by DAVE FLETT dave.flett@thepress.co.uk JOHN Quantock will be the highest-ranked home-town player in tomorrow’s Streamline Taxis York Open Darts Championship grand finals at Huntington WMC.

The former PDC professional finished third in the qualifying standings after winning the tenth and final stage event following a 5-4 triumph over fellow Minsterman Rich Corner, who will go into the tournament as the fourth seed because Steve Vine is unable to compete.

Yorkshire’s Brian Dawson is ranked number one with former UK open quarter- finalist Mark Lawrence, from Whitley Bay, the second seed.

A winners’ prize of £501 is up for grabs, along with the champion’s trophy and a selection of Fit Flight products courtesy of Cosmo Darts.

The event, which is also sponsored by Red Dragon Darts, will see 48 players slug it out with the order of merit’s top-16 players entering at the second round stage.

Eight women and four under-18 players will also be bidding for glory at the grand finals in their respective competitions.

Easingwold’s Tracey Marran is the women’s top seed with York pair Jasmine Scott and Sharon Neads the next best qualifiers.

Jamie Branton, of Hull, is the youth section’s number one, ahead of Tommy Heron jnr (Whitwell-on-the-Hill), Lewis Pride (Harrogate) and Dean Spenlow (Hull).

Games will start at 1.30pm and spectators are welcome.

In the last stage final, Quantock raced to a 4-1 lead against Corner with 19-17-14 and 20-dart legs against a 20-dart reply.

Corner then rallied to add two 180s and a 102 finish in legs of 16-15 and 17 to draw level and added another 180 in the deciding leg before Quantock closed with 20 darts and clinched victory despite an average of 80.71 compared to his opponent’s 85.01.

Earlier, Corner (180 for 15-15 and 14) defeated Pickering’s Bill Hague (14) 4-2 in the semi-finals, while Quantock included three 180s in legs of 13-15-17 and 20 to overcome Steve Kemp, of Leeds, 4-1.

In the quarter finals, Hague (13-15) beat Daz Mawer 3-1, Corner (14-17-18) triumphed against Vine by the same scoreline and their were whitewash wins for Kemp and Quantock (17-16) against Dave Metcalfe and Andy Walshaw respectively.

Neil Hart claimed the highest checkout of the day with 130, closely followed by Quantock with 128 and 120 efforts. Another ton-plus finish was claimed by Kemp with further 180s thrown by Russ King, Corner and Hague (two apiece), as well as Tim Grice, Daniel Lidgett and Kemp.

The winners of the blind pairs were Ian Atkin and Corner who beat Mark Lea and Martin Usher in the final with Hoggarth/Trevor Day and Alex Render/Scott Bennett losing out in the semis.

Leighton Bennett won he youth event final.