The Merseyside thrower Survives Major Scare as The Indian pioneer Makes A Landmark for Indian Darts.
Stephen Bunting narrowly avoided an early exit to move into the next stage of the world darts championship on Sunday.
Bunting, who was a losing semi-finalist last year, was pushed all the way to a final-set shootout by Polish qualifier Sebastian Bialecki before securing a 3-2 victory at the iconic Ally Pally venue.
A Rollercoaster Encounter
Bunting made a flying start, posting a superb 119.4 en route to powering through the first set. The win appeared certain after checking out a spectacular 160 finish to claim the second set.
Nevertheless, his momentum stalled, and he won just one leg over the next two sets. This enabled Bialecki – who remained unfazed even when a wasp landed on his shoulder – to square the match. Bunting steadied himself in the decider, but was still taken to the wire before taking it 4-2.
“Competing at Ally Pally you experience all the feelings,” Bunting stated on Sky Sports. “I was aware Sebastian was going to be difficult and even at 2-0 he kept fighting. I am fortunate to get away with that one.”
Kumar Makes Groundbreaking Win
Bunting's next opponent will be Nitin Kumar, who achieved a first by becoming the initial victor from India at the tournament. He beat Dutchman Richard Veenstra 3-2 in a thrilling match.
The 40-year-old, who had lost in all four of his prior first-round matches, implied this landmark win could have “paved the way to a billion” darts players from his homeland.
“Words fail me today. I’m overwhelmed, I’m happy,” said Kumar. “If you dream it, anything is achievable. This was my dream ever since I saw Dennis Priestley win the World Championship.”
He added with a light-hearted warning: “I’m sorry, a decade in the future if you have multiple players in the world championship entering to Bollywood music, don’t blame me.”
Additional First-Round Results
- Darren Beveridge: The Scotland's debutant made an strong start, averaging 91.62 in a comprehensive 3-0 win over Belgium's Dimitri Van den Bergh, who managed just one leg.
- Jonny Tata: Another first-timer, from New Zealand, ended the hopes of world No. 27 Ritchie Edhouse with a commanding 3-0 victory.
- Dom Taylor: The fellow newcomer saw off Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak by the same 3-0 margin.
- Joe Cullen: The world No. 32 was in excellent touch as he eased past Bradley Brooks 3-0.
- Wesley Plaisier: The Dutch player beat Germany’s Lukas Wenig 3-1.
- James Hurrell: Rounded off the evening's play with a 3-1 victory over America’s Stowe Buntz.
