The 2025 WDF England Open was a timely reminder that in the modern game, experience can be just as valuable as youth. In a weekend where Jim McEwan and Deta Hedman stole the spotlight, it felt like a darting Glastonbury where The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were the headline acts.
At 58, McEwan proved he’s still a formidable force, claiming both the England National and Open Singles titles – the latter in devastating fashion. And slightly further up the tree of life at 65, Deta Hedman continued to add to her glittering résumé, picking up a hat-trick of trophies in West Sussex. The Heart of Darts featured in every final she was eligible for – except one – and bagged the England National, International Trials, and Open Ladies Pairs titles in typically stylish fashion.
But let’s start with Chucky McEwan’s breathtaking run to the Men’s Open crown. He stormed through the field with a series of scintillating swashbuckling displays – think Mel Gibson as Braveheart, but with tungsten instead of a steel sword and minus the dodgy accent. Five matches in, just four legs dropped, and McEwan was in the final leaving a trail of destruction behind him. There, he produced a sensational 107.36 average to whitewash a shell-shocked Chas Barstow.
The National event told a similar story. In his first four matches, McEwan rattled off a couple more ton-plus averages – including one just shy of 110 in a demolition of Michael Powell. By the time he reached the final, not even Superman could stop him – literally – as he cruised past the caped Matt Clark 5-1. Not a bad weekend’s work for the Ayrshire arrow-smith.
On the women’s side, Deta Hedman once again defied the years. The Caribbean Queen played 21 matches over the weekend – losing just twice, with one of those defeats coming in the Triples.
West Sussex might not rival her much loved Caribbean for sunshine, but England’s south coast was beaming just as brightly for Hedman. She kicked off the festival by edging Scotland’s Pauling Paige 5-4 to win the International Trials curtain-raiser.
Her standout moment came in the Ladies National. After storming into the semi-finals with three straight 4-0 victories, Hedman overcame Sophie McKinley and went on to defeat Welsh star Eve Watson 5-3 to claim gold. Amazingly, she still found time to team up with The Phoenix Anca Zijlstra to form an Anglo-Dutch duo team that clinched the Women’s Pairs title.
Rising Scottish talent Sophie McKinley didn’t leave empty-handed. She left Selsey with the prestigious Ladies Open title, edging out fellow Scot Pauling Paige in a dramatic last-leg decider. It was a strong weekend for the young guns north of the border.
The Men’s Open Pairs final was an all-English showdown, with David Prins and Matthew Hodgson getting the better of Sam Palmer and John Bramble 3-1. King of the Castle, Jarred Cole also headed home to Hertfordshire happy, winning a shoot-out leg to defeat Francis Callum and take the International Men’s Trials crown.
Sixteen-year-old Mason Teese continued to turn heads, claiming the Youth Open title with a 5-4 win over Scottish teenager Lawrie Mitchell after a string of impressive performances. Definitely another one to watch for the future – as is the next name.
Keep an eye on the colourfully named Ruby Grey. Also 16, she won the Girls Open title in another final-leg thriller over Kacie O’Connor. Grey also made it to the last 16 in both the National and Open Ladies events, so it likely won’t be long before she’s regularly knocking on more doors.
To round off the weekend, the Open Mixed Triples title went to Nick Fullwell, Cayden Smith, and Leah-May Dalloway, who overcame David Fatum, Matt Clark, and – yes – Deta Hedman in the final. Judging by her ever-present smile, she probably didn’t mind missing out on that one too much.
—-ENDS—-
Images: World Senior Darts
