Trio of throwers turn up the heat at city pub

Darts fans flocked to the Cleveland Arms in Wolverhampton on the hottest day of the year as punters and throwers mingled alike in the heat.

A three-figure crowd piled into the Stowheath Lane venue for the Carlsberg Masters, with refreshments the order of the day as temperatures soared.

Brendan Dolan, the World No 11, took part in his first Black Country exhibition joining PDC cohort Kim Huybrechts, BDO veteran Gary Robson and the popular Tony O'Shea.

But Dolan has played in the PDC's Grand Slam of Darts for the last two years, losing to hometown hero Wayne Jones before reaching the last 16 last year.

They all played three legs each against Joe Public, with only two getting the better of the professionals at the oche.

Adam Llewellyn, a 32-year-old accountant, defeated the BDO's Robson on the most-favoured bed of double top, after winning a leg against him in a prize draw.

Adam said: "I have a 50 per cent checkout ratio! I am not really a serious darts player, I just got up there and had a go. Who could believe it?"

The other winner last night was Chris Morrison, 41, a manager at Astbury International Transport who defeated Huybrechts at the last knockings on double five.

Chris said: "It was complete beginners luck, I have a chuck every now and again but I am by no means someone who plays regularly. But Kim was great, it was just a bit of a chuck-about."

Pub manager William Adamson regularly sportsman's evenings on site, saying: "It's been another great night. Every summer we will be looking to have a four-strong exhibition."

The players went to head-to-head in an England versus Europe contest at the end, contested in three singles legs against each other with a point for each win. Europe led 7-5 after that.

It came down to a three-pointer in a 1001 doubles finale, where O'Shea and Robson could have pipped Dolan and Huybrechts to victory. They instead lost 10-5.