The Ladies doubles tournament came down to eight outstanding teams in the quarter finals. All four matches went to a deciding leg, demonstrating the calibre of female dart players in Australia.
Abbey Morrison and Jules Taylor went out to a two-leg lead in their match against Lee-Anne Faulkner and Courtney Slater, highlighted by ton visit from both players in the opening leg (Slater threw a leg high 140) and visits of 121 and 138 from Morrison in the second leg. Both Morrison and Taylor then missed chances at closing out the game and Slater stepped up to finally secure her team a leg. Taylor then failed to take out 45 against the throw in the next leg and this time Faulkner stepped up to punish her opponent, throwing double 20 for the leg. On throw Morrison and Taylor began with tons (as did Slater) and they comfortably led through the leg before Morrison stepped up to get the biggest check out of the match when she took down 85 to secure the 3-2 win.
Amanda Loch and Melina Van den Kieboom went a leg up before going two one down in their match against Tamara Brown and Dot McLeod. Visits of 135 and 133 from Van den Kieboom helped her side to an 18-dart hold of throw in the first leg before she and Loch spurned multiple darts at double four to let Brown pounce in leg 2. That was for the hold of throw but Brown (who opened with a 133 visit) and McLeod combined to comfortably take the third leg to put them in the lead. On throw in leg four they were less comfortable and Van den Kieboom checked out 77 to tie things up at 2-2. Amanda Loch then threw the winning darts in the next leg after McLeod left tops trying to check out 54. Loch’s 78 check out in two darts securing a semi-final position for her team.
Natalie Carter and Angela Clarke, fresh off their successful endeavours throughout the Peter McMenamin Cup, took on the NSW duo of Emily Austin and Sarah Harrison. The NSW duo survived a scare on throw as Carter left just 20 when trying to check out a monster 145 before Austin secured the 39 needed for her team to hold throw. She was unable to check out 68 in the next leg though and that left Natalie Carter to check out 48 to draw the teams level at one all. Austin then checked out 99 to hold throw and return to the lead. Both teams then threw away multiple darts for the leg before Carter staved off the Harrison and Austin threat by checking out 20 to move the match to a decider. Having not converted match darts the NSW team still had the throw in the final leg. The leg was a tight affair which was ended when Natalie Carter checked out 88 (the second highest check out of the West Australian’s leg.) Carter and Clarke would take on Jackie Marks and Jaimie Loeber in the semi final after Marks and Loeber eliminated Tasmania’s Emma Watkins and Tammy Wilson in the last quarter final.
Marks and Loeber comfortably held throw before spurning the chance to check out 40 for a two-leg lead, Wilson instead checking out 16 to tie the match after two legs. In twenty darts Marks and Loeber were back in front, with the latter securing an 80 checkout. Watkins and Wilson then held throw comfortably to secure the fourth consecutive hold of throw. That trend continued in the deciding leg despite the 115 Watkins scored chasing a 146 check out. Loeber made sure Wilson would not get darts at that by landing her dart in the double 16 bed for the win.
Natalie Clarke and Angela Carter would quickly put pay to the threat of Loeber and Marks. They broke their opponents in the first leg before holding throw (despite a bust from Clarke and Marks leaving 20 when chasing an 80 check out.) Marks and Loeber then failed to take out 32 on their own throw and Carter made them pay the full price with a 60 check out to go 3-0 up. The final leg saw Loeber open with a 140 after Carter had score a ton and the leg lead ebbed and flowed but eventually Carter secured 32 for the clean sweep win and book a place in the final.
The other semi-final saw Abbey Morrison open with a ton visit and then throw 121 and 100 on her next two visits before Jules Taylor checked out 97 for a fairly comfortable hold of throw. Amanda Loch and Melina Van den Kieboom then held throw just as comfortably with Van den Kieboom throwing 121 on her fist visit and Loch securing 140 before checking out 74. In the next leg Taylor left four when attempting to check out 72 and Van den Kieboom pounced by checking out 56 in response. Despite Van den Kieboom and Loch struggling to hit a finishing double in the next leg they were far enough in front in the leg to have multiple chances with the double one to Loch securing her side a 3-1 lead. The South Australian duo then held throw, thanks in main to a 140 visit from Taylor at her first visit of the leg. Although they had more issues with checking out Loch and Van den Kieboom finally came through in the sixth leg to secure a 4-2 overall victory and the other position in the final. They were both excited for the challenge ahead of Carter and Clark in the final with Loch delighted for herself and her partner,
“I’m absolutely stoked – we have worked so hard at home and have really done the leg work – we’ve had some high-pressure games, really tight games but have dug deep when it counted and we got there”
Her playing partner was also looking forward to the challenge,
“The support and the confidence in each other is what has got us over the line, and we can’t wait to go again on Friday!”
