Wade went 2-0 up with Bunting outscoring him but not being able to hit the doubles but despite 'The Machine' pinning a nine-dart finish, he was outclassed by 'The Bullet' who now has a big chance alongside 'Heavy Metal' for a potential Quarter-Final spot.
To begin the tie, Bunting went straight for double 17 and he missed three to
hold and Wade broke on his trusty double 10. A 66 saw him hold with Bunting not
pressuring.
The opening set though turned with Bunting suddenly having
the throw for the set but he missed two darts for the set, in typical fashion
Wade returned for 62 and the 1-0 lead.
Wade went 2-0 up in the second set but was under pressure
with Bunting pinning 121 to break and once more he was trying to force a
decider but again Wade was up to it with two double 20’s for a 2-0 lead.
Wade miscounted thinking he wanted 76 instead of 96 so
despite Bunting missing three at double four, he was back for double two.
A 64 checkout followed to make it 1-1. But Bunting broke
with a 36 checkout to get a set on the board.
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To begin the next set, Wade was still off the mark but
Bunting made it 6/29 on doubles and failed to pounce and the former made it 1-0.
He was averaging 66 for parts of the set though and saw his lead evaporate as
Bunting made it 2-2.
Bunting led with a hold of throw on double 10 with Wade
waiting on 56. The latter started his throw with a 180 as he looked for a
resurgence and he pinned a superb nine-dart finish but Bunting led 3-2 and went
one away from victory after initially being down 2-0.
Wade held with a 110 checkout with Bunting sat on 25 to
break. But Bunting held with Wade’s inconsistent game continuing as he went two
away from an unlikely win.
Wade left 40 from 122 as he had some breathing room for the
first time to hold and go one away from forcing a deciding set.
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Bunting missed 161 on the bull and had some pressure on the
25 with Wade down to 43. The latter wasn’t given an opportunity though as Bunting
pinned double eight. A 180 didn’t do any good on his throw for Wade as Bunting
pressured and left 48 which he pinned for the match.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
𝘽𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙎 𝙒𝘼𝘿𝙀
James Wade hits a nine-darter but struggled to maintain that level as Stephen Bunting rattles off four sets on the spin to clinch a spot in the next round!
📺 Up next 👉 Daryl Gurney v Chris Dobey