Wayne Mardle and Peter Wright reveal truth behind last weekend's exhibition encounter
Can 'Hawaii 501' still throw a dart?
Friday 8 April 2016 12:27, UK
Wayne Mardle dusted off his darts and returned to the oche last weekend for an exhibition match against Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright – but how did he get on?
Sky Sports expert Mardle can be found on commentary duty these days - Premier League Darts is live on Thursday at 7pm on Sky Sports 2 HD - but don't forget he's no stranger to the oche himself. The former World Championship semi-finalist still plays darts under-the-radar but surely he bit off more than he could chew against Wright?
We asked Mardle and 'Snakebite' what really happened when they went head-to-head…
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Firstly, who won?
Wright said: I beat him 5-3. Wayne played really well - I was a bit surprised! Stick to the commentating, Wayne, not darts! I'm joking, he played very well.
Mardle said: I was disappointing by losing to Peter - I was 3-2 up! Peter made a slow start in the first two legs but it was 1-1 because he nicked the second leg.
Sounds like it was a close game?
Wright said: He's definitely still got a bit about him. I did say to him 'why don't you play more?' Most definitely he can still play, but whether he could do it in the Premier League, I doubt it!
Mardle said: He took out 94 with a last-dart double tops, after I had a dart to go 2-0 up. Then it livened up - I was hitting 140s and 180s for fun. I went through a phase! At 3-2 up I thought 'I have a chance of winning this'. And that, of course, ended my chances!
My 140s and 180s turned into 60s and tons and Peter played much better towards the end, he showed his class. It's lovely to play these guys.
At 3-2 up I thought 'I have a chance of winning this'. And that, of course, ended my chances!
So, Wayne proved he can still cut the mustard?
Wright said: He hits loads of 140s and a couple of 180s. I don't know why he doesn't play more.
Mardle said: I can still play. Sometimes you read about someone and you think 'I thought they just sloped away and don't do anything anymore'. When you no longer hear about someone in their sector, you think they're no longer able to work in their area. People think I'm one of them - 'he doesn't play on Tour therefore he can't play anymore'.
There's a guy called Mickie Most, a music producer from the 60s, who I thought was down on his luck - he'd had his time, but at the wrong time. Then I found out he lived in Hawaii and was getting £4 million sent to him every six months. Just because people don't see me play darts, they think I can't.
Who was the best dressed at the oche?
Wright said: I had old-fashioned LED shoes which were flashing all different colours during my walk-on. It was brilliant - Wayne couldn't believe it.
He didn't wear his usual Hawaiian shirt - he wore something else which wasn't very loud so I was disappointed.
He didn't wear his usual Hawaiian shirt - he wore something else which wasn't very loud so I was disappointed.
Mardle said: I've become more sedate but a lot more classy. I'm a company man, a corporate dream!
Watch Premier League Darts on Thursday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD at 7pm.
