Deta Hedman’s hopes of bringing the BDO world championship back to Oxfordshire ended when she lost a dramatic final to Anastasia Dobromyslova at the Lakeside last night.

The world No 1, who plays for Oxfordshire in the BDO County Championships, went down 2-1 to the Russian, who was winning her second world title.

But at one stage, Hedman was within one leg of the crown herself.

Having won the first set 3-2, Hedman was favourite in the deciding leg of the second set, when she had the darts.

But Dobromyslova (pictured with the trophy) never let her get to a double to level the match up at 1-1.

The 27-year-old Russian Russian dominated the final set, taking it 3-0 with a 90 checkout, hitting the bull to end the 46-minute encounter.

It was Hedman’s deadly finishing that enabled her to stay in touch in the first two sets, as she produced five doubles from 13 attempts, while her opponent had more than double those misses.

Hedman took the first set with some great finishing.

Needing 82 in the decider, she hit single 11, but recovered brilliantly with treble 13 and pierced the double 16 for a set-winning checkout.

She blasted in the only maximum of the final in the opening leg of the second set and powered in a double 18.

The Russian levelled at 1-1, before Hedman miscounted in the third leg With 42 left, she threw for double 16. Realising her mistake she missed the remaining double 13, her opponent seizing the opportunity to take a 2-1 lead against the throw.

But Hedman recovered immediately to hit a two-dart 100 checkout to steal the fourth, but the Russian dominated the second-set deci-der and the rest of the match.

Afterwards wiping away the tears of emotion the champion said: “I never give up.

“And all respect to Deta I knew I couldn’t because she beat me the last couple of times.

“I have a lot of respect for Deta and did think, oh not again!

“It was hard playing against my friend.

“I could have split the shot at the end but went for the bull because Deta was not far behind, so I just had to take it.”

In last night’s remaining men’s quarter-finals, Dutchman Christian Kist continued his giant-killing to beat Alan Norris 5-1, while Ted Hankey saw off Martin Atkins also 5-1.