The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Sherrock shows her brilliance
Darts Premier League
World Championship fan favourite Fallon Sherrock last night came agonisingly close to making more darting history as she drew 6-6 with three-time BDO champion Glen Durrant during last night’s Premier League event in Nottingham.
The 25-year-old – who became the first woman to beat a man at the worlds when she defeated Ted Evetts 3-2 at Alexandra Palace in December – was competing as one of the PDC’s weekly ‘challengers’ and was 5-3 and 6-4 ahead before being forced to settle for a draw.
Had she triumphed, Sherrock would have become the first weekly challenger to beat a regular Premier League participant. The PDC introduced the challengers last season after Scotland’s two-time world champion Gary Anderson was forced to withdraw from the league with a back injury.
The Milton Keynes thrower had darts for the match but Durrant, who beat Michael Smith last week, survived and ultimately broke her throw to take a point.
“I’ve loved every minute. It’s amazing. It makes me feel speechless – I just want to thank everyone here supporting me. I’m so grateful,” said Sherrock, the second challenger to take part this season after Huntly’s John Henderson played in Aberdeen last week.
“I’m not sure what the rest of this year holds for me but I’m getting opportunities all the time so I can’t wait to see. I’m just loving every moment really.”
Durrant – who was roundly jeered throughout as the Midlands crowd let their support for Sherrock be known – said the reality of facing the fan favourite on a big stage was daunting.
He said: “That’s the toughest game I’ve ever had. It wasn’t the crowd, I want to stress that. The jeering and booing actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. But playing Fallon on that stage is a lot harder than I anticipated – seriously, all the credit has to go to her. She’s had the most amazing couple of months and this just cements it.”
Elsewhere, 2018 PDC world champion Rob Cross hit three 180s and took out a 116 checkout en route to a 7-5 win over Nathan Aspinall while Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith combined for eight maximums as they shared the spoils in a 6-6 draw.
An all-Scottish affair between Anderson and recently-crowned world champion Peter Wright – nursing an ankle injury – also ended 6-6.
In the last match of the evening, defending Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen cruised past Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney 7-1 to ensure he tops the table with the only perfect record going into next week’s matchday at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.