Only One Of Our Players Through In Darts FA Cup

Last updated : 05 June 2010 By Ziad Chaudhry

The Riley Darts Zones PDC UK Open, Darts equivalent to the FA Cup, began on Friday evening at Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium with eight Coventry and Warwickshire based players in the 128-manfield. Just as the non-league beating the league boys, the event as always, sprung up plenty of shockers.

Coventry City-supporter PDC world number 68 seed Kevin Dowling was the first to go, losing heavily to German Jyhan Artut 6-1 in the Preliminary Round. Ricky Evans ended Coventry pub player Noel Grant's (who qualified through the regional heats) run with a 6-4 win in round one.

Rugby's BDO Warwickshire county player Prakash Jiwa beat 6-4 John Lakeman before losing to Simon Cunningham by the same scoreline in round two.

Another Cov PDC pro world ranked 83 Scott Rand also went out in round two. He crushed Andy Murray (not the tennis player!!!) 6-1 and beat Dowling victim Artut 6-3 before ending at the wrong end of a 6-4 scoreline to Tony Broughton 6-4.

City season ticket holder Steve 'The Muffin Man' Hine defeated Ian Gleeson and Melvyn Johnston before going out in round three to world number five and 2008 UK Open champion Aldershot's James 'The Machine' Wade 9 -7. Hine was 8-3 down but won four legs on the trot.

Number 41 seed and arguably one of the best darts players to come out of Coventry Steve Beaton avenged Ricky Evans scalp on a Coventrian before losing heavily 9-3 to Jamie 'Caveman' Caven in round three, who will next play Studley's Pie Man Andy Smith in tomorrow's round four.

Also through to tomorrow's fourth round is Leamington Spa's world number 32 Nigel Heydon who overcame Bristol City fan Mark 'Flash' Dudbridge 9-7. He will next play Welshman Wayne Atwood.

Milton Keynes based Paul Warwick goes into today's last 32, as the only survivor from the Rileys's Amateur Qualifiers, having defeated world number 13 - Holland's Co Stompe 9-3.

Saturday afternoon's fourth round, will be followed in the evening session by round five featuring the last sixteen. The remaining eight players return on Sunday to battle for the £40,000 title.