"Stephen Bunting next? I can beat anyone, to be fair” — James Hurrell brimming with confidence after upset of Dirk van Duijvenbode

Through the eyes of James Hurrell, it was hard to grasp in the aftermath what he had just achieved at the 2026 World Darts Championship. Words failed him. And that was no surprise.

On the iconic Alexandra Palace stage, the 41-year-old reached the third round for the first time in his career thanks to a 3–2 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode — a hard-fought victory featuring ten maximums of 180. For Hurrell, it felt like a breakthrough moment.

“Speechless, really,” he admitted straight after the match. “Yeah, I was really confident in the back room practising. I had a bit of a feeling like at the Players Championships against Jonny Clayton in the back room, so yeah, all good.”

Yet the match started anything but convincingly. In the first set, Hurrell averaged just 72. The contrast with what followed could hardly have been greater. In set two, his average shot up to a staggering 115 — a statistic that perfectly sums up the story of his match.

“Talking to myself out the back there,” Hurrell explained. “I had my chance in the first set as well, to be fair, because Derek didn’t play very well in that first set. So yeah, just sort my head out and slap myself on the backside.”

That mental reset proved gold. From that moment, Hurrell played with a freedom and conviction that clearly surprised his opponent. One 180 after another crashed into the board — ten in total, the highest number thrown in a single match at this tournament so far. “Confidence is amazing, mate,” Hurrell said. “My practice and everything is perfect. I’ve been practising with Luke Woodhouse before the tournament. Everything’s been good. I can score with anyone — it’s just that and the doubles.”

That confidence also showed in his stance toward the next round, where a clash with Stephen Bunting awaits. “It doesn’t really matter who I play now,” he said. “I can beat anyone, to be fair, so all good.”

The belief marks a notable contrast with a year ago. Back then, Hurrell won his opening match but fell in round two to Michael van Gerwen — an experience that left its mark. “Stop shaking your head at bad scores,” he reflected. “A leg’s gone — if you lose a leg, it’s gone. Just concentrate and just stay in the game. Whatever happens, you’re still in the game.”

Hurrell has now been on the PDC Tour for two years and increasingly feels part of the setup. Where nerves were evident early on, calm now prevails. “Yeah, 100%,” he said. “I’m 53rd in the world now, I think, so yeah, all good.”

Even before this World Championship, he was not overly concerned about the security of his tour card. “Not really, no, because I know what I can do,” he explained. “I knew I could beat Stowe — just don’t get my head gone and I’ll be fine.”

The victory not only secured a place in the third round but also a personal milestone — the first time Hurrell has won two matches in a row on the World Championship stage. “Massive,” he said. “That’s the first time I’ve won two games on the stage on the spin, so yeah, it’s all good — all massive.”

The comparison with his display against Van Gerwen last year was inevitable. Where he was then visibly overawed by the occasion, he appeared far more settled this time. “I was definitely more confident and more comfortable this time,” Hurrell said. “With Michael van Gerwen on a Friday night last year, I was nowhere near as comfortable. This time was different.”

That change, he believes, has come from steady work on the ProTour. “On the ProTour I’ve done well, to be fair,” he added. “I’ve been steady all the way along, and the confidence I get from that just comes into this.”

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the win was Hurrell outscoring an opponent known for raw power. Dirk van Duijvenbode posted more than 800 points in his first-round match, yet it was Hurrell who dominated the scoring. “You probably don’t know how I score,” he said. “I can score with anyone, to be fair. It’s just the doubles and keeping my head.”

Did the barrage of maximums catch his opponent off guard? “Probably,” Hurrell smiled. “At one point I think I had more 180s than tons. He’d probably be confident in beating me, but I was confident in beating him. It’s just different. It was so good.”

With Stephen Bunting looming next — an old rival from the BDO days — Hurrell feels no nerves. “Every ProTour you walk into, I’ve got the same table, the same people I sit with,” he said. “Everything’s more comfortable. I know what I can do, so it’s all good.”

As for how far his World Championship run can go, Hurrell is keeping things simple. “If I do the same in the next game as I did today, I’ll be fine, I think.”

And finally, thoughts turn briefly to Christmas. “Maybe,” he laughed when asked about practice. “I’ve got the kids this time, so yeah. We’ll have a few hours here and there.”