Damon Heta came onto the stage to a chorus of boos and the chant 'same old Aussie's always cheating' after another cricket themed walk-on, but left with the top score in the end thrashing Brendan Dolan 11-1 on Wednesday evening at the World Matchplay.
ADVERTISEMENT
Heta is into the Quarter-Finals in Blackpool and will get the chance for another walk-on in a tactic that while riling the crowd seems to work for him.
He averaged 95.7 with 58% on the doubles as he cruised into the last eight.
He sauntered into the lead early going 3-0 up picking the pocket of Dolan who squandered nine darts at doubles in the opening exchanges.
Heta gained complete control further as he extended his lead to 5-0 with Dolan averaging just 85.8.
He finally got off the mark before Heta continued the hammering with a 150 and 91 checkout on the bull to go 8-1 up.
He added an 88 checkout to go two away and when he returned, it was a 121 checkout before a more pedestrian double four to claim the win.
ADVERTISEMENT
Where can I watch the World Matchplay on TV?
The tournament will be broadcast in full on Sky Sports going between Action and Main Event.
From Saturday, July 15 through Wednesday, July 20, broadcasts will begin around 7 p.m. ET. In addition, on Sunday, July 16, there will be an afternoon session starting at 1 p.m. After the second round, the starting time of the evening sessions moves up one hour.
On Sunday afternoon, July 24, the second edition of the Women's World Matchplay is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm. Here, eight ladies will compete for the title at the most important women's tournament in the PDC.
How much prize money can be earned at the World Matchplay
After the World Darts Championship, the World Matchplay is the ranking tournament with the largest prize pool at the PDC. A total of 800,000 pounds of prize money is up for grabs at this event.
All 32 participants are guaranteed £10,000 in prize money. This could eventually add up to a check of as much as £200,000 for the darter who gets to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy on Sunday, July 23.
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.
DOLAN DEMOLISHED!!
What a performance from Damon Heta as he stuns Brendan Dolan 11-1 to storm through to the Quarter-Finals of the Betfred World Matchplay...
📺 bit.ly/WM23Live | #WMDarts R2