New Zealand Darts Masters Friday Round-up | Price, Van Veen and Wade breeze through as Bunting and Smith stunned in Auckland

Darts makes the return Down Under as eight of the top PDC contenders take on eight local challengers in the New Zealand Darts Masters in Auckland. While a routine night for most of the favourites, there were some surprising results.

It is a wide-open tournament with Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen all deciding not to make the trip, giving these players a great chance of World Series success.

The action kicked off by with an inform Gerwyn Price blasting past Mark Cleaver 6-1. With a 95 average, it was a solid performance by the recent World Matchplay finalist who began with a 120 checkout to storm into the lead. Cleaver got on the board with an eye-catching 101 outshot in front of a home crowd, but it was all for nothing as ‘The Iceman’ comfortably saw it out.

James Wade also did not break a sweat. He romped past Kayden Milne with a whitewash 6-0 scoreline. Similar to Price, his highest checkout was also a 120 outshot which broke his opponents throw and gave him some daylight. Milne, who averaged only 68, did not get a single dart at a double compared to Wade’s 15. It was not the most clinical Wade display, but it was more than enough to confirm his spot in the second day of action.

The number one seed, Gian van Veen, produced a professional performance to see off Jonny Tata 6-1. Now reunited with his luggage, the Dutchman is looking to kick on following that World Matchplay run. A 97.21 average was one of the highest of the session as Tata floundered throughout. A hold for the home favourite got him on the board but he was already a break down. That turned into a double break as he struggled to settle with ‘The Giant’ almost completing the win with a 156 checkout. He missed double 18 but came back to clean it up to pick up a debut win in Auckland.

It was an exciting occasion for Ross Smith in his World Series of Darts debut. It would end with a whimper after six match darts were squandered in a shocking 6-5 loss against Adam Leek. The Aussie showed that he would not be a pushover in the early stages with a break of throw but would be submerged by a ‘Smudger’ spell that put him 4-1 to the good.

It looked to be routine from there, but anything but for the Englishman. Leek got back on level terms at 4-4 before a last-leg decider was called upon. Smith, stranded on five, helplessly watched as Leek pinned tops the third time of asking before passionately celebrating one of the biggest wins of his career.

Josh Rock debuted in the World Series of Darts in this tournament last year. He has confirmed back-to-back quarter-finals in a tight 6-4 win against Simon Whitlock. The former PDC World Darts Championship finalist gave ‘Rocky’ a tough contest but could not roll back the years. Rock produced bursts of brilliance which allowed him to sail into a 4-2 lead before the match was back on throw as Whitlock made it four breaks in a row. A final leg decider was poised but thanks to countless missed doubles by ‘The Wizard’, Rock came through on top with his worst leg of the match.

After being overthrown as the Welsh number one, Jonny Clayton found himself in a spot of bother against Haupai Puha. He managed to claw himself out it to win 6-5 and survive a huge scare. A very uncharacteristic sloppy performance on the outer ring saw the former Premier League champion go 4-2 down. He managed to get back on terms with Puha forcing a last-leg decider. Both players were on 110, and after Clayton could only leave 51 Puha has his chance. He could not set up a match winning dart and this time double 16 was pinned.

Damon Heta also completed a turnaround, but that was due to an immense purple patch on the oche. From 4-1 down, he defeated an inform Ben Robb 6-4. ‘The Heat’ wasted numerous chances against a more clinical opponent who went a double break to the good. That was when Heta upped the ante. He broke back with an 11-darter before a 12-dart hold closed the gap. Robb missed a dart to go 5-3 ahead, and Heta did not look back from there. Double eight was pinned and the 2024 finalist makes it into the final day.

Stephen Bunting made four World Series of Darts finals last year. He is still trying to find his fourth win in 2026 as Raymond Smith produces a stunning display to dump out Bunting 6-2. Smith began like a rocket, breaking in 11 with an eye-catching 92 checkout before doubling his lead on tops. Bunting reeled him in before Smith confirmed that break lead once more. The Aussie again seized the initiative as ‘The Bullet’ got punished for slack attempts on the outer ring. Three legs on the spin were won as Smith moved one away. He finished in style, taking out the 124 on the bull to see off Bunting who himself was averaging over 99.