Snowy hits winning double as England claim world cup

PLYMOUTH’S top disabled darts player, Snowy Dyson, returned from Belgium last night a World Cup winner, after the England A team won the inaugural WDDA Winmau team World Cup in Ostend.

More than 70 players represented 15 countries, with the four-man teams consisting of two standing disabled players and two wheelchair marksmen with England having two teams competing.

England A opened their account with a 9-3 victory over The Netherlands before whitewashing South Africa 9-0.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The Jubilant England A side that won the inaugural WDDA World Cup when they defeated Wales in the final. From left to right: Matt Doe (team Manager), Kevin Stringer, Jonathan Hurst, Snowy Dyson and Pete Bramley.

In the last eight they dropped just a single leg in disposing of Germany before their first real test came in the semi-finals when, they came up against the Belgium B side, but prevailed 9-7 when Dyson hit the winning double to clinch the decisive ninth point.

Wales were in the other half of the draw, captained by the BDDA’s No.1 player, Ricky Chilton, who resides in St Ives, Cornwall and they also had a good start to their campaign when a 9-5 win over Belgium A and a 9-3 defeat of Denmark

enabled them to top their group.

Two more victories, by a 9-1 margin, against the rest of Europe and The Netherlands put Wales into the final against England A.

England won the early exchanges to lead 2-0 but all credit to their Welsh opponents who rallied well and took six of the next seven to move 6-3 in front.

England pulled back the deficit to level at 6-6 and the teams were all square again at 7-7 before England won the next two with Snowy Dyson, once again having the honour of throwing the winning double for a 9-7 victory which gave the England A team the title of World Cup champions.

The following day, players competed for individual glory and Cornwall’s Ricky Chilton did himself proud by reaching the final of the wheelchair category, only to lose 4-1 to the strong Belgian marksman Vince D’Hondt, who can boast among his many successes, back to back Winmau World Masters titles.

England A players Pete Bramley and Jonathan Hirst showed their pedigree by making it through to the final of the standing category which was won 4-0 by Bramley.