Ben Robb and Kayden Milne continue to dominate on the DPNZ Tour

The battle for supremacy on the DPNZ Tour is getting increasingly intense. Kayden Milne and Ben Robb are perfectly matched for now, with both players having claimed two titles each. Last weekend in Christchurch featured tournaments 3 and 4, with a total of 97 entrants.

Just like during the opening weekend, it was Milne who took the first tournament of the weekend. He began strongly by going unbeaten through the group stage and managed to maintain that form in the knockout phase. Notably, Milne needed a deciding leg three times there, but he kept his composure each time. He defeated Jamie Hamill, Josh Roberts, and Frank Bush in succession.

The semi-final brought a first head-to-head with Robb, in which Milne edged it 6-4. The final then pitted him against Jack Sheppard, who had earlier sprung a surprise by eliminating Jonny Tata in the quarterfinals.

The final had a streaky flow with three distinct phases. Milne flew out of the blocks and took the first three legs, after which Sheppard battled back well to 3-3. In the decisive phase, however, Milne again showed his class. With four legs on the spin, he reasserted control and sealed the match convincingly at 7-3.

A day later it was Robb’s turn to make his mark. The scenario closely resembled that of the second tournament during the opening weekend, where he also lifted the title. “Big Rigg” dominated his group stage and advanced to the knockouts as group winner.

Robb continued to convince there, as he dropped only four legs en route to the final. In the semi-final he faced Milne again, but this time there was no suspense. Robb took emphatic revenge and won by a clear margin: 6-1.

In the final he met Mark Cleaver. For a long time, the match seemed to be tilting Cleaver’s way. With strong scoring he moved 5-2 ahead and looked on course for the title. Robb, however, refused to yield and found another gear.

What followed was an impressive comeback. Robb reeled off five legs on the bounce in 21, 13, 15, 17 and 18 darts to completely turn the match around. With a 7-5 victory he still claimed the title. Cleaver had chances to force a deciding leg but missed three darts at double.

With these results, the battle between Milne and Robb remains perfectly balanced. Both players are showing excellent form and, for now, appear to be setting the pace on the New Zealand tour. The upcoming tournaments will determine who can truly pull away in this compelling head-to-head.