Kirk Shepherd produced some of his best darts for nearly two years but it wasn’t enough on day seven of Championship League Darts in Essex. The Unicorn youngster reached the final but was beaten 6-1 by Jelle Klaasen, who goes into Thursday’s winner’s group along with James Wade, Phil Taylor, Mervyn King, Colin Osborne, Mark Walsh and Wayne Mardle.
And his prize money of £2,550 is his biggest cheque from darts for almost a year, since he picked up £5,000 as a 1st Round World Championship loser.
But the signs are good for Shepherd. He finished second in the group and then came from 2-5 down to win his semi-final against Wayne Jones but Klaasen was just too strong in the final.
He raced to a 6-1 victory as Shepherd struggled to find any power scoring….but Shepherd, who needs a good show at the World Championship in December, as he faces tumbling down the rankings, will surely get a big confidence boost from this.
For Adrian Lewis – yet more Championship League Darts misery, as he failed yet again….Lewis has competed in all eight days of CL Darts 2009 and he lost yet another semi-final – to Jelle Klasen.
It’s a fourth semi-final defeat and a second consecutive 5-6 semi-final defeat to the Dutchman.
“I guess I will just have to give it one last big crack on Wednesday,” he said. But his disappointment will be cushioned by another £2,400 in the prize pot….his winnings from this event in 2009 now stand at £13,550 and in two years of the tournament, he has now pocketed a staggering £28,800.
In the semi-final, he found himself 1-4 down as Klaasen banged in the 180s….the young Dutch star actually hit seven perfect darts in one leg and lost it as Lewis threatened a comeback.
The Unicorn ace won three legs on the spin as Klaasen missed three darts to win it 6-3…..so, it went to a decider and a sixth maximum tilted the scales Klaasen’s way and he won the match on D16.
It was a dramatic day in Essex!
Lewis topped the group despite losing his last three matches against Shepherd, Klaasen and Eccles….Klaasen nicked the last semi-final spot ahead of Tony Eccles on legs won against the throw and Terry Jenkins will have to try again.
‘The Bull’ is also back on Wednesday for a fifth consecutive day at CL Darts – missing out this time after losing his last match 1-6 against Co Stompe and the Unicorn star ended up surviving by just one leg!
Jenkins finished third bottom on six points but stayed in the competition because his big mate Andy Smith only won his last match against Klaasen by 6 legs to 4…..if ‘The Pie Man’ had won 6-3 (and he missed three darts to do just that) it would have meant Jenkins going through the exit door! It was that close.
Jenkins prize money from 2009 CL Darts now stands at £8,200….Stompe actually missed D12 for a 9-darter in that match but the Dutchman finished bottom of the group.
Results – Group Seven – Final:
Jelle Klaasen 6-1 Kirk Shepherd
Semi-Finals:
Adrian Lewis 5-6 Jelle Klaasen
Day seven group results:
Terry Jenkins 1-6 Adrian Lewis
It’s the final group day on Wednesday…..Unicorn’s Barrie Bates comes into the event along with Michael van Gerwen and Roland Scholten, for last chance saloon!
• Meanwhile, it’s congratulations to Unicorn star John Part. The Canadian is $15,000 better off after winning the first ever Shanghai International Darts Open. He beat Christian Perez of the Phillipines by 10 legs to 4
By STUART PYKE at Crondon Park
