England A have done it again — and done it with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Another JDC World Cup. Another trophy. Another nation flattened without so much as a wobble.
This time the victims were Scotland’s second team, swept aside in a merciless 4–0 whitewash as obliterated the Dutch B squad. Different opponents this time. Same brutality. Same scoreline. Same message: the empire remains undefeated.
The new ruling quartet — Ryan Branley, Archie Self, Jack Nankervis, and new recruit Mason Teese — marched through this tournament like a force of nature.
GROUP STAGE: A WARM-UP MASQUERADING AS COMPETITION
England A breezed past China and Canada with the kind of icy professionalism that would make senior pros blush. The structure? Simple. First nation to four points. A point earned via singles (best of three legs each), then two potential 601 doubles, and if chaos reigns… an eight-player, one-leg, quads-701 finale.
Against China, only Archie Self dropped a point, but Branley and Teese finished the job with one doubles match. Against Canada? No drama. No resistance. Just four singles, four wins, 4–0. A demolition. But the final group clash against the Dutch top lads produced fireworks: quads 701, all eight warriors on stage, and England pinching the decider to go three-for-three.
KNOCKOUT STAGE: THE ENGINE GOES UP A GEAR
Friday brought the elimination rounds — and England A barely blinked. A 4–1 thumping of Poland, followed by another 4–1 over their England B counterparts, before the showdown everyone anticipated: Scotland A. This was the match of the tournament. This was pure tungsten theatre.
Branley and Teese struck early in the singles. Scottish sensations Mitchell Lawrie and Owen Bryceland hit straight back. Both nations nicked a doubles. 3–3. One leg for glory. And just like against the Dutch the previous afternoon, England dug deepest when it mattered most, edging the decider to reach the final.
THE FINAL: A BATTLE IN NAME ONLY
Standing between England A and immortality? Another Scottish unit — Aiden Ballantyne, Craig Devlin, Luke Rossi and Robert Sutherland — a quartet brimming with talent and heart. Their path had been dramatic: A 4–3 epic over Belgium A, a 3–4 stumble against Germany B,
a 4–0 smashing of Ireland B. Onto the final day of action and knockout wins over Hungary, Northern Ireland A, and somewhat of an upset over the Dutch A team. But the final was a non-event. Dreams of drama evaporated in minutes. England A — cold, ruthless, relentless — dropped just TWO LEGS in a 4–0 annihilation.
THE STARS OF THE WEEK
Statistically, Mitchell “Wee Sox” Lawrie stole the spotlight with a monstrous 91.93 tournament average — but no trophy this time. His moment comes next: the JDC World Championship final at Ally Pally versus Kaya Baysal.
England’s own Ryan Branley wasn’t far behind with an 89+ average and topped the 180 charts with eight maximums, one more than Lawrie. The Geordie gunner was phenomenal.
ANOTHER CHAPTER, SAME STORY
England A reign supreme. And once more, the JDC World Cup proves the future of darts isn’t just bright — it’s blinding. Tungsten youth was the real winner here.
—–ENDS—-
Images: JDC
