It will be openly admitted that watching darts at this time of year feels a little odd. Solely because the arrows action is generally considered a vital part of the armoury for negotiating the long arduous winter months.
Viewed through a different lens, though, the dawning of the World Matchplay Championship on the horizon signals the shortening of the evenings as the inter county season in GAA draws to a close owing to the odious scour that is the split season. It is an utter shambles that there’s no proper GAA action from now until next February.
So from that sitpoint at least, the darts doubled into the picture at just the right time. In any of the big televised tournaments – particularly the ones over longer formats – there’s always the possibility of turn up results.
The latest incarnation of long-formatted brilliance at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool was no different. With the defending holder of the Phil Taylor Trophy – Luke Humphries – and other big names like Peter Wright, Michael Van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Mike De Decker had their stays on the south coast of England aborted much earlier than expected.
But then, when that happens, it naturally means those who evict the favourites may end up having to send for extra luggage. Thus was the case for the likes of Andrew Guilding and Gian Van Vein and Josh Rock and Jonny Clayton.
Even eventual winner Luke Littler may have had to send for reinforcements due to the levels he was made to sweat by Guilding, Rock and the man who lives up to his nickname more than any dart player on the darts circuit – The Machine, James Wade. I say that in the most complimentary way possible. Unfortunately for him though, he has assumed the dubious crown once held by Simon Whitlock – the most consistent yet consistently unlucky exponent of his craft.
The former mechanic seems to be in contention for every tournament in which he partakes but seldom if ever gets over the line. Mind you, the irony of that very statement is that his most recent – though futile – final appearance was his seventh at the event in question in Blackpool. And he did, in fact, even win one thereof back in 2007.
Indeed, in the most recent incarnation of the final of the Phil Taylor Trophy, the often antagonistic southpaw began like a man possessed. Darting – pun entirely intended – into a 5-0 lead.
However, as Josh Rock had discovered 24 hours before that, even that’s not a big enough buffer against Littler. Especially when – as was the case on the Saturday last – The Nuke is in nine dart hitting form.
Now, the Warrington wizard didn’t peg a leg of perfection in Sunday evening’s final but, for all that Wade didn’t spare a molecule in throwing absolutely everything he had at the 18-year-old, but The Nuke also gave the impression that he could go through gears quicker than football teams in Sheffield go through managers.
So, now that the Phil Taylor Trophy has become his latest conquest, for aficionados of tungsten throwing and casual observers alike, the question now becomes can anybody nullify The Nuke?
There are no obvious suspects jumping out of the shadows but you can be damn sure The Machine will be foremost among those trying.
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