Stephen Bunting defies 105 average to defeat Gian van Veen in thriller, Raymond van Barneveld delights home crowd with showstopping win

It continues to be mixed fortunes for the main PDC representatives as Stephen Bunting is through picking up where he left off but there is less joy for Chris Dobey who was defeated by Raymond van Barneveld at the Dutch Darts Masters.

Bunting prevailed in a thriller over Gian van Veen. He picked up where he left off in Bahrain by winning through in a deciding leg with a 102 average and 6/9 on the outer ring.

Bunting hit back in leg one with a 180 after Van Veen had hit one prior to go 1-0 up. They both went with throw in a scrappy affair but Bunting pinned double four to break at 4-2 to go into a two-leg lead for the first time. He turned the screw going 5-2 up and one away from the winning line.

But Van Veen hit double three on 84 chasing round the board from the original double 12 to make it 5-3. An 11-dart leg saw Van Veen break and he sent it all the way. Only for Bunting to prevail down the stretch pinning double 16 for the win.

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While Raymond van Barneveld was left chasing for most of his win over Chris Dobey but he punished a missed match dart in style. He landed a roof raising 144 checkout to sink 'Hollywood' and reach the Quarter-Finals.

Both were hitting maximums for fun in the opening legs but it was Dobey who led 2-1 and he broke for 3-1. He put the pressure on Barney to hit back and he did pinning double 16 for 3-2 and putting it back on throw. But Van Barneveld's Barney Army was silenced as Dobey surged into a 4-3 lead with a 180 then 138 to go two away.

Dobey missed eight darts at double and Barney couldn't take advantage as the Bedlington ace went 5-4 up but he gave himself a chance hitting 12 and double 20 off 52 for 5-5 and that epic outshot sealed it as Den Bosch was sent into hysteria.

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