World Cup of Darts glory eludes Cross and Smith

The world number five from St Leonards and fourth-ranked Michael Smith were runners-up to Wales in the prestigious global championship.

England lost 3-0 to their neighbours from across the Severn Bridge in the final on Sunday night, having won four matches in three days to get there.

Speaking afterwards, Cross said: "We're proud of what we've done this weekend, but we didn't play our best in the final and they (Wales) deserved to beat us."

Played behind closed doors in the Austrian city of Salzburg, the final began with Smith losing 4-1 to world number three Gerwyn Price. Cross - playing in the event for the third consecutive year - then went down 4-2 against world number 16 Jonny Clayton, who averaged 105 in a splendid display.

Former world champion Cross held his throw to lead 1-0 and 2-1, aided by a pair of 180s, and missed two darts at a double to break in the second leg. Clayton then held throw in 13 darts to level at 2-2 before, crucially, finishing 84 in two darts to break for a 3-2 lead.

Cross started the next leg with his third 180, but narrowly missed double seven for a 122 outshot and a 12-darter, allowing Clayton to pin double eight and put Wales 2-0 up. Wales proceeded to wrap up their victory with a 4-3 success in the pairs, meaning the reverse singles matches weren't required.

All seven pairs legs went with throw, the last five of them in 15 darts or fewer, as England were unable to secure the break they needed. Cross produced a brilliant 142 checkout in leg six for an England 12-darter, having just missed the bullseye for a 132 outshot in leg two.

Top seeds England were certainly made to work on their way to the final, including in their 2-0 semi-final victory over Belgium earlier on Sunday evening.

Smith edged out Kim Huybrechts 4-3 in the opening match before Cross scraped past Dimitri Van den Bergh by the same margin to clinch the win. In the clash of the last two World Matchplay champions, world number 11 Van den Bergh narrowly missed the bullseye for a 164 outshot, allowing Cross to level at 3-3.

And Cross eventually prevailed with his fourth match dart in a nerve-shredding deciding leg after Van den Begh had missed five match darts, including a cruel bounce-out on double 12. There was plenty more drama during England's 2-1 quarter-final triumph against host nation Austria on Sunday afternoon.

Smith saw a 3-0 lead turn into a 4-3 loss against an on-song world number 15 Mensur Suljovic, meaning Cross had to beat Rowby-John Rodriguez to keep England in the tie. Rodriguez took the first two legs with finishes of 160 and 100, but Cross fought back to win 4-3, surviving four match darts in another tension-packed deciding leg.

The pairs also went all the way to a last leg before 2019 European Championship winner Cross hit double 10 to put England through. Things were a bit more straightforward in round two on Saturday afternoon as England saw off Lithuania 2-0. Smith whitewashed Darius Labanauskas 4-0 before Cross, nicknamed Voltage, came from 1-0 and 2-1 down to defeat Mindaugas Barauskas 4-2.

Although scrappy at times, Cross fired in a 120 checkout in leg two and later conjured up a superb 10-darter to break throw in leg five.

England started their campaign by surviving a bit of a scare against the Philippines in round one on Friday afternoon. With first-round matches taking the form of a single pairs game, England claimed the last two legs to win 5-3.

Cross, 30, will line up in another televised tournament next week as he takes his place in the BoyleSports Grand Slam of Darts. To be screened live on Sky Sports, the Grand Slam will take place at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry from Monday, November 16 until Tuesday November 24.