WADC Winmau Championship North resumed in Middlesbrough, and the first two events of the weekend went the way of Steph Clarke and Vicky Pruim at the Sports Village.
Clarke clinched a first event win of the campaign, and she had to dig deep to do so as she edged former World Championship finalist Kirsty Hutchinson 5-4 in the Event Five final.
Clarke dropped one leg in her first two matches as she eased to wins against Jane Hatwin and Rebecca Hoyland, and she moved into the quarter finals with a 4-2 win against Antonia Mason.
A 5-2 success against Vicky Pruim booked a spot in the semi-finals, and she repeated the trick against recent PDC Womens Series finalist Angela Kirkwood to advance to the showpiece against Hutchinson.
Hutchinson lost just two legs in wins against Sarah Roberts, Tracey Heppinstall and Carla Boyes, and she then ousted Kim Holden, a winner of Events Three and Four last time out, in a 5-3 quarter final win. Rebecca Allen was fresh off a 5-0 win against PDC Womens Series event winner Eleanor Cairns, averaging over 83, but Hutchinson used her experience to make the final in a nervy 5-4 victory.
The final was a topsy-turvy affair, with Clarke going 2-0 up, only for Hutchinson to rally, a 118 finish included as she went 3-2 up. The match went to a final leg, where Clarke found a timely 180 before pinning double 18 to take the title and the first prize.
Event Six belonged to Sweden’s Pruim, as she captured a second title of the season with a dominant 5-1 win against Sara Walton.
Another to win a Womens Series title this year, Pruim averaged over 88 to whitewash Emma Chubb, and she then eliminated Hutchinson in a 4-2 round two success.
After thrashing Rose Mort in the quarter finals, Pruim faced Clarke again, but this time prevailed, a timely 76 finish after surviving match darts booking a place in the final.
Opposing her was Sara Walton, who whitewashed Nieve Barr before winning 4-3 against Rebecca Allen as she made the last eight.
There, she won 5-2 against Sarah Roberts, and then made the showpiece by outlasting Lauryn Salter in a 5-4 nail-biter.
Pruim proved too much for Walton though in the title match, and although she kept pace at 2-1 behind, Pruim accelerated, and won the next three legs, a 100 finish confirming the victory, and the £500 first prize that takes her into second behind Kim Holden in the standings.
Events Seven and Eight take place on Sunday.
Picture: Tip Top Pics
ENDS
