Shaun Carroll's BDO progress goes on

Carroll couldn't replicate his march to the quarter-finals of the International Open the previous week after a 5-2 defeat to Garry Thompson,

But the Bloxwich darter again won his board after coming through Group Seven, where he won four games. Tournaments took place at the Bunn Leisure Centre in Selsey, West Sussex.

Victories over Joe Paul and Mick Connerton were by 4-0 whitewash, before a 4-2 vanquishing of Aaron Turner set up the group final.

Brad Halls pushed him to a last leg decider but he prevailed 4-3, with the Thompson clash upgraded to a best-of-seven format.

Fellow West Midlands thrower Mark Craddock, from Cannock, also reached a board final in Group 32 but was beaten 4-2 by Dan Bradford.

Craddock had won three games to get far starting with a 4-3 result over Richard Stride, before 4-0 shut outs of Kevin Jacobs and Morris Hughes.

Only Scott Mitchell could halt Lewis Venes in the last 64, the former world champion seeing him off 4-2. Venes had won three times to meet him.

The West Midlands county player eased past Daniel Ayres 4-1, before 4-3 victories over Steven Ferguson and Cliff Prior to set up the Mitchell meeting.

West Midlands team-mate Sam Hamilton got to the last 256 in Group Six, after drubbing Ron Pack 4-0. He was then dumped out 4-1 by Bradley Kirk.

Country cohort Sam Guest was eliminated after winning a game in Group One, 4-1 against Ian Bennison. Lee Turle then rolled over him 4-2.

There were first round exits for West Midlanders Chris Glover, Michael Baker, Matthew Dicken, Owen Maiden and Reece Colley around the rest of the groups.

Maiden also got to the Group Two final in the men's pairs competition, partnering Tyler Radlett. Their challenge was ended 3-0 by capable Dutch duo Wesley Harms and Richard Veenstra.

Two-time world championship finalist Harms proved the difference with two high check outs, erasing 160 and 170.

Maiden and Radlett had accounted for the team of Darryl Fitton and Jimmy Hendriks, plus Andy Fordham and George Cressey, along the way.

Further action came for Maiden came in the boy's singles, where he reached the quarter-finals before a 3-0 disappointment to Adam Howard.

The teenager from Ashmore Park in Wednesfield, 16, had accounted for Adrian Khul, Dan Green and Adam Howard, all by 3-0 whitewash, in progressing to that stage.

Dudley's Colley went to the last 16, after a bye and a 3-0 verdict over James Walls, with Alex Gurr then beating him 3-1. Walsall's Singh was edged out 3-2 by Howard in the first round.

There was also strong West Midlands involvement in the men's national singles, with Wolverhampton's Baker reaching the last 64.

An all West Midlands clash with Singh that went to the last leg started him off with a 4-3 win, before victories over John Leiber (4-2) and Scott Chatterton (4-1).

He came off second best against Pip Blackwell (4-2), with Dicken reaching the same stage in Group 13. Craddock did likewise in Group Three.

Craddock opened with a 4-0 whitewash on Luke Ackers, before seeing off Carroll 4-3. A subsequent 4-1 victory over Michael Pennington nudged him further forward.

He than ran into two-time world champion Ted Hankey, who turned on the style to shut him out by a 4-0 margin.

Wednesbury's Dicken had beaten Dan Dean 4-1 and Chris Carr and Martin Lukeman, both 4-2, before going down 4-2 himself to Dean Reynolds.

Wolverhampton's Guest got to the last 128 in Group Seven, as did Hamilton in Group 16. Guest thumped Michael Wilkes 4-0, before a close-run last leg defeat to Martin Atkins.

Hamilton defeated Dennis Bowyer 4-2, before losing to Aaron Turner. Venes, Glover and Colley were all eliminated at the first hurdle around the rest of the groups.