Van Barneveld reviews difficult match against Harris: 'I just kept missing and missing and gave him a chance'

Cody Harris turned out to be a tough cookie for Raymond van Barneveld in the first round at the NZ Darts Masters. Barney claimed the win after a hard-fought leg-decider.

The five-time world champion took a 3-1 lead, before he missed a lot of doubles. After seven legs Van Barneveld hit just three out of 25 on the doubles. This gave Harris the chance to fight back and The Codestar won three legs on the spin.

However the Dutchman hit a 14-darter to level the match, before hitting a key 161 check-out to move 5-4 up. The 52-year-old left 76 after twelve darts in the tenth leg, but Harris forced a leg-decider with a superb 150 finish. The Kiwi hit a 180 in the last leg, but Van Barneveld picked up the victory with a 64 finish.

“Wow, that was tough,” said Van Barneveld after the game. “After going up 3-1 I just kept missing and missing and gave him a chance.

“After the 161 I felt good and thought I had the match but he hit the amazing 150 finish. I am just very happy to get the win and come back tomorrow.

"I want to give the crowd a lot more against Daryl Gurney on Saturday, they have been amazing to me this year.”

Click here for more information about this tournament, including the prize money breakdown and the tournament schedule.

https://twitter.com/OfficialPDC/status/1164854686995714048

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate darts experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe