Oxfordshire county player Deta Hedman enjoyed her first taste of the Lakeside World Championship so much, she’s vowed to go back and win it.

A semi-final appearance at Frimley Green in front off 1,400 arrers-mad fans capped a remarkable year for ‘The Dark Destroyer’, who only made her comeback to the game 12 months ago.

It was with encouragement from her partner, Paul James, that Hedman toed the oche again last January after a break of three years – the second time she had taken a spell out from the game.

“I just came back last year to see what I could do and I started winning again and you get the bug,” says the 50-year-old, who hails from Jamaica.

“I wanted to get as many ranking points as possible, but it snowballed. We weren’t looking at it for the world championships.

“It was just to play and become part of the darts scene again.”

Wins in the Aberdeen Open, the Belgium Open, the British Open – where she beat the now eight-times world champion Trina Gulliver in the final – and the Turkish Open saw Hedman rocket to No 1 in the British Darts Organisation rankings.

A series of tough qualifying matches were negotiated to secure her place on stage at Frimley Green – something she admits she wasn’t quite prepared for.

“I have played in front of a big audience before, but not quite like that – that is something else,” she says.

“There is a bit of razzamatazz. I enjoyed it, but it is hard to keep your focus.

“There are all these people in fancy dress and you think – this is darts? But it is fantastic and I think everyone should experience it at least once because you do feel on a high.”

Despite the distractions, Hedman held her nerve to beat Russia’s Irina Armstrong, her pairs partner, 2-0 in the quarter-finals.

“I just wanted to get through,” she says. “I didn’t want to get there and go home straightaway.“ Hedman then faced her old rival Gulliver, and struggled with her concentration as she slipped to a 2-0 defeat.

“I didn’t play to my potential at all,” she says. “I was disappointed I didn’t make the final, but I wasn’t disappointed with what I have done in such a short space of time after coming back, so I took encouragement from that.

“Like everything, you learn from it, so next year I will prepare for it better.

“I have to go back. I have got to win it before I stop.”

Hedman, who lives at Witham in Essex and works nights for the Royal Mail at Chelmsford, was also thrilled by the messages of support she had from darts devotees in Oxon after joining the county this season.

“So many people from Oxfordshire sent me good wishes I would like to thank them all for their support,” she says. “It was tremendous. I wish I could have gone further, but it was one of those things.”

Hedman explained that it was her friendship with Oxfordshire’s Linda Jones, which led her to joining the county after they met up at a tournament in Eastbourne.

“I had to really play for a county and I had always played for Essex,” she says. “I fancied a change and get on well with Linda and some of the other people.

“I didn’t fancy any of the other counties and wanted somewhere totally different and it has been fantastic.

“I have enjoyed being there and they have made me welcome.”

With her sights set firmly on a return to Lakeside and a crack at the world title next year, Hedman is keen to attract sponsorship.

Anyone interested should contact her partner, Paul, on 07725 561316, email the.old.oak11@unicombox.co.uk or visit her website deta-hedman.webs.com.