider and what a final set the pair served up.

In the first leg, Part missed one dart at tops and Wade hit 97 to go in front for the very first time in the quarter-final, although it was short-lived….Part won the next two legs to go within one of victory….we then saw one of the best legs of the tournament – 180s from both and with the Canadian sat on a finish, Wade came up with an 11-darter to stay alive.

But Part finished in style, holding his throw and then from nowhere, he conjured up an incredible 113 to win the match.

The fairytale for Kirk Shepherd is still being written! A World Championship semi-final on his debut and Peter Manley can have no complaints. “I just can’t believe it,” the 21-year-old admitted.

“I just kept going and kept going, especially when it looked like Peter was going to win and who knows when it will end. I certainly don’t fear anyone!”

They set a great standard straight from the off. The first four sets were shared, before a 156 finish from Manley broke the throw and put him ahead for the first time. Despite an 11-darter from ‘One Dart’ Shepherd hit back to level.

It was topsy-turvy tungsten but it was gripping to watch….4-3 to Manley became 4-all after an 11-darter from the Kent youngster and two brilliant 180s just at the right time.

In that final set, Manley came up with a terrific 120 finish and then went 2 legs up. The writing was on the wall for Shepherd, especially when Manley gave himself two chances to wrap it up….he missed both and that was the opportunity young Kirk needed.

He forced the tie-break by winning the next two legs, held his throw and then stunned Manley by smacking in back-to-back 180s! There was no 9-darter but double 5 took Shepherd into dreamland once again!

Two quite brilliant matches, played by four class acts….

Quarter-Final results:

Peter Manley 4-5 Kirk Shepherd
John Part 5-4 James Wade

Saturday evening Quarter-Finals:

Phil Taylor v Wayne Mardle
Kevin Painter v Adrian Lewis

BY STUART PYKE

Photo courtesy of Chris Sargeant