England take victory in Ashes of darts

Exhibition darts was played at a high standard as England contested their version of the Ashes against Australia on Black Country soil.

The country's honour was defended by Wes Newton and Wayne Mardle against Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson.

They clashed in singles and doubles action at Wolverhampton's Cleveland Arms, Stowheath Lane, last Thursday night.

Mardle is supposedly retired after turning in his PDC Pro Tour Card for this year and stepped up to the oche in the first game against Paul Nicholson.

'The Asset' proved he wasn't playing with a 121 break before Mardle hit 140 with his first darts, mirrored by Nicholson with his next three arrows.

Mardle went one up before both hit 180s before 'Hawaii 5-0-1' registered a great 101 checkout to make it 2-0, only for Nicholson to fight back to make it 2-1 and level at 2-2.

It was Mardle who took the first match on double 16 before world No 5 met No 6 respectively as England's Wes Newton met Simon Whitlock.

Newton hit 180s in both the first and second legs and took the opening match but Whitlock equalised, before another maximum from 'the Warrior.'

It was Newton who took the match from there on 68 to checkout for 3-1 and 2-0 England.

Then Newton came straight back to the oche to play Nicholson and another 180 came the way of the former, before the Aussie hit a brilliant 110 checkout to take the first leg.

Nicholson took it from there to show who was boss with his higher-ranked opponent by 3-1.

Up stepped Mardle to face Whitlock with the supposedly-retired Englishman racing into a 2-0 lead, answered by 'the Wizard' on double nine, but he lost 3-1.

With that, what was a light hearted match was gone in any case before they reached the doubles, where Whitlock and Nicholson should have been at their most formidable.

The Aussie duo had come within a wire's breath away from winning the World Cup of Darts against England's Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis.

But Newton cared little about reputations in checking out on 90 for England's 1-0 lead, before Nicholson fired back with his darts for 1-1.

Newton made it 3-1 with an impressive 148 check out – going treble 20 twice before finishing off on double 14 – before Mardle had the last word.

The three-time PDC World Championship finalist settled the game with the match already decided with bull, single 17 and double three to have the last say on what a choice demonstration for darts.