Among those most stoic and devoted people, Mayo football supporters, you wonder is there one particular final defeat which rankles most among the many days of suffering endured by the green and red. Before any high horses are mounted, the above pondering was not meant in a derisory sense in the slightest.
On the contrary, it was signpost and tribute to their enduring resilience and redoubtable spirit. Also as a shining example to others who – in whatever facet of life it may be – continually get knocked back but always dust themselves down and go again. Thirdly, as a comparable case study with the subject matter which will dominate the rest of what appears hereafter.
That being the recent victory for Australia over Wales in the Final of the World Cup of Darts in Germany last weekend. The Mayo comparison being in relation to the wonderful Wallaby, The Wizard, The Beard To Be Feared – Simon Whitlock.
He is not only one of the most distinctive performers on the circuit with his platted ponytail and Merlin-like beard, he is also one of the most obdurate, courageous and enthralling characters in any sport anywhere. Akin to the folk from Knock and its environs, Whitlock has qualified for the finals or knockout stages of more competitions than you could shake a stick at but seldom got the rub of the green all winners need along the way.
Now, at this juncture it will be confessed that not a lot is known about what the status of the World Cup is in the grand scheme of things in darts but whatever it is it certainly lit a steely spark in Whitlock which lent a certain inevitability to what the eventual outcome was going to be.
Officially speaking, his playing partner Damon Heta was decreed to be the Captain of Team Australia by virtue of being the higher ranked of the duo, but on more than occasion over the it was the elder statesman of the pair who took on the heavy lifting,
To my knowledge, the World Cup is the only competition in the sport played in a pairs format. Whereby there are two Singles contests and if the sides are still level thereafter, they play off in pairs. In a setup similar to one of the systems used in the Ryder Cup in Golf where each player hits alternate shots.
After a comfortable enough victory of Lithuania in their opening outing, the men from the land Down Under were pushed all the way by the gutsy Swedes after the singles finished 1-1. Their quarter final against a Dimitri van den Bergh inspired Belgium. Firstly, the latter negotiated a way past Hetta before The Wizard was put to the end of his hair bobbin to edge past the enigmatic Huybrechts.
Once the tie went into overtime, inclination was that the steadying influence of the 53-year-old would be enough to see himself and his partner home. Though even allowing for that, there was nothing to indicate the absolute tanking Skippy’s mates would dole out to the England twosome.
Especially given the run of form Michael Smith has been on of late and the at least partial similarities between James Wade and Whitlock. Yet it was the latter and Heta who recorded an astonishingly easy 4-0 win.
On the other side of the draw, the outstanding Welsh pairing of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton – winners of the event in 2020 – visibly improved with every outing over the weekend. Granted, they did have a comparatively easier passage than their eventual final opponents.
Defeating Austria, Germany and – with respect – a less potent Dutch double act of Danny Noppert and Dirk van Duijvenborde with MVG missing out while recovering from surgery on a hand injury.
In the climax to a terrific few days tungsten throwing, the green and gold broke quickest from the stalls in the singles before Price – who had both averaged 117.18 against Martin Schindler of Germany and looked abject and disinterested against Whitlock in the course of a few hours – won the pairs match and sent matters to what, in basketball parlance, would be termed double overtime.
In a darting context, that means reversing the original singles pairings and it was there that ‘The Heat’ showed ice cold nerves when nailing a Double 16 to send the impressive looking trophy down to the bottom of the world.
Heta may have been the higher ranked, the team Captain and the one who pinned the winning shot, but, for this sporting romantic at least, it was all about Whitlock.
The very popular and very experienced bespeckled arrowsmith contends in nearly every event he partakes in but very often comes up short. However, if you get up for every dance Waltzing Matilda will eventually come around.
Phrases often get tossed around in sports vernacular like chaff in the wind. “It’s a dream come true” is probably the out and out winner in any such category.
When it came from Simon Whitlock though, you knew it was genuine. Due to his longevity, competitive nature and the fact that he has participated in all 12 World Cup of Darts events.
Before he concluded “I’ll retire when I feel like it’s time but I’m nowhere near it yet”. Praise the Lord!
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