Issue 44 (November 4, 2016)

Friday 4 November 2016

Darts Weekly

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

“I’ve got a big decision to make after Lakeside and I think I have made it”

Glen Durrant chats to us ahead of his Grand Slam of Darts debut next week

Euro hat-trick for Gwynne pays tribute van Gerwen Pages 2-3 to Lanning Pages 10-11

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Friday 4 November 2016 Darts Weekly

Phenomenal van Gerwen claims a third successive European Championship title Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER Michael van Gerwen was in untouchable form as he claimed a third successive Unibet European Championship title in Hasselt, Belgium on Sunday night.

The world number one followed up his 2016 major successes in the UK Open, Premier League, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix with another triumph, scooping the £100,000 first prize following an 11-1 thrashing of Mensur Suljovic in the final.

Having swept past fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen 10-3 in the quarter-finals, van Gerwen edged past James Wade in the semi-finals, winning six of the last seven legs to complete an 11-7 win.

The defending champion then produced an unstoppable display in the final, averaging 111.62, the highest three dart average in a televised ranking final.

“It’s a brilliant win for me,” van

Gerwen said. “My finishing was fantastic, my scoring power was there and I did everything that I had to at the right moments.

“Mensur is the most underestimated player in the PDC, I think, and he’s a top class player.

“This was his first final but he is someone we have to look out for.

“I’m really glad that I’ve won this trophy for the third time in a row,

“My finishing was fantastic, I did what I had to do at the right moments” it’s absolutely amazing.

“It’s a long day and you have three games, and you can’t afford any mistakes.

“I knew earlier on that I had more in the tank and I’m glad that I produced it in the final.

“It was incredible. I played absolutely phenomenally in the final, everything I wanted went in and I’m absolutely over the moon.

stores.ebay.co.uk/Mojo-DARTS

“I’m feeling great about this performance. It’s special because I’ve won this tournament three times in a row.

“I only live an hour away from here and I had a lot of supporters in the crowd. I feel absolutely great.”

It could have been all different for van Gerwen though. In the first round on Friday night, the Dutchman survived a missed match dart from Simon Whitlock to claim victory in a dramatic deciding leg.

Van Gerwen had battled back from 5-3 down to force a decider, with Whitlock then missing double 15 for a 150 finish to knock the holder out at the first hurdle.

“Simon is a guy who’s in form and I didn’t play my best game, but after that first round I was comfortable all the way to the final,” van Gerwen said.

“I want to keep this form going now because there are big tournaments coming up every weekend now.”

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The final proved to be a step too far for Austria’s Suljovic, who gave his chances of a Premier League call up next year a huge boost with a run to his first TV final.

Suljovic was in red hot form as he thrashed Phil Taylor 10-3 in the quarter-finals, before edging past Peter Wright 11-8 in the semifinals.

After picking up £40,000 in prize money, Suljovic is now up to seventh in the PDC Order of Merit and is certainly a player to watch out for over the next few months.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “I’m super happy to be in the final, to have made it to the final and I want to thank the crowd and the people in here.

“It was amazing and I’m super happy to be here. I gave it my best.

“I was the number two seed of the tournament and I knew I had to play Phil Taylor who is my idol and I knew I was a bit under pressure because I was

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Lewis wants the winning feeling in Glasgow this weekend Adrian Lewis is targeting a return to winning ways on the big stage at the Ladbrokes World Series of Darts finals this weekend.

The world number three missed out on competing in the Unibet European Championship last weekend, after finishing outside the top 32 of the European Tour Order of Merit.

Lewis returns to action on the big stage this weekend with the second staging of the World Series of Darts finals, which is being held at the Braehead Arena, in Glasgow.

After reaching the final of the William Hill World Darts Championship at the start of this year, where he lost 7-5 to Gary Anderson, Lewis has only reached Fight back: Adrian Lewis wants to get back to winning TV tournaments again

a bit under pressure because I was the seeded player. I’m just happy to come this far.”

Van Gerwen stormed into a 2-0 lead in the final, before Suljovic would win what would prove to be his only leg of the contest, hitting double nine to close the gap to 2-1.

The top seed broke the Austrian’s throw with two 12 darters and took out 157 as he moved 7-1 in front.

A 72 checkout extended his lead even further, before he punished two missed doubles from Suljovic to go 9-1 up.

Van Gerwen then made it nine legs in a row, taking the next two legs to complete an 11-1 rout against Suljovic, and with the highest average in a European Championship final.

one televised singles final since, the Auckland Darts Masters back in June, where he was beaten 11-7

by Anderson.

Lewis begins his challenge in Glasgow against either Max Hopp or Cristo Reyes in the second round tomorrow night, and is aiming for a big weekend to make up for missing the European Championship last week.

“I’ve set the bar of what people expect of me over the past few years and I do want to get back to winning big TV events,” Lewis told the PDC website.

“I guess it’s a bit of a compliment that people assume I’ve had a poor year, yet I’ve reached the World Championship final, won the World Cup and got to the semifinals of the World Matchplay.

“I just need that spark to set me off again.

“Winning a tournament gives you that little one per cent extra of belief that makes all the difference.”

Darts Weekly Friday 4 November 2016

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CHRISTOPHER KEMPF MATCH OF THE WEEK - M VAN GERWEN 6-5 S WHITLOCK (EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP) LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC

Van Gerwen survives epic match dart to beat Whitlock In a short format match, the prospect of an upset victory by an unlikely player is real and tantalising.

A few well-executed legs makes an enormous difference in a best of 11 leg match, while the consistency of a Michael van Gerwen typically proves insurmountable over the course of 20 or 30 legs.

That consistency proved elusive to MVG in the second leg of his European Championship first round clash with Simon Whitlock.

Having missed a dart at the bull for a 12 darter, van Gerwen then proceeded to throw three fistfuls of darts at double four and two without winning the leg.

Whitlock, having scored only three trebles in the entire leg, and unintentionally busting his score with a dart aimed at double four straying into single 13, almost apologetically levelled the match with his 22nd dart.

An upset victory thus began to enter the realm of the plausible.

A plausible outcome soon became a probable one as van Gerwen continued to uncharacteristically struggle to finish legs.

The darts scattered awkwardly around the doubles, both to the outside and inside, as the perplexed Dutchman fell behind to his Australian opponent.

A task - hitting doubles to finish which would normally require MVG barely two darts per leg, now required five.

Whitlock’s 170 finish in the sixth leg was reminiscent of his past exploits on big finishes and seemed designed to taunt the

struggling world number one.

Superior scoring from van Gerwen kept him in the match.

Whitlock came nowhere near van Gerwen’s 118 first nine dart average, or his reaching finishes, on average, in three visits.

Additional 140s and 180s enabled a courageous comeback from 5-3 down to level the match and take the lead in the final leg.

But two more poor darts on the outer ring - his 21st and 22nd missed doubles of the match - gave

‘Whitlock’s 170 finish in the sixth leg was reminiscent of his past exploits’ Whitlock three darts from 150 to steal the match.

The partisan Belgian audience looked on in horror as Whitlock’s first two darts hit the treble 20 segment.

Having hit two 150 checkouts once using treble 20 and once using treble 19 - three weeks ago in his match with Alan Norris, no one doubled that he might do it once more.

A sublime, suspenseful moment followed as Whitlock focused on

the double 15, gulped, and fired off an unlikely match dart.

Think of what might have happened had Whitlock completed the 150 finish.

MVG would have suffered his first elimination in the first round of a ranked TV tournament since 2011.

Whitlock would have become a sudden favourite to reach the quarter-finals or semi-finals, propelling him back into the top 16.

If he had managed to win his second European Championship title, darts commentators would now be hailing him as an indomitable superstar.

We can only speculate about the money, fame and glory lost due to an error of millimetres. One match dart came and went, and the Green Machine rumbled on.

Whitlock, is nonetheless a man brimming with confidence.

His fearsome performances in floor events and ‘that’ stupendous last leg in the World Grand Prix have made him one of the most talked about players right now.

If Whitlock looked despondent after van Gerwen killed off the last leg decider, it was because he knew that his wait to re-establish himself as an elite player, in the eyes of others, would go on a bit longer.

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Friday 4 November 2016 Darts Weekly

Suljovic has to be included in the Premier League now after run to the final in Belgium Chris Mason ITV PUNDIT In last week’s issue I wrote that I didn’t think Mensur Suljovic would be picked for the Premier League next year, but after his performance in getting to the final of the European Championship at the weekend, I think he has to be in it now.

The run to the final could be a pivotal moment in Mensur’s career. It has put him up to number seven in the world.

I can’t see any reason now why he wouldn’t be in the Premier League.

He’s won one of the European Tour events, he’s made the final of the European Championship and had a massive victory over Phil Taylor on the way.

His ranking is in the right place and I think he’ll be in the Premier League in 2017.

The Premier League is such a massive thing for the players because it gives them so much experience.

It gives their game a totally different dynamic. It makes some players and it destroys others. You just don’t know it’s going to affect Mensur, but he’ll be a very tough cookie if he is in the Premier League.

He’s not your obvious candidate for the Premier League. For me he’s earnt the right.

There’s been talk of slow players over the years, no matter where they were would you put them in the Premier League because of their style.

But for me Mensur’s almost made it impossible for him not to get a place in there.

Maybe if he goes on a disastrous run and does nothing between now and January, then who knows, but for me, right now, if they had to pick the 10 players, how could you leave him out after last weekend’s

performances? I think he’s impossible to leave out.

Dennis Priestley wasn’t the quickest player in the world and was in the Premier League back in 2007.

He was a flair player and obviously as a two-time world champion you couldn’t not have him in the Premier League.

He was way inside the top 10 at the time, you couldn’t have left him out.

Mensur’s not quite in that category obviously, but the Premier League has moved on.

When Dennis was involved you could sell 2,000 tickets and you’d be doing well, now they’re selling out 10,000 seat arenas.

It’s the PDC’s showcase event.

It’s where they put their best players on show for 16 weeks.

It’s a great model and a great

“For me Mensur’s made it almost impossible for him not to get a place” platform for the players.

I’d love to have played in it, knowing I’ve got 10 weeks minimum playing in front of massive crowds against the best players in the world.

It is a make you or break you thing, but the experience must be invaluable.

Getting to the final was massive for Mensur, but for me it was more down to experience and playing that many high pressure matches in one day which eventually caught up with him.

In the final, Michael van Gerwen was just unplayable. He was outstanding.

He averaged 111 and change and it was just a blistering performance. Even if Mensur was around the same kind of average, it would have been a big ask.

Only really a prime Taylor could

have competed with Michael on that day, he was just something a bit special.

I can’t see past van Gerwen again this weekend in the World Series of Darts Finals in Glasgow.

It’s an interesting line-up of players and there are some good draws out there in the first round.

Phil’s got potentially Suljovic or Robert Thornton in his first game,

Darts Weekly Friday 4 November 2016 LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC

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and then it could be James Wade, and then Gary Anderson or Peter Wright, before possibly Michael in the final.

I think Phil’s in a good place.

He’s lost a load of weight, he feels fresh and he’s practicing hard with his son Chris.

He’s going to be there or there abouts in anything he plays as he is still averaging over 100 regularly.

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Dave Lanning played a massive part in putting the game where it is today Chris Mason pays tribute to commentator Dave Lanning after he passed away aged 78 I was absolutely devastated to hear about Dave Lanning passing away on Saturday.

I knew Dave before I actually turned pro as a player. When I was 13 or 14 I used to play in a singles league in Eastville.

It was at the Bristol Rovers ground where the speedway was held as well and back in those days Alan Evans, Bob Anderson, sometimes Leighton Rees, and Mike Gregory would come over.

And often Dave would come in when the speedway was on the same night and say hello because he knew a load of the players that were there.

It was Dave and Sid Waddell who were the ones that pushed me in the 90s to do some commentary on Sky. Prior to that all I’d basically done was when I was playing at Lakeside, I used to do a feature in the afternoon looking back at old classics and stuff like that.

Dave was inspirational. He was someone I looked up to massively and he said ‘listen, just have a go’ and he had a word with Sky. He loved darts more than

anything in the world. Darts and speedway, outside of his family, was his life.

As a player you’ve got to look at people like that and remember how much of a big part they played in the success of the game, not only then but now.

They were the voice of the sport.

We were the image and they were the voice and people like him, Sid and John Gwynne, they played a massive part to put the game where it is today, and all the players will be indebted to them because of it.

He will never be forgotten. He was a fabulous commentator and had the most amazing way of describing the game.

He informed the viewer perfectly in about a minute what the game of darts is all about, and no one else since has had the ability to do that.

One of my fondest memories of Dave was when we were playing at the Circus Tavern years ago, and they used to play on Boxing Day. Loads of us that lived too far away stayed down and had Christmas in a hotel, and on the New Year’s Eve it was the same again, everyone stayed over.

It was a fabulous time with Sid and Dave reminiscing with the stories they told. They are great memories which I won’t forget.

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Friday 4 November 2016 Darts Weekly

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

“I don’t know how good I am. I’m putting my skills up against the best players in the world”

Glen Durrant chats to Alex Moss ahead of making his debut in the Grand Slam of Darts next week

len Durrant heads into what he describes as ‘the unknown’ when he makes his long-awaited debut in the Grand Slam of Darts next week.

The cross-code tournament, which features players from both the PDC and the BDO, resumes for its 10th staging a week tomorrow, with the current BDO number one set to feature for the first time.

And for Durrant, who qualified through winning the Winmau World Masters last year, it is a tournament which he cannot wait to sink his teeth into.

“I’m really excited for the Grand Slam,” he said. “I’ve got that feeling, like the first time playing at Lakeside, to be honest with you, where it’s just genuine excitement.

“The thought of playing a (Michael) van Gerwen, the thought of playing a (Phil) Taylor just really excites me and I’m counting down the days.

“I want to go and sample the full experience, and if that means playing one of them two then so be it.

“I’ve watched with total admiration van Gerwen win last week and when Taylor won (the Champions League of Darts) a few weeks back.

“I really admire what the PDC boys are doing.”

The Grand Slam is one of the most popular

“I’ve got a big decision to make after Lakeside and I think I have made it”

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tournaments on the darting calendar as it gives darts fans a rare opportunity to watch players from the two codes play against each other on TV. In the previous nine years of the Grand Slam, a BDO player has only managed to lift the trophy once, with Scott Waites’ comeback win over James Wade taking place back in 2010.

A change in the qualifying criteria for the BDO’s players this year has resulted in arguably the organisation’s strongest line-up of players in the event’s history.

Along with BDO number one Durrant, three former world champions in Waites, Martin Adams and Scott Mitchell, will also be representing the BDO in Wolverhampton next week.

“Barring probably Dean Reynolds, who is the form man in the BDO, it’s the strongest eight they could have sent,” Durrant said.

“I hope we do the BDO proud. No one is under any illusions of how tough it’s going to be against these guys who are on the PDC circuit week in, week out.”

It has been yet another trophyladen year for Durrant on the BDO circuit, with triumphs

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coming all across Europe, and naturally, with all that success, talk about a possible switch across the darting divide is never too far away.

“I’ve got a big decision to make after Lakeside,” the 45-year-old said. “I think I have made that decision now, so this (the Grand Slam) is a real benchmark for me to see where my game is at.

“I genuinely don’t know how good I am. Can I match these guys over nine legs? Can I match these guys over 20 legs?

“There’s lots of reasons why I’m looking forward to this competition.

“I think I’ve proved my worth in the BDO. I know I can go there and win a competition, but how well can I do against the big boys in the PDC? “Only time will tell for that. I think that’s what I’m most looking forward to is putting my skills up against the skills of the best players in the world.

“It’s nothing but admiration. You won’t ever get me slagging off the

PDC because the product they have produced is absolutely marvellous.

“They’re filling out arenas of 10,000 people in hours.”

The next few months could be pivotal in the career of Durrant, who, after making his bow in the Grand Slam, will attempt to defend his World Masters title at Lakeside early next month.

“I’ve always found it difficult to try and balance work and doing the PDC” A return to Lakeside the following month for the World Championship will give the Teesside thrower another chance to end his search for glory on the Frimley Green stage.

Could those two tournaments be the last time we see Durrant on the Lakeside stage?

A switch to the PDC could be in the offing for Durrant, but as he eludes to, it is a decision which is

one that is not going to be taken lightly.

“I’ve always found it difficult to try and balance going to work and doing the PDC,” he said.

“To try and play against van Gerwen and Taylor when that week I’ve done 40 hours at work has possibly been the decision behind it.

“But I’ve got to balance that with the case of: will I regret it down the line thinking how well would I have done? Would I have achieved anything?

“There’s definitely a benchmark I’m looking for. There’s a wonderful scenario where I go there (to the Grand Slam) and do well.

“And there’s a shocking scenario where I totally let myself down. It’s that little bit of unknown where I don’t know how well I’m going to do.”

Whether Durrant does go on and make the switch to the PDC or not, it is clear to see he intends to make the most of his first taste of the Grand Slam next week.

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Friday 4 November 2016 Darts Weekly

Dave Lanning’s contribution has made the game of darts much bigger and better John Gwynne COMMENTATOR I became aware of Dave Lanning as a fan of World of Sport on ITV on Saturday afternoons in the 60s and 70s.

Dave’s was one of the familiar voices, covering darts, but initially speedway. He was involved in speedway as a promoter, and as an owner, and as manager.

Dave was a very prominent sports journalist, particularly speedway for The Sun and that took him to Fleet Street.

For many years he helped compile the TV Times and therefore he became acquainted with many celebrities from the world of entertainment and sport, so Dave Lanning was a very prominent individual way back before he became involved in broadcasting.

His first real occupation was as a pen journalist if you like, with his typewriter. He became known in television through speedway and darts and his first real breakthrough in darts came in 1972.

The Indoor Games became a familiar feature on ITV. It was a Yorkshire Television production in Leeds, and it was Sid Waddell who was the producer of that programme.

Sid and Dave were along with the great Freddie Trueman, the former England and Yorkshire fast bowler, who presented it.

I remember that very well and it was very popular. I used to love watching that because it used to include darts.

It also had bar billiards and skittles and I think that was Dave’s first introduction into television.

Before we knew it his voice became familiar with the World of Sport, and because of his success as a speedway commentator, when ITV were looking for a darts

commentator they automatically turned to Dave.

I know for a fact Dave wasn’t steeped into darts to the extent that I was. I played darts, grew up loving darts, I was involved in every aspect, even refereeing.

But in Dave’s case, and in Sid’s, they entered darts as outsiders, but they certainly acclimatised very quickly.

When big time darts was prominent in the late 70s, it was Sid Waddell and Tony Green representing the voice of darts on BBC, and Dave Lanning became the lone voice of darts of ITV. He had a rich and wonderful Hampshire burr, he never lost that. It was attractive and it was easy to listen to his accent.

It was nice to listen to and whoever was sitting with him in the commentary box or just

“Dave was a major part of the first explosion of darts popularity” sharing breakfast with him and listening to his anecdotes, it was always a pleasant experience.

I first met Dave in around 1982 or 83. When ITV came up to Oldham, as they did annually to record the Blackthorn Cider Masters, Dave was the lone commentator and I introduced myself to him.

I then went down to London to audition in 1984. ITV were thinking of getting a second commentator.

I remember going down to London and I auditioned for the role as an understudy if you like, working with Dave Lanning, and it so happens that I never heard anything from them.

Dave continued to be the lone commentator on ITV until darts coverage petered out in the late 80s. It also petered out to the

extent that only one tournament survived on BBC, which was the World Championship.

Dave was very much a major part of the first explosion in darts popularity in the late 70s and through the 80s.

It became very big and Dave was always ready to remind us that, whilst yes they were getting massive crowds at the Premier League and the World Championship and all the other events, that he had commentated on the News of the World Championship at the Alexandra Palace in the 60s and 70s, with 810,000 thousand upwards there.

He said ‘it’s not a new phenomenon, it just seems new.’

He was always very keen to remind us of that!

He was very much what I call a big figure in the popularity growth of darts in the first explosion, and the second explosion he was a part of that, and I’m proud to say along with myself and Sid from a commentary point view.

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When the split eventually came and the first PDC World Championship was held in 1993/1994, Dave and I were the first commentators.

It was the first time I worked with Dave on Sky Sports, but it wasn’t the first time I worked with him.

When the PDC came into being, before they actually broke away and the 16 played in that first World Championship, we had done events on ITV in the regions.

Dave Lanning and I commentated on the UK Masters in Norwich in 92, in Bury St Edmunds in 93, we commentated on the UK Matchplay in 93, 94 and 95 too.

That was when the partnership started with me and Dave. Then the PDC decided to have an event called the World Matchplay, which was going to be in the summer in Blackpool.

We were delighted and Dave and I were joined by Sid Waddell, who had been poached from the BBC,

and I’ll never forget the three of us working together on that very first World Matchplay.

I think people associate the early days of PDC darts with Sid Waddell, Dave Lanning and John Gwynne, we had some great fun.

I think Sid, Dave and I complimented each other well, we had some great times.

Dave Lanning was an ever

“I’ll never forget the three of us working together on that first Matchplay” present right through until he decided to retire, his last tournament being the World Cup of Darts at the back end of 2010.

He came back on one occasion. It was in January 2013 and the 2013 PDC World Championship.

It was the first one after Sid had died and conveniently they had the 3D coverage.

They wanted secondary

commentary for the 3D viewers and Dave was asked if he’d like to come back and commentate on the final with me.

It would be a tribute to Sid with it being the first World Championship trophy named after him, so Dave did come back.

That was the last time and he got very emotional then. Him and Sid had known each other for 40 years and they had worked together on the original Indoor Games.

Dave will of course be remembered for being the commentator for the first ever nine darter on television.

It happened at the MFI World Matchplay in 1984 and John Lowe did the first ever televised nine darter, it was recorded and later shown on World of Sport.

Some 18 years later he and Sid were sitting together when Phil Taylor hit first ever live nine darter on UK television, against Chris Mason at Blackpool.

Dave and Sid were absolutely brilliant on that in equal measure.

They gave that particular moment of darting history the perfect wordage.

Dave was a great. The game of darts is all that much bigger and better for the contribution Dave Lanning has made.

He, like Sid, contributed to both the big explosions in the game.

The one in the 80s and the one since the PDC came into being.

Dave was a friend, a colleague, an utter professional in everything he did.

He was a great bloke and darts will be indebted to him, and of course will speedway.

I’m very saddened by the fact that I shan’t enjoy a good natter with him over breakfast and listen to his anecdotes, and listen to his past life in the media in Fleet Street, and when he was in the army in Cyprus.

The PDC named their World Championship trophy after the great Sid Waddell and I think they will remember Dave Lanning’s name as well.

I think they should name one of the awards at the annual PDC Awards after him. I will certainly recommend that.

Darts Weekly Friday 4 November 2016

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DAVE SOUTH DARTS WRITER

Bunting needs to return to the form of 2014

finals, but importantly playing the

finals, but importantly playing the way we know how Bunting plays, especially on the floor events.

2014 was a very promising year, with 2015 and 2016 just describing the difficulty of life in the PDC, especially with the increasing prize fund available.

The PDC has never been more competitive, so we cannot guarantee Bunting will be able to maintain his top 16 status with any certainty.

All we can advise is Bunting continues to play the board, not the player, and tightens up on those doubles!

LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC

Stephen Bunting has had a good darts career to sum up on balance.

His BDO career saw him win the Lakeside World Championship in 2014, defeating Alan Norris in the final.

Just 10 days after his Lakeside triumph, Bunting had received and accepted a tour card to join the PDC. The Bullet made his initial impact at the UK Open Qualifiers and won one of the six qualifiers, which meant beating eight players to claim his first PDC title.

The result saw him enter the 2014 UK Open in round three, where he took on Kevin Dowling.

The match included a terrific 151 finish as he sealed a 9-8 victory, but Bunting’s quest was ended in the following round by Dean Winstanley.

What started off as a great opening few months continued as he made his debut in the World Matchplay in the summer of 2014.

After beating Peter Wright, Bunting was then ousted by Gary Anderson in the last 16.

In August, the PDC offered Bunting a wildcard for the Sydney Darts Masters.

Bunting beat John Weber, Wright and James Wade to reach the final, where he lost 11-3 to Phil Taylor.

October of 2014 saw Bunting reach the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix, and the following month the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts.

After losing to Anderson in the last 16 of the Players Championship Finals, Bunting then made his debut at the Ally

Pally, where he reached the last eight of the World Championship.

The defeat to Raymond van Barneveld in the quarter-finals was enough to get him into the Premier League the following year.

After finishing eighth in his debut Premier League campaign, Bunting then got as far as the semi-finals of the UK Open.

The rest of 2015 saw at best a last 16 defeat in the European Championship, with first round exits in the other majors.

This year, Bunting won a Pro Tour title by lifting Players Championship Two. A run to the semi-finals of a European Tour event in late July has been another highlight for Bunting so far in 2016.

With the Players Championship Finals and the World Championship left for Bunting this season, the Bullet will need a good run in either to hang on to his top 16 status going into 2017.

With a quarter which is expected to include Wright, Adrian Lewis and Barney, at Minehead, Bunting’s path will not be easy.

Bunting needs to refocus on building on defending money earned in 2015.

Bunting’s performance in 2015, however, will take some pressure off, but a man of real talent needs to re-establish his opening year in the PDC of 2014.

This will mean achieving more quarter-

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Friday 4 November 2016 Darts Weekly

Soutar posts 113.43 average to help Angus to away triumph Alan Soutar averaged a stunning 113.43 in his game to help Angus to a 17-11 win against East Stirlingshire in the BDO British Inter-County Championship at the weekend.

The Arbroath-born thrower, who has made two appearances at the BDO World Championship, was in fine form as Angus claimed their first win in Scotland North of the season.

Elsewhere, defending champions Yorkshire extended their lead at the top of the Premier Division to eight points, following a 24-12 win at home against Devon.

David Copley (96.97) and Peter Jacques (95.27) both put in impressive performances for the league leaders, while talented teenager Beau Greaves (74.97) continued to show promise with a 3-1 win in the Women’s A section.

Second place Lancashire lost some ground on the leaders despite recording a 20-16 victory away at Lincolnshire.

Nottinghamshire moved up to

third in the table with an impressive 22-14 triumph at Essex.

The newly-promoted visitors dominated the opening day on Saturday and stormed into a 12-6 lead overnight.

A 5-1 win overall in the Women’s A section saw Nottinghamshire on the brink of victory at 17-7, with Neil Ward sealing the bonus points

‘Leaders Yorkshire extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points’ in the 30th game of the fixture.

Warwickshire claimed backto-back wins with a narrow 19-17 win at Cheshire.

Mark Westgarth (91.25) and Simon Power (91.09) were the star performers for Warwickshire, who went into the Men’s A fixtures with a 13-11 lead, and shared the 12 games to take the spoils.

Cambridgeshire came from

11-6 behind to draw 18-18 with Glamorgan.

The Welsh visitors were in ruthless form in the Men’s B section, winning 8-4, to establish an 11-7 overnight lead.

Hosts Cambridgeshire fought back on the Sunday, winning the Women’s A section 5-1 to level the match up at 12-12 heading into the Men’s A section.

Momentum swung back and forth as Glamorgan went 17-15 up, before Cambridgeshire won backto-back games to level the match up again at 17-17.

Clive Langford beat Paul Wenn 4-1 to put the visitors 18-17 in front going into the final game, which Chris Sands-Pearce edged 4-3 for the home side, against Sean Fisher, to ensure the match finished level.

In Division One, leaders Hampshire saw their lead at the top cut to two points, despite continuing their winning start to the season with a 19-17 win at home against Oxfordshire.

Closest challengers West

Database PDC UNIBET EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP (Hasselt, Belgium) First round - M van Gerwen (100.77) bt S Whitlock (92.75) 6-5; G Price (91.26) bt D Gurney (88.99) 6-4; J Klaasen (97.17) bt S West (95.71) 6-3; S Bunting (99.55) bt M Smith (95.00) 6-5; Jam Wilson (98.84) bt K Huybrechts (94.55) 6-3; M King (90.20) bt D Petersen (85.03) 6-4; J Wade (94.93) bt G Anderson (77.40) 6-0; M Hopp (85.80) bt B van de Pas (90.08) 6-4; M Suljovic (104.26) bt J Wattimena (95.06) 6-1; I White (93.08) bt T Jenkins (89.08) 6-2; P Taylor (109.28) bt A Norris (96.88) 6-3; J Cullen (95.21) bt C Dobey (84.83) 6-2; K Anderson (92.98) bt D Chisnall (91.57) 6-3; J Richardson (80.67) bt J Caven (77.73) 6-3; P Wright (90.27) bt J Pipe (89.76) 6-5; C Reyes (96.83) bt R Thornton (93.77) 6-4. Second round - M van Gerwen (105.50) bt G Price (96.59) 10-2; J Klaasen (101.11) bt S Bunting (90.78) 10-4; Jam Wilson (93.64) bt M King (99.23) 10-9; J Wade (97.03) bt M Hopp (87.31) 10-3; M Suljovic (100.89) bt I White (97.57) 10-9; P Taylor (103.98) bt J Cullen (94.63) 10-3; K Anderson (94.95) bt J Richardson (86.00) 10-4; P Wright (100.79) bt C Reyes (93.52) 10-7. Quarter-finals - M van Gerwen (106.79) bt J Klaasen (96.83) 10-

3; J Wade (91.22) bt Jam Wilson (87.01) 107; M Suljovic (105.50) bt P Taylor (104.36) 10-3; P Wright (95.59) bt K Anderson (90.87) 10-5. Semi-finals - M van Gerwen (102.98) bt J Wade (95.76) 11-7, M Suljovic (97.15) bt P Wright (98.34) 11-8. Final - M van Gerwen (111.62) bt M Suljovic (85.91) 11-1.

WILLIAM HILL WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP CHINA QUALIFIER (Suzhou, China) Last 16 - X Zong bt W Li 20; Y Shi bt L Zhao 2-1; D Zhuang bt J Shen 21; Y Liu bt J Wang 2-0; Y Deng bt L Wen 2-1; Y Liang bt W Liu 2-0; Q Sun bt B Zheng 2-0; Z Guo bt Q Su 2-0. Quarter-finals - X Zong bt Y Shi 2-0; Y Liu bt D Zhuang 2-0; Y Liang bt Y Deng 2-0; Q Sun bt Z Guo 2-0. Semifinals - Y Liu bt X Zong 3-1; Q Sun bt Y Liang 3-2. Final - Q Sun bt Y Liu 3-2.

IDC STAGE 12 Final - X Zong bt Y Liu 2-0.

WDF BOB JONES MEMORIAL (Canada) Men’s final - J Smith bt D Cameron.

BDO BRITISH INER-COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Premier Division - Cambridgeshire (19 pts) drew with Glamorgan (19 pts) 18-18; Cheshire (17 pts) lost to Warwickshire (22 pts) 19-17; Essex (14 pts) lost to Nottinghamshire (25 pts) 22-14; Lincolnshire (16 pts) lost to Lancashire (23 pts) 20-16; Yorkshire (27 pts) beat Devon (12 pts) 24-12.

Division One - Cleveland (19 pts) drew with Kent (19 pts) 18-18; Dorset (16 pts) lost to Cornwall (23 pts) 20-16; Gwent (12 pts) lost to West Midlands (27 pts) 24-12; Hampshire (22 pts) beat Oxfordshire (17 pts) 19-17; London (22 pts) beat Co Durham (17 pts) 1917. Division Two - Berkshire (14 pts) lost to Hertfordshire (25 pts) 22-14; Northamptonshire (26 pts) beat Staffordshire (13 pts) 23-13; Northumberland (24 pts) beat Suffolk (15 pts) 21-15; Surrey (28 pts) beat Derbyshire (11 pts) 25-11; Worcestershire (24 pts) beat Cumbria (15 pts) 21-15. Division Three - Gloucestershire (22 pts) beat Somerset (17 pts) 19-17; Gwynedd (24 pts) beat Merseyside (15 pts) 21-15; Humberside (17 pts) lost to Buckinghamshire (22 pts) 1917; Montgomery and Radnor (22 pts) beat Sussex (17 pts) 19-17. Division Four Clwyd (29 pts) beat Shropshire (10 pts) 2610; Norfolk (33 pts) beat Isle of Wight (6 pts) 30-6; Pembrokeshire (19 pts) drew with

Darts Weekly Friday 4 November 2016

15 DAVID GILL

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Midlands are within touching distance of top spot now after overcoming previously-unbeaten Gwent 24-12.

Dorset, the only other unbeaten side left in Division One, also tasted defeat for the first time this season after losing 20-16 at home to Cornwall.

Neil Meener was the man of the match for Cornwall with a 96.97 average after whitewashing Nigel

Lamb 4-0, as the visitors won four of the last five games to pull away to victory.

Elsewhere in Division One, Cleveland and Kent drew 18-18 and bottom side London beat County Durham 19-17.

Northamptonshire maintained top spot in Division Two with a 23-13 win at home against Staffordshire.

Surrey reduced the deficit at the

Breconshire (19 pts) 18-18; Wiltshire (23 pts) beat Bedfordshire (16 pts) 20-16; West of England (16 pts) lost to Middlesex (23 pts) 20-16. Scotland North - East Stirlingshire (12 pts) lost to Angus (24 pts) 17-11; Grampian (32 pts) beat Central (4 pts) 24-4; Highland (27 pts) beat Tay Valley (9 pts) 208; Perthshire (5 pts) lost to Fife (31 pts) 23-5.

Scotland South - Clackmannanshire (16 pts) lost to Renfrewshire (20 pts) 15-13; Greater Glasgow (23 pts) beat Borders (13 pts) 17-11; Lanarkshire (12 pts) lost to Ayrshire (24 pts) 17-11; West Lothian (1 pt) lost to Lothian (35 pts) 27-1.

FIXTURES PDC LADBROKES WORLD SERIES OF DARTS FINALS (Glasgow, Scotland) First round - G Price v S Beaton; B Dolan v S Whitlock; M Hopp v C Reyes; J Klaasen v K Huybrechts; J Cullen v J Murnan; D Gurney v J Payne; B van de Pas v M Smith; M Suljovic v R Thornton. Second round - M van Gerwen v Price/Beaton; R van Barneveld v Dolan/Whitlock; D Chisnall v Hopp/Reyes; A Lewis v Klaasen/Huybrechts; G Anderson v Cullen/Murnan; P Wright v Gurney/Payne; P

Taylor v van de Pas/Smith; J Wade v Suljovic /Thornton. Quarter-finals (best of 19 legs), Semi-finals and final (best of 21 legs).

WDF YOUTH NOVGOROD CUP (Okulovka, Russia) (November 4) CHRIS HATTER MEMORIAL (Alberta, Canada) (November 4-6) HUNGARIAN OPEN (November 5) ADEFICATOR OPEN (Sweden) (November 5) ITALIAN GRAND MASTERS (Bologna, Italy) (November 5-6) SSDC OPEN (Sweden) (November 6) HUNGARIAN CLASSIC (November 6) BDO DELEGATES MEETING (November 6) JERSEY CLASSIC (Jersey, Channel Isles) (November 10-13) JERSEY OPEN (Jersey, Channel Isles) (November 10-13) DARTS ON TV PDC LADBROKES WORLD SERIES OF DARTS FINALS ITV4 12.45pm (tomorrow through to Sunday)

Fine form: Alan Soutar averaged 113.43 while playing for Angus at the weekend top to nine points with a 25-11 win against bottom side Derbyshire.

Hertfordshire moved up to third in the table following a 22-14 triumph over Berkshire, while Cumbria slipped to fourth after losing 21-15 to Worcestershire.

The other Division Two fixture saw Northumberland win the battle of the lowly sides against Suffolk, winning 21-15.

In Division Three, Gwynedd won the battle of the top two sides with a 21-15 triumph at home over Merseyside.

It was the visitors Merseyside who held a slender 10-8 overnight lead, but hosts Gwynedd fought back on the Sunday and took the Women’s A section 4-2 and the Men’s A section 9-3 to pull away to victory over their title rivals.

And finally, Norfolk opened up an 11 point lead at the top of Division Four after thrashing bottom of the table Isle of Wight 30-6.

Closest challengers Clwyd and DARTS WEEKLY DOZEN (01/11/2016) Wiltshire also wins at Data compiled by recorded Christopher Kempf the weekend, beating Shropshire Player (26-10) and Bedfordshire (20M van Gerwen 16) respectively.

P Taylor M Suljovic J Klaasen S Whitlock V van der Voort M King WEEKLY DOZEN (01/11/2016) DARTS B vancompiled de Pas by Christopher Kempf Data J Cullen A Norris Player LLE Change D M Gurney van Gerwen 15.210 0.241 S Beaton P Taylor 15.493 0.328

M Suljovic 17.165 -0.059 ◊ The Darts Weekly Dozen is0.166 a J Klaasen 17.196 statistical track player S Whitlock feature to 17.298 -0.198 performance of leg length V van der Voort in terms 18.003 N/C averages, rather than prize money M King 18.332 -0.140 accumulated.

B van de Pas 18.367 -0.079 ◊ A rolling 180-leg18.372 length estimate J Cullen -0.344 is broken down into scoring, set up play A Norris 18.398 0.042 and finishing and tracked over time to D Gurney 18.546 -0.239 see how different facets S Beaton 18.588 of players’ N/C games are evolving. ◊ Above is Weekly the legDozen lengthisestimates ◊ The Darts a statisticalfor 12 selected players andplayers the changes in index tracking 12 top PDC according the following the most Unibet to legestimates length estimates for their recent European at the 180 televisedChampionship and streamed legs. weekend. ◊ This statistic considers the players’

efficiency in successfully reaching a three dart finish, setting up one dart checkouts and finishing off the leg on doubles. By dividing the leg thus into objective-defined phases, the Darts Weekly Dozen tracker estimates the number of darts those players need, in the long run, to win legs.

16

Friday 4 November 2016 Darts Weekly

DAVE McNALLY DARTS WRITER DAVID GILL

Harms only has eyes on the top crown in the BDO The world of darts is awash with talented Dutchmen, one such star of the BDO circuit is Alkmaar born Wesley Harms.

Twice a beaten semi-finalist in the BDO World Championship at Lakeside, Harms still has plenty to offer his chosen sport.

“I used to play darts after football with my friends in our local pub but I soon started playing in regional tournaments as I was getting better, then I moved onto the national and international stages,” he tells me.

As with all the players, once you make it onto the circuit a nickname is never far behind. For Harms, he goes by the moniker of Sparky, which must be a reference to his days as an electrician?

“Yes, Alan Norris, a team mate in the Super League called me it and I had no problem with that.”

All the dart players dislike the travelling involved to stay at the top of the sport, and Harms is no exception, finding it hard being a Dutch player in the BDO ranking events.

Is it hard getting the right balance between practice and travelling? Harms has a pragmatic approach to it all.

“I don’t practice a lot, but use the competitions, tournaments and all other matches as practice.”

So what about at tournaments, how does he prepare for those?

“I get to the venue one day early so I do not have to worry about being on time.

“I use the spare time at events to get used to the venue.”

The World Championships are what it’s all about for any player

and Harms has had two good runs in the tournament in the past.

These type of events are a totally different system and set up to the usual tournaments, what would he say are the biggest differences?

“On the regular tour you play many games, if you win.

“With TV events you play a single or two games a day. It sounds strange but the focus is somewhat easier on TV events.

“Psychologically, the main difference is the media attention

“I just want to peak at the right time and stay in darts as long as possible” and the exposure plus supporters who want your attention of course.”

How has he dealt with the media and increased exposure?

“I didn’t change much, just getting used to the fact that people in general expect more from me and the media is paying more attention.

“As a Dutch player in the UK that’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s difficult to express what you

mean when trying to convert from the Dutch language.”

Harms is completely his own man, not having a darting hero, and is only concerned about driving himself forward and being better than he was the previous season.

“I just want to peak at the right time, get a bit of luck and to stay in darts as long as possible.

“It can be hard, I have to use certain strategies to stay in the top 16 of the BDO rankings, such as picking my tournaments so I can earn ranking points.”

The PDC must always cross players’ minds, has Harms thought about making the switch?

“I’ve thought about it but I think it’s nice to be champion of the world within this select group of dart players.

“How many people can say that their hobby gives them a good living, where they meet a lot of nice people?

“Of course there are moments when you feel like ‘is this all there is?’ but I really want to stay in the sport as long as possible.”

So is that a little nod to your walk on music?

“Of course, ‘It’s My Life’ by my favourite band Bon Jovi!”