'Its taken seven years.'

The standard of Darts in Australia is definitely improving with outstanding quality and depth in this country. Today saw magnificent contests all day with Australia seeing new titleholders in the Australian Ladies Pairs title contested at the Croatian Club in Adelaide.

Ladies Doubles
Janine Cassar and Joanne Hadley played brilliant darts all day to over power Western Australia's Natalie Carter and Jodie Hislop in the best of 9 legs final. Both Carter and Hislop (twice) have won this title before but not when playing together but today would not be their day. Cassar and Hadley won the Australian Ladies Pairs title for the first time with a 5 - 2 victory. Carter and Hislop did not have the best start to the final. Cassar broke them straight away with a 103 finish. They backed that leg up with a 22-darter that included a 180 by Hadley. The WA ladies got their first leg win when Hislop finished on 81 for their own 24-darter. The Victorian ladies flexed their muscles to claim the next two legs to give them a 4 - 1 lead. With a clean 60 finish by Hislop, the WA pair dragged a leg back but it was not enough. Cassar and Hadley (above) won the next leg in style after the WA ladies missed a shot at the double. A great finish of 84 by Cassar to wrap up the title. It has taken seven years for these two to win this title. They have won pairs tournaments together all over the country and finally they have cracked the big won.
Finals Averages:
Janine Cassar 21.65, Joanne Hadley 22.75
Natalie Carter 22.86, Jodie Hislop 20.30

Natalie Carter and Jodie Hislop (left) had serious opposition coming from the New South Wales pair of Carol Forwood and Corrine Hammond in the first semi final. The third leg saw a break against Carter and Hislop after both pairs missed darts at the doubles. The WA pair immediately broke back to square up the final at 2 -2 and the remaining three legs went with the darts. The final score was 4 - 3.
Averages:
Natalie Carter 18.59, Jodie Hislop 21.57
Carol Forwood 20.23, Corrine Hammond 19.30

In the second semi final Margie Tonkin and Karen Mayes from South Australia had their hopes of making the final dashed when Janine Cassar and Joanne Hadley proved to strong. Tonkin and Mayes had their chances but missed vital shots at the double in several legs. The fourth leg was brilliant by the Victorian pair - 95,100,57,100,133 and 116 finish by Joanne Hadley. She finished fairly cleanly in this game hitting all four finishing doubles in their 4 - 1 victory.
Averages:
Janine Cassar 19.59, Joanne Hadley 19.24
Margie Tonkin 16.48, Karen Mayes 17.37

Quarter Final results
Margie Tonkin & Karen Mayes (SA) def Pam Burr Cathy Shaw (QLD (NT) 3 - 1
Carol Forwood & Corrine Hammond (NSW) def Alison Falconer & Linda Errington (NT) 3 - 0
Natalie Carter & Jodie Hislop (WA) def Helen Johnston & Sandra Smith (TAS) 3 - 0
Janine Cassar & Joanne Hadley defeated Dot McLeod & Samara Ash (WA) 3 - 0

Men Doubles
The finals stage is an arena that both Tony David and Graham Hunt (right) have played on many times over their darting careers. Both these players have won the Australia Pairs title four times each prior to today's final and only once before had these two won the final playing together and that was back in 2004. Another fact is that one of their opponents; Russell Stewart has also won this title several times. Three of the players in this final represented Australia at the last World Cup and the fourth, Russell Stewart had also represented Australia on numerous occasions so a cracking final was expected. Fleet and Stewart started the final and claimed the first leg. David and Hunt won the second leg, and then broke the Fleet Stewart throw in the next leg. They won their third leg in a row take a 3 - 1 lead. The fifth leg saw Fleet and Stewart really fight hard which they won thanks to great 116 finish by Stewart. The next three legs say brilliant darts by the two from WA. They won these legs in 20, 17 and 18 darts with some great finishing. David finished the sixth leg with 80 (2-darts), and Hunt finished off the next two with 76 (2-darts) and 109 (3-darts). That gave them six legs and the title for a fifth time for these two previous individual World Champions.

Finals Averages:
Tony David 31.77, Graham Hunt 25.76
Anthony Fleet 28.28, Russell Stewart 23.91

In the first semi final Anthony Fleet and Russell Stewart (left) ended the hopes of the Western Australian pairing of Brad Austen and Kim Lewis. It was a magnificent close match with both pairs playing brilliant darts. Fleet and Stewart started superbly winning the first leg in 17 darts. Austen and Lewis fought back straight away and won the second leg. Back-to-back 180's by Austen in leg three set up the first break in this final which they won in 15 darts. Leg four and an immediate break back by Canberrian pair. The next five legs went with the darts. If a leg needed to be finished the player that stepped up to the oche was finishing the leg. At 4 - 4 the tie breaking leg was started by Fleet. This was a huge advantage if the match trend continued. It did continue with Fleet finishing off the final with a 108 finish while the WA pair were sitting ready to pounce with 70 left. This match had the whole crowd on the edge of their seat throughout, with the spectators giving plenty of encouragement for both pairs.

Averages:
Anthony Fleet 32.82, Russell Stewart 27.81
Brad Austen 31.32, Kim Lewis 23.55

Tony David and Graham Hunt easily defeated Ian Brown and Russell Homer (Qld) in what appeared to be a little one-sided second semi final. The boy's from WA lost the first legs after Ian Brown scored 180 with the first throw of the final. Brown hit another 180 with his first throw in the second leg, but that was about it for the Queensland boys. David and Hunt just powered ahead with the next five legs to advance to the final. They won those legs in 21,16,22,23 and 17 darts. An interesting little side point here it that David hit the triple 20 twenty three times from the sixty six darts he threw which included fourteen darts he used at the doubles.

Averages:
Tony David 30.53, Graham Hunt 29.15
Ian Brown 30.01, Russell Homer 22.29

Quarter Final results:
Brad Austen & Kim Lewis (WA) def Colin Embrey & John Murdoch (QLD) 4 - 1
Anthony Fleet & Russell Stewart (ACT) def Eddy Sims & Henry Bajowski (VIC) 4 - 2
Ian Brown & Russell Homer (QLD) def Colin Edwards & Damien Chalmers (SA) 4 - 1
Tony David & Graham Hunt (WA) def Steve Duke & Andy Robertson (Vic) 4 - 1