Hungry Wolfie closes in on Lakeside hat-trick

Martin Adams survived an early scare to reach the BDO World Darts final, coming through 6-4 against Martin Phillips.

The reigning champion found himself 2-0 down to Welshman Phillips but fought back to lead 3-2 at the interval.

Phillips then levelled, but Adams just about had the edge in some scrappy later sets as he earned the victory.

'Wolfie' will face Dean Winstanley in the final after the Yorkshireman, on his Lakeside debut, cruised to a 6-2 win over young Dutchman Jan Dekker.

Lincolnshire's Adams, 54, chasing his third Lakeside crown, began in style against Phillips, winning the opening leg with a 161 checkout.

But Phillips, 50, refused to be intimidated and took advantage of some erratic arrows from 'Wolfie' to take the first two sets.

606: DEBATE Adams is slightly underrated... when he does turn it on, he can turn it on well Mantorok

Adams shook off his inconsistency to claw his way back, needing double one to clinch the third set, and won five legs in a row to make it 2-2.

He made it six with a 95 checkout, but Phillips hit back in the next leg with a 180 and a 161 finish.

Adams hit two straight 180s in the next, but Phillips checked out on 85 to level the set and then squandered a chance to lead at the break.

The Welshman made it 3-3 when play resumed, but England skipper Adams pulled out a 5-3 lead.

He was put off his stride by a scoreboard malfunction in the ninth set, and the dogged Phillips took advantage to make it 5-4.

Adams looked to be feeling the pressure in the 10th but another of several careless throws on a single by Phillips aided his cause, and he closed out the match.

Afterwards, Adams said: "I was not bothered about going down 2-0. I just talked myself back into the match.

"I was a little bit nervous today but I don't worry and just take things as they come. Once I got into the match I settled.

"There is a lot of stuff going round in your head up on stage, but I'm an old hand and experienced enough to know how to handle it and push it to the back of my mind."

Third seed Winstanley had an easier passage to the Lakeside finale, despite losing the first set to Dekker.

The Doncaster 29-year-old was soon on his game and never looked back after taking the lead, allowing his fellow debutant to win just one more set.

Winstanley has struggled at times with his checkout mathematics this week, but he insisted: "I do have the darts to lift this title, if I can conquer the nerves and the heat on stage."

Dekker woke up with cramp in his shoulder - a legacy of his longest-ever game of 47 legs in his quarter-final against Garry Thompson - and was constantly stretching during Saturday's match to fend off a repeat attack.

The 20-year-old student from Drenthe leaves Frimley Green £11,000 better off and looks set to follow in the footsteps of compatriots and former Lakeside champions Raymond van Barneveld and Jelle Klaasen.

Winstanley keeps cool to set up Wolfie showdown

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