NICK Kenny still can’t quite believe what he achieved on the oche in Somerset last weekend.

The Cwmbran darts ace beat Wales team captain Martin Phillips, former world champion Scott Mitchell and three-times Lakeside runner-up Tony O’Shea on his way to a first major title.

He won no fewer than eight matches in total to clinch the BDO International Open, a decade after making his debut in the youth event at Brean Sands Holiday Park.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’ve won events on the PDC Development Tour before but this is by far the biggest win of my career.”

After seeing off Tony Lamerton, Gary Mills and Craig Hill, Kenny beat Chris Hartrey 4-1 to make the last 16.

The 23-year-old then edged a final-leg decider to oust veteran Phillips, while Shaun Carroll was beaten 4-2 in the quarters.

That victory pitted Kenny against Mitchell, BDO world champion in 2015, in the semi-finals.

“He did beat me up in the scoring early on but I managed to get back into the game after he missed a few doubles,” he added.

“I took out 86 and 87 to make it 3-3 and then broke his throw before winning 5-3, which he wasn’t best pleased about.

“I couldn’t believe I had reached the final and was playing against Tony, who is one of the nicest guys on the tour.

“I went 2-0 up but then went to pot in the next two legs. Tony went 3-2 up and I thought ‘here we go’ but I got it back to 3-3.

“I went in front twice more but he pulled me back both times, but I managed to beat him in the last leg. I was sat on 231 and hit a maximum then took out 51.”

Kenny’s dramatic 6-5 triumph gave him the winner’s trophy and a cheque for £3,000, and he also now finds himself 34th in the world rankings.

The England Open on June 18-19 is next for Kenny, who then joins up with his Wales teammates to play in the Six Nations tournament.

Wales go into that event having won the British Internationals for the first time ever in April.

And Kenny is determined to keep plugging away for a place at next January’s BDO World Championship at the Lakeside Country Club.

“It’s all geared towards the world championship, that’s the aim,” he said.