As many of you will have seen, American hopes at Lakeside were ended as Tom Sawyer slipped to a disappointing straight-set defeat at the hands of England’s Paul Hogan.

Despite scores of 100 and 140 to open the match – against the darts- the Bostonian was unable to break his opponent’s throw.  Hogan soon doubled his lead with a brisk 15-darter, but Sawyer immediately broke back to close the gap.  One leg later, and the set was over.

The Englishman broke serve straight away in the second, but a brilliant second leg from Sawyer saw him sitting on 32 after just twelve darts (140, 95, 100, 134).  He never got a look at it, though, as Hogan checked out brilliantly from 150!  Leg 3 was a scrappy affair, but the reigning ADO National Cricket Champion was unable to capitalize, and it was 2-0 in sets.

Sawyer produced a great 15-darter – with a 118 out – to break Hogan in the first leg of the third, only for his opponent to post a 15 of his own, including a 118 check of his own!  Another 15 from Hogan left him one leg from victory, but Sawyer held his nerve to take the set to a decider.  It was close all the way down, but the advantage of the throw told, and Tom Sawyer’s Lakeside debut was at an end.

Of course, the first time on a World Championship stage can be a little different, but there were enough flashes of brilliance to indicate that Tom Sawyer will be back on that stage before too long…

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