BDO World Championships: Mitchell edges past O'Shea

Scott Mitchell overcame fellow Englishman Tony O'Shea in sudden death to win a thrilling first-round match on day one of the BDO World Championships.

Fourth seed Mitchell broke the throw in the deciding leg to clinch victory.

Three-time winner Martin Adams defeated Jan Dekker of the Netherlands 3-1, but fifth seed Martin Phillips crashed out, losing 3-0 to Latvia's Madars Razma.

Defending ladies' champion Lisa Ashton beat Deta Hedman 2-1 in a repeat of last year's final.

The match between Stockport's O'Shea and Dorset's Mitchell was the most anticipated match of the opening day's play and it did not disappoint a sell-out crowd.

The final set went all the way to an 11th leg, which Mitchell took against the darts to reach round two.

He told BT Sport: "I just tried to stay in it and give myself a chance. Tony O'Shea is a legend of this place. I tried to stay with him, and I thought to myself that I only had to be one dart better."

Adams, meanwhile, avenged his quarter-final defeat by Dekker at the quarter-final stage a year ago.

The 58-year-old was impressive but thankful that his opponent wasted six darts at a double to clinch a pivotal third set.

Number three seed Adams took advantage and went on to seal a comfortable victory.

In the ladies' draw, Bolton's Ashton and Essex-based Hedman were involved in a high-quality contest, meeting again after a memorable final in 2014.

Number one seed Hedman took the game into a final set but Ashton checked out with finishes of 90 and 156 in the decider to book her place in the last eight.