JAMES Kempster kept his hopes of winning the Evening Mail Darts competition alive after storming into Grand Finals night with a comprehensive victory over Gavin Lewis in the Barrow area final.

Castle House darter Kempster is favourite to go all the way in the tournament and took a step closer to justifying that tag with a 3-0 victory over Lewis at The Cottages.

Lewis made a flying start in the first leg, but a double-12 finish from Kempster saw him take the lead, and he did not let up from thereon in, winning legs two and three to seal his place in the next round.

Kempster will be joined in the Grand Ginal at The Nines on Saturday, March 11 by fellow Castle House players Tommy Richardson and Chris Irvine, with the former involved in a thrilling match against one of his Friday League team-mates, Nat Hardie.

It was Hardie who started brighter, taking the first leg after hitting a 140 and 125, then hitting three 100s in the second leg and going 2-0 up after Richardson missed a dart at double.

Former county player Richardson took out double 10 to claw a leg back in the third, after hitting a 180 maximum, and levelled the match in the fourth, going on to complete the comeback in the deciding leg.

Irvine, meanwhile, beat another Castle House player in Scott Lawson with a 3-0 win, which included the highest finish of the night after taking out treble 17 and double-top in the second for a 91 checkout, and then closing out the match on double 16.

Robin Hood’s Kev Hubbold proved something of a master with the arrows too after coming from 2-0 down to defeat the experienced figure of Simon Whiteside, also of Castle House, 3-2.

Whiteside’s 140, 135 and 100 scores in the opening leg set him up to take an early lead, but Hubbold hit back with a 180 en route to victory in the third leg.

He levelled in the fourth, before clinching the match with a double-18 finish.

Paul Harris (Britannia) saw off Dave Eccles 3-1 after the latter had won the opening leg, while Greengate’s Nikki Lavery completed the grand final line-up after edging out Paul Clarke 3-2.

The six victors join the district final qualifiers, Gary Ryce, of the Devonshire in Millom, and Steve Woodburn, of Ulverston’s Kings Arms, in the Grand Final.

The draw for the finals will be made on the night, once all players have registered.

Competitors are reminded to be at the Nines for 7.15pm, with the action due to start at 7.45pm.

Admission for spectators will be £1, which also includes a finals night brochure.