BREAKING NEWS

Move over Mourinho. Portugal has a new Special One. Jose De Sousa. No, up to a week or so ago, I didn’t know who he was either. However, with hotshots like Michael Van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson and defending World Champion Peter Wright out of the equation, naturally, it opened the door for someone to claim centre stage.

For the majority of the last eight days, it appeared the burgeoning Belgian Dimitri Van Den Bergh would be the one to take greatest advantage of the unusual open nature of the tournament. Until, that is, the diminutive dancing dartist was himself ambushed by a typically battling display from perennial bridesmaid James Wade.

In the early stages of tonight’s Final of the Grand Slam in Coventry, it appeared Aldershot’s Wade was finally going to don the veil when he raced into a 3-0 lead. However, a combination of the obduracy of the 46-year-old former builder and his alacrity at hitting maximums (17 during the contest) condemned the tempestuous Englishman to the second place berth yet again.