Stephen Bunting has crashed out of the World Darts Championship, with the World No.4 losing to James Hurrell on Saturday evening.
Bunting, 40, had been playing some of the darts of his career this season – but he’s come unstuck in the third round against the World No.63. Hurrell started the better of the pair, and Bunting had to dig deep in the second set to survive set darts and avoid going 2-0 down.
The Bullet was producing some huge finishes, but his scoring power wasn’t quite there. The 40-year-old was spraying darts around the board as Hurrell closed in on the biggest win of his career.
And he had match darts, with Bunting surviving by the skin of his teeth to come from two legs down to bring it to 3-3 in sets.
“James Hurrell has thrown thousands of legs of darts in his career. None of them bigger than this…
“Bunting has come off the canvas. He was being counted out but survives,” Rod Studd said on Sky Sports Darts. “Hurrell couldn’t serve it out and The Bullet has battled back. He’s favourite again.”
However, Hurrell would come again in the seventh set, with two darts at top – nailing the second to dump out the World No.4.
Studd added: “Hurrell blows The Bullet away! He’s just passed the toughest examination he’s ever been forced to sit.
“He takes out the former world semi-finalist and World No.4 Stephen Bunting.”
Hurrell has made it to the last 16 – and he’ll face either Martin Schindler or Ryan Searle, who play in Sunday’s afternoon session.
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