Darts victor Colin Osborne salutes Chris Thompson

Osborne beat Acomb arrows ace Thompson 3-1 at the famous World Darts Championship venue last week but admitted he was not surprised by the battle his first round opponent put up.

The Crescent WMC player won the third set after respective throws of 180, 180 and 177 set up two-dart finishes to win three successive legs and, afterwards, the 2009 UK Open finalist labelled Thompson “a class act”.

Osborne said: “Chris had the push in the third set and he’s a class act. It was his first time on that stage but he will be back.

“When the draw came out, people were asking me about Chris and, although he’s not been in front of the Sky cameras much, I know him from being on the circuit and he’s a quality player.

“I knew that I would need to produce my best to get through to the second round.”

Middlesbrough-born Osborne, known as the Wizard, claimed the first two sets before world number 56 Thompson, making his debut at the Championship as a qualifier, cast a spell on him in the third with some magical darts.

The top-20 player has admitted he feared losing the initiative in the game at that point and was relieved when seven missed doubles by Thompson in the first leg of the fourth set provided him with the platform to go on and secure victory.

“In the first game of the World Championships, you are just trying to do a good job,” Osborne added. “I got off to a good start and, at 2-0 up, you just want to win the third and get off the stage straight away.

“But Chris was great in the third set.

“His finishing was phenomenal and it looked like he had the momentum, especially with having the throw in the next set.

“I just hung in there, believed in myself and kept at my job.

“I was lucky enough to break him in the first leg and then worked hard to win the game.”

Osborne beat Jamie Caven 4-0 in the second round yesterday, a result which booked a third round meeting with either five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld or Kevin McDine.