Tag: Chelsea

Jonny Clayton ended Josh Rock’s dream debut run at the World Darts Championship, while world No 1 Gerwyn Price breezed past Jose de Sousa as the Welsh duo reached the quarter-finals.

Antrim ace Rock has been one of the most talked about players on planet darts in 2022, but Clayton used all his years of experience to come through in another nail-biter at Alexandra Palace.

“I am delighted. Josh is an up-and-coming star. He is fantastic. What a nice guy and what a player. I had to do a job and I did it. That’s all I can say. Hopefully I can get to the end,” said Clayton.

“I have proved I can still play darts. We are all chasing this big trophy and fingers crossed it will be my year.”

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Jonny Clayton was full of praise for Josh Rock as he reached the quarter-finals of the Worlds for the first time

Rock got off to a blistering start, winning the opener in three unanswered legs with a superb 110 average, to stun ‘The Ferret’.

The 21-year-old was showing no signs of nerves, but after surviving a barrage from Rock, Clayton clinched the second set in straight legs and he moved 2-1 ahead after landing an unorthodox single 18, double 18, bullseye 104 finish.

However, when the Welsh ace went inside on double 11 in the deciding leg of the fourth set, Rock returned for double 5 to get back on level terms.

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Clayton clinches the third set with this absolutely mind-blowing 104 checkout on the bullseye

And ‘Rocky’ appeared to be closing in on claiming another huge scalp by cleaning up 72 in a fifth-set decider moments after Clayton’s double attempt had hit the wrong bed.

But the world No 7 and former Premier League champion was not giving up without a fight and he made sure the contest went the distance by nailing a 122 on double 7 en route to taking the sixth set 3-1.

In another crazy game in the capital, Rock’s trouble with doubles came to haunt him when Clayton broke with a 13-darter and he then fired home double 16 to make it through to the last eight for the first time.

Gerwyn Price raced into the quarter-finals with victory over Jose de Sousa

Price, who has revealed plans to make a return to rugby on a spare weekend with no darts, clinched the first set 3-1 against De Sousa before rallying from 2-0 down and surviving two set darts in the next to strengthen his grip on the match.

But ‘The Special One’ responded strongly in the third set to halve the deficit with a 98.2 set average, but back came ‘The Iceman’ to nail tops for the first time in the match for a 64 finish to restore his two-set cushion and edge closer to victory.

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Price pinned this 64 checkout to take a commanding 3-1 lead against De Sousa before celebrating in trademark fashion

And the Welshman made it through to the quarter-finals by winning a deciding leg against the darts with a neat ton-out before letting off a trademark roar of approval.

“I felt comfortable all the way through the game,” said Price, who is looking to add to his title in 2021. “I knew I wasn’t playing at my best but when chances come along I think I take them. As long as my friends and family are here supporting me, that’s the main thing.”

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The world No 1 stayed on course for his second world title with a dominant win over De Sousa

Fifth seed Luke Humphries was forced to fend off rapid-fire Dutchman Vincent van der Voort to seal a 4-3 triumph with a 96.5 average, eight 180s and a fabulous 140 checkout in the deciding set.

He will face either German No 1 Gabriel Clemens or Dundee firefighter Alan Soutar for a place in the last four.

Next up for ‘Cool Hand’ Luke is a tasty fourth-round meeting with Stephen Bunting on Friday evening.

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Luke Humphries pinned this outstanding 140 checkout on his way to reaching the last 16 at Alexandra Palace

“I feel like my doubles have let me down in this tournament, but it’s one of those things like if I play my game I want to get over that hurdle of making it through to the semi-finals,” said Humphries, who revealed he is still recovering from a sickness bug.

“Bunting is a fantastic player but I will be making sure that I will finally bring my A-game to this tournament. The top players find a way and although I haven’t been at my 100 per cent best it’s not affecting me to the point where I’m playing terribly.”

DVD comes out on top in deciding-leg classic

Dirk van Duijvenbode celebrates winning a classic against Ross Smith

Dirk van Duijvenbode edged out Ross Smith in a deciding-leg classic, in a contest which featured a record-breaking 31 maximums and five missed match darts from Smith.

Van Duijvenbode came back from 3-0 down to deny Smith at the same stage of last year’s tournament, and he inflicted further heartbreak on the European Champion, who succumbed despite landing a record-equalling 19 180s.

The Dutchman forced a deciding set after Smith wired a match dart at the bull for a 4-2 win, and after surviving four more match darts in a gripping seventh set, Van Duijvenbode sank a nerveless 71 combination on tops to triumph.

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Dirk Van Duijvenbode and Ross Smith set a new best-of-seven-sets record at Alexandra Palace. They hit 31 180s in their third round epic, including an individual record for Smith!

“I just thought: ‘Give me one dart and I’ll take it,” said Van Duijvenbode, who hit a dozen 180s and converted 114, 127 and 136 finishes to set up a fascinating last-16 tie against Michael van Gerwen.

“It will be a fantastic game for the neutral, but I’m not happy with the way I’m playing.

“My best game is in there, but I’m not showing in and I definitely need to show it against Michael or I’m out tomorrow.”

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Dave Chisnall and Stephen Bunting produced some high quality tungsten with a total of SIX ton-plus checkouts in total

Elsewhere, Bunting produced one of the best performances of his career to defeat his fellow St Helens star Dave Chisnall in an exhilarating six-set affair, which saw both players register ton-plus averages.

“That’s the best I’ve ever played on that stage,” insisted Bunting – a semi-finalist back in 2021.

Meanwhile, 2018 World Champion Rob Cross cruised into the last 16 with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Mervyn King to book a meeting with Gary Anderson’s conqueror Chris Dobey.

“He has got something about him, this solid determination and he has ability, we know that. He is going to take some beating”

Wayne Mardle on Rob Cross

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Here’s a look back at an action-packed afternoon session which included plenty of darting drama

Friday at Ally Pally

Michael van Gerwen headlines Friday evening at Alexandra Palace as he continues his quest for a fourth world crown

Kim Huybrechts and Dimitri Van den Bergh clash in the opening fourth-round tie before Gabriel Clemens takes on Alan Soutar.

Michael Smith and Joe Cullen close out a bumper afternoon session in what should be a contest full of thrills and spills.

Firm favourite Michael van Gerwen headlines the evening session with the Dutchman continuing his bid to land a fourth world title and first since 2019 when he faces fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode.

There’s a break on New Year’s Eve but then the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final take place from January 1-3.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3.

Pep Guardiola explains how his view on Kalvin Phillips’ fitness has changed since he joined Manchester City from Leeds.

Chris Dobey cruised past Gary Anderson; Jose de Sousa produced a huge comeback to go through; Alan Soutar rallied to knock out Danny Noppert; Wednesday’s evening session includes Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith and Joe Cullen in action (7pm, Sky Sports Darts)

Chris Dobey denied Gary Anderson his 50th win on the Alexandra Palace stage as he cruised to a 4-1 victory at the Cazoo World Darts Championship.

Anderson exits in the third round for the first time since 2014 and, after the Flying Scotsman played down his chances pre-match, it came to fruition as he scuppered a 1-0 lead to crash out.

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Chris Dobey defeats former winner Gary Anderson 4-1 to reach the last 16 of the World Darts Championship.

Anderson started the encounter with real intent and blew Dobey away as he romped to take three straight legs, a brilliant 121 finish securing the break of throw before sealing the set on tops and leaving Dobey no chance to answer.

The second set saw Dobey and Anderson trade breaks before a missed chance by the Flying Scotsman to take a 2-0 lead allowed Dobey to bring the contest level, taking out 50 with 18 and double 16 to peg Anderson back.

Despite Anderson seeming to be throwing the better darts, hitting six perfect darts in succession, Dobey managed to get himself into a 2-1 lead with some precision on the doubles that Anderson couldn’t muster, then taking advantage of those errors to make it 3-1.

Inaccurate finishing then only made the encounter an even tougher task for Anderson as he missed three chances to hold his throw in the fifth set, allowing Dobey to take out tops on his throw to hold and take a ‘Hollywood’ victory.

Dobey: Anderson’s words annoyed me

Speaking after the contest, Dobey expressed his delight at getting over another “hurdle” at the Alexandra Palace and revealed that some words from Anderson in the break, which he “disagreed with”, spurred him on.

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Chris Dobey was angry with some comments made by Gary Anderson in the break prior to claiming a 4-1 victory over the Scot.

“It was a big win, Gary is a class lad, one of the big names in darts. It is a massive win. I never gave up. That’s the kind of lad I am, always fighting to the end. I am delighted to get the win,” said Dobey.

“Gary said something to us in the last break and I didn’t like it. It annoyed me and there was no way he was winning the game after that.

“I came out and tried to forget about it. He is a class lad but I didn’t agree with what he said. I made sure I was winning this game.

“I have been in this position a number of times so I am hoping to get over that hurdle. I am still in the competition.”

Soutar knocks out ninth seed Noppert

Alan Soutar put in one of the performances of his career so far as he fought back to complete a 4-2 victory over ninth seed Danny Noppert in the second match of the session.

Alan Soutar fought back from 2-0 down to secure a 4-2 victory against Danny Noppert

Noppert got off to a perfect start against Soutar, getting the match under way with a maximum and 11-dart leg before securing the set 3-1 with a brilliant 104 finish.

The second set saw Noppert’s accuracy on the trebles provide success as he continued to add to his maximum tally, taking the set in straight legs with Soutar unable to find an answer despite throwing at the tournament average.

However, the third set provided an unexpected chance for the Scotsman and he took it, taking advantage of a mistake on the 66 finish from Noppert for the break of throw before taking six straight legs to bring the tie level at 2-2.

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Alan Soutar takes out a sensational 152 checkout against Danny Noppert in their third round match at the World Darts Championship.

From there, Soutar came alive with a sensational 152 finish to take the lead for the first time and make it 3-2, another huge 130 finish helping set up Soutar for the 4-2 victory in a comeback and performance to remember. A clash with Gabriel Clemens now awaits him in the last 16.

De Sousa comes back to set up Price showdown

The opening match of Day 11 at the Alexandra Palace saw Jose de Sousa produce an almighty comeback against Ryan Searle, fighting back from 3-0 down to a 4-3 win to set up a clash with world No 1 Gerwyn Price in the last 16.

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Jose de Sousa fights back from three sets down to defeat Ryan Searle 4-3 to set up a last 16 tie with Gerwyn Price.

Searle took control to secure an early 3-0 lead against De Sousa, a break of throw together with some inaccuracy on the doubles from The Special One giving Heavy Metal the 1-0 lead. Searle then nullified a slight fightback from his opponent in the second set as he took out tops in the deciding leg.

A poor third set followed, in which both players were averaging below 90, but Searle was the better of the two once again as the doubles continued to trouble De Sousa.

However, The Special One then began a comeback to keep the match alive in the fourth set, concluding with D16 after slamming in a T20 with his first dart to make it 3-1. Two poor visits from Searle in the fifth set then forced a deciding leg in which De Sousa put himself well and truly back in the match, taking out the D8 to make it 3-2.

From there, De Sousa brought the match level as a huge maximum left him 98 which he took out on tops to take the match to a seventh set, finding his flow on the trebles and finally taking the victory on D2.

Wednesday night at Ally Pally

Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen takes on Austria’s Mensur Suljovic in a blockbuster evening session, which also includes ‘The Rockstar’ Joe Cullen up against Damon Heta and 2022 runner-up Michael Smith versus Martin Schindler. Watch the action live from 7pm on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3.

Paul Merson believes Arsenal may not be able to keep up their league-topping form after Gabriel Jesus suffered a knee injury at the World Cup.

Ahead of his upcoming fight against Liam Smith, Chris Eubank Jr. explains why he is training on Christmas Day.

Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman explains what his side are doing during Christmas Day training and what he wants to achieve over the next few games.

Darting superstar Scott Williams takes on his practice partner Rob Cross on Friday afternoon from 12.30pm I Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3

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John Part felt Williams’ performance was a level above anyone else and backs the underdog to entertain for the remainder of the tournament

Wayne Mardle and John Part hailed the performance of darting superstar Scott Williams with ‘Darth Maple’ expecting his clash with Rob Cross to be highly entertaining.

Williams produced the performance of the tournament so far to overcome Ryan Joyce in a first-round thriller at Alexandra Palace on Sunday.

The 32-year-old, nicknamed ‘Shaggy’ hit 10 180s, averaged over a ton and took out a 164 finish on his way to a 3-1 success, despite Joyce averaging 103.04.

“I think Rob is really coming back into this game and I don’t want to lose either one of these. We’re going to lose one”

John Part on Williams vs Cross

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Williams said ‘there is no point in feeling nervous’ after he came through a humdinger against Joyce

‘Hawaii 501’ Mardle renamed Williams, who is known for wearing bright yellow outfits on the stage, ‘The Entertainer’ following his exuberant celebrations and self-assertive personality.

Three-time former world champion Part was impressed by Williams’ performance and is already looking forward to his clash with practice partner Cross on Friday afternoon.

“The level of play was something we hadn’t seen yet. That was our first real high-octane darts match with 110 averages for a long time in that match,” said Part.

“Ryan was enjoying it just as much as Scott but in the end Scott warmed down. He just had that little edge and that belief that he would finish the winner.

“He didn’t have the higher average, but he had a lot of other impressive stats. He was 10 of 18 on doubles and an incredible amount of 180s.

“The most important thing is hitting those doubles and the 164 to win the set. You can’t fault him and he’s got every right to be pretty confident going in against his pal Rob Cross. He’s just got to keep doing the same thing.

“Rob Cross has the same thought process even though he’s not as outgoing about it as maybe Scott is but they’re built the same way, they think the same way. It should be really entertaining.

“I think Rob is really coming back into this game and I don’t want to lose either one of these. We’re going to lose one.”

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‘This boy can play darts!’ Watch Williams pile in fifth maximum before taking out 164 for a sensational 12-dart leg against Joyce

Williams and Joyce played out one of the highest standard first round encounters seen on the Ally Pally stage.

Former quarter-finalist Joyce was not enough to defy 2022 breakout star Williams on his way to an outstanding debut victory.

Williams announced himself with an average just shy of 116 to take the opening set, before Joyce hit back in equally-impressive style.

Though Joyce continued to average over 112 for much of the contest, Williams crucially won the set three decider to regain the lead.

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Williams hits 10 180s and averaged over a ton on his way to a 3-1 success

Joyce took the lead in the fourth, but Williams responded with a trio of legs to set up a meeting with former world champion Cross.

“I felt awesome today and that came out on the stage, I know what I’m capable of,” said Williams.

“The first set I felt absolutely fantastic, then all of a sudden I started missing but then thankfully it came back.

“There’s no point being nervous because it’s just a job. It’s how I earn a living and it’s something that I’ve been doing for a couple of years and I’ve been really good. I felt awesome today.

“I’ve been practicing with Rob [Cross] recently and he was different gravy. He’s been playing like he did when he won the Worlds but I’ve beat him before.

“We’re good mates behind the scenes but we’re both here to do a job, it should be a good game.”

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – through to the final on January 3.

Two-time champion Gary Anderson wins a barnstormer I Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts. We’re back on Friday for the last double session before Christmas at 12.30pm and 7pm with Rob Cross, Jonny Clayton and Joe Cullen in action

Two-time world champion Gary Anderson fended off Madars Razma to seal a 3-1 victory on his 52nd birthday, while Dirk van Duijvenbode narrowly missed out on a nine-dart finish as he came through a deciding set thriller.

Anderson showed why he’s 2015 and 2016 champion at Alexandra Palace after edging out treble 19 hitting maestro Razma to reach the third round.

Dutchman Van Duijvenbode came close to landing perfection after he survived a match dart and a final-set tie-break to make it through against Czech Karel Sedlacek, while four-time semi-finalist James Wade saw his hopes ended with a shock 3-2 defeat against Welshman Jim Williams.

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Here’s all SIX ton-plus checkouts from Anderson’s rip-roaring win against Razma

Anderson, who last suffered a first-round exit here back in 2010 to Ronnie Baxter, took out an early ton as he averaged 105, but still only won the opening set 3-2.

Latvian ‘Razmatazz’ made it a level-game after pinning consecutive ton-plus finishes of 121 on the bullseye and 134.

He eclipsed both those checkouts to break his opponent with a magical 154 on tops, but the veteran Scot hit back with a 15-darter before sneaking one into double 4 after Razma squandered four darts to seal the third set.

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‘The Flying Scotman’ reflected on his hard-fought victory over Razma with Michael Bridge

With Razma handing out far too many birthday presents to Anderson, the former world champion eventually got the win with his sixth match dart, sinking an exquisite 110 finish.

“World No 1 or ranked 128, I don’t care, at the end of the day you’ve still got to beat me and that’s the way it goes,” said Anderson.

“Madars Razma was a serious threat in that match but Gary Anderson got there in the end and he can take a lot of positives away. Maybe he needs to be a bit more clinical but he hasn’t played a lot of TV games and that was quite evident. It was a real good job from Anderson in the end. He’ll be satisfied with that.”

Mark Webster on Gary Anderson

Jim Williams dumped out multiple major winner James Wade in a shock at the Worlds

Former Lakeside finalist Williams pulled off a stunning 3-2 victory over eighth seed Wade to move into the third round of the tournament for the first time where he will meet German Gabriel Clemens.

The Welshman displayed prowess on the double, firing 107 and 119 along the way to knocking out ‘The Machine’.

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Humphries was relieved to find a way to get over the line against Hempel

Fifth seed Luke Humphries was forced to dig deep but ‘Cool Hand’ found a way to record a 3-2 victory over German star Florian Hempel with the aid of seven 180s despite 29 missed doubles.

“I felt really good up there but it just wasn’t happening for me,” said Humphries. “I was lucky to get over the line in the end. It was tough. I played nowhere near like I can but I’m through to the next round.”

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Menzies was quick to show his opponent Van der Voort all the love before Christmas

Vincent van der Voort was in red-hot form as ‘The Dutch Destroyer’ hammered Cameron Menzies 3-0 to make it through to a meeting with Humphries next Thursday.

The rapid-fire 47-year-old averaged 90.78, struck 12 140s and finished with 56 per cent on the doubles in a fine display.

DVD so close to nine-dart heaven

Dirk van Duijvenbode rose to prominence with a remarkable run to the World Grand Prix final in 2020

‘The Titan’ Van Duijvenbode reached the last 32 at Ally Pally – but only just – as he came from 2-1 down to edge out Sedlacek in an afternoon epic.

The world No 14 raced through the opening set with a stunning 108 average but squandered a string of missed double attempts to allow an early break in the second from Sedlacek, who sealed the set with a 13-dart leg.

Sedlacek claimed a final-leg victory in the third before Van Duijvenbode bounced back to win the next and take the contest to a decider in which ‘Aubergenius’ fired eight perfect darts then narrowly dipped low of the D12 target in pursuit of the first nine-darter of this year’s tournament.

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It was pure agony for Van Duijvenbode, who threw eight perfect darts before missing double 12 in his nine-dart attempt against Karel Sedlacek

Van Duijevenbode settled for a 10-dart leg and took advantage of a missed match dart on bullseye from Sedlacek to move the match to extra legs, where he rattled off 14 and 15-darters to secure a meeting with Ross Smith or Darius Labanauskas after Christmas.

“Yeah, I thought it [the nine-dart leg] was going in when it left my hand,” Van Duijvenbode admitted. “Sometimes you miss a nine-darter and you just know it’s not in and I threw it and thought ‘this is in’, but it wasn’t.”

“I barely recovered from the first set, where he came out with a 108 average and completely stormed the stage. We never expected it to be into a tie-break at the end of it all there! There was an absolute mirage of 180 and at one point he hit three in a row, one before the nine-dart attempt and then two inside the attempt. He missed a double for it and really, the amazing thing was he still could have lost after it and was in a bad position. He was incredibly pumped up and he dealt with it in the end, but it was a really tough grind for Dirk!”

John Part on Dirk van Duijvenbode

Mensur Suljovic claimed a straight-sets victory over Mike de Decker to book a third-round meeting with Michael van Gerwen, while Ryan Searle claimed a 3-0 victory over Adam Gawlas and will now play Jose de Sousa on December 28.

“Van Gerwen is favourite every time. I saw him on TV against Lewy Williams and he played brilliantly. The second set was fantastic but every game is different. I hope I can pressure him,” said Austrian star, Suljovic. “I like Michael – he’s my friend. I want to play my game, not his game. I have a good feeling.”

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Ryan Searle missed a match dart before Adam Gawlas brilliantly took out 150 to keep his hopes alive

Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski also reached the third round after defeating Danny Jansen 3-1, booking him a meeting with dancing Dimitri van den Bergh.

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Here’s a round-up from a superb afternoon session at the World Darts Championship

Friday at Ally Pally

Joe Cullen takes on Fallon Sherrock’s conqueror ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans on Friday night before the Christmas break

The second round concludes across two sessions with 2018 world champion Rob Cross, seventh seed Jonny Clayton and Masters champion Joe Cullen among the high-profile names in action.

Following a three-day Christmas break, the third and fourth rounds will be held from December 27-30, before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final take place from January 1-3.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3.

Michael van Gerwen lays down marker with emphatic win Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts. We’re back on Thursday for a double session at 12.30pm and 7pm with Dirk van Duijvenbode, Gary Anderson and Vincent van der Voort in action

Michael van Gerwen began his pursuit for a fourth World Championship with a blistering opening-round win against Welshman Lewy Williams, while darts’ prodigy Josh Rock continued to prove himself on the big stage by crushing Callan Rydz.

Van Gerwen, who has already won the Premier League, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix as well as his seventh Players Championship title during 2022, was in rampant mood in a comprehensive whitewash of world No 70 Williams in under 19 minutes.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Rock rolled on at the home of darts with a routine 3-0 win against ‘The Riot’ Rydz, who was left to rue missed opportunities.

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Van Gerwen taught Williams a lesson, grabbing the entire second set in 36 darts, averaging a phenomenal 125.25!

Dutchman Van Gerwen started slowly and threw some erratic darts at times, but still did enough to win the opener 3-1 with a 90.18 average.

Things quickly changed for the tournament favourite in the next when the world No 3 rattled off a 13-darter, and two consecutive 94 outs – finishing the set off in just 36 darts for a monumental 125.25 average – all in under four minutes.

He sent a message to the rest of the field, averaging over a ton for the 34th time on the Ally Pally stage, as he completed a 3-0 success to storm into the third round.

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MVG says his performance ‘wasn’t perfection’ but he knows just what he’s capable of at the Worlds

“It wasn’t perfection but it is what I do I think I played quite well,” Van Gerwen, three-time world champion, said. “I had to work quite hard for it, it didn’t come from nothing, but to be back here gives me a lot of pleasure.

“To come back and have this type of support means a lot to me. Alexandra Palace has a special place in my heart.

“I know what I am capable of and as long as the crowd keeps cheering for me in good and bad times, that is the most important thing.”

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The Dutchman made a spine-tingling entrance at Ally Pally

Veteran Mervyn King came out on top in a real thriller against Danny Baggish in a deciding set to seal his spot in the third round.

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King claimed the first set with this 84 on the bull followed by an 86 checkout

King struck back from 2-0 down to snatch the opening set with finishes of 84 on the bullseye and a smart 86 two-dart combination before the No 27 seed picked out double 16 to edge the next in a decider.

A regal 124 for a 12-darter enabled King to mount a comeback in the third set but the 56-year-old was unable to pin tops for the match, handing Baggish a way back into the match on double 12.

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The 1997 Lakeside semi-finalist broke Baggish with this 124 finish

‘The Gambler’ was now in the ascendancy and after nailing a fabulous 112 the contest went down to a deciding set shootout, but King held firm to clinch victory.

‘German Giant’ Gabriel Clemens produced a stunning display to ease past Beau Greaves’ conqueror Willie O’Connor 3-0.

Clemens sent the large contingent of German fans wild at Ally Pally as he averaged 95.6, hit four 180s and nailed checkouts of 131 and 132 on his way to a spectacular win.

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Clemens hit checkouts of 131 and 132 as he romped to victory over O’Connor

Stephen Bunting recovered from a set down to defeat fan-favourite Leonard Gates 3-1 with seven 180s and two ton-plus checkouts.

Gates produces a nerveless 101 checkout to capture the first set in a deciding leg after an earlier 122 from ‘The Bullet’ but Bunting struck back to level following a marathon of missed doubles at the backend of the second set.

The former Lakeside champion turned the tables to take the third set 3-1 ahead before moving to the brink of victory with a huge 124 finish and it was not long before he closed it out with a neat 15-dart leg.

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Leonard ‘The Soulger’ Gates entertained the Ally Pally crowd with his dancing and ‘Spartan’ shout-outs!

Rock rolls on to a mouth-watering meeting with Aspinall

Josh Rock will take on Nathan Aspinall in a blockbuster third-round clash

‘Rocky’, who has enjoyed a remarkable breakout year, continued his debut run with victory despite being far from his best for long periods.

There were 20 missed darts in the opening set by both players, but the tournament’s fifth favourite levelled with a remarkable 118.66 average in the next before taking the lead after landing a 62 checkout in a crucial deciding leg.

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Watch Rock light up Alexandra Palace during his walk-on to face Rydz.

His performance crescendoed from there, and he sealed the final set in style.

The Antrim ace stormed into the third round with real momentum, where he will face Nathan Aspinall in a blockbuster showdown.

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Rock says he was nowhere near his best yet as he eased past Rydz

Title contender Dave Chisnall delivered a top-class performance to see off a strong Andrew Gilding challenge.

The St Helens’ thrower averaged 97.87, and hit seven maximums in a high-scoring performance. The 12th seed dropped the first set, but then reeled off three in succession to prevail 3-1.

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Labanauskas took out this huge 158 checkout during his victory over John O’Shea

Darius Labanauskas turned a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 triumph, with a dramatic comeback to deny John O’Shea.

‘The Joker’ claimed the opening two sets, despite ‘Lucky D’ winning the first two legs of each.

However, the 2021 quarter-finalist eventually clicked into gear, and had to ride his luck at times before eventually prevailing in the deciding set.

Meanwhile, Martijn Kleermaker had too much for China’s Xicheng Han. It was all one-way traffic, as the Dutchman dropped just two legs in a 3-0 procession, setting up a second-round meeting with ‘Hollywood’ Chris Dobey.

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A look back to the best of the action from Wednesday’s afternoon session

Thursday at Ally Pally

Luke Humphries faces Florian Hempel at the World Darts Championship

Fifth seed Luke Humphries will headline a star-studded double session which also includes two-time world champion Gary Anderson and 10-time TV title winner James Wade.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3.

A look back at the last time Aberdeen beat Rangers in the Scottish Premiership as James Maddison’s free-kick saw off the Gers at Pittodrie.

World No 1 Gerwyn Price came from a set down to defeat Luke Woodhouse at the World Darts Championship on Monday, while the legendary Steve Beaton’s history-making appearance was ruined by Dutch debutant Danny van Trijp.

Price began his quest for a second world title by recovering from a set down to defeat Woodhouse 3-1, while ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ Beaton was unable to roll back the years as he went down to a disappointing defeat against 25-year-old Van Trijp on his 32nd consecutive World Championship appearance.

‘The Special One’ Jose de Sousa mounted a stunning comeback to turn a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 triumph over Simon Whitlock in a rip-roaring tungsten tussle to end a fascinating afternoon session.

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Price revealed he had never felt nerves like the ones he felt during his victory against Woodhouse

Worcestershire thrower Woodhouse averaged almost 105 with 50 per cent on his doubles to deservedly take the opening set against 2021 champion and top seed Price.

‘The Iceman’, who has already hit four nine-darters this calendar year, was struggling to find his form but held his nerve on throw in the deciding leg of the next set to level matters with a much-needed 83 checkout.

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Price showed his quality with this stunning bullseye finish to take out 76

Woodhouse began to lose his rhythm with the Welshman securing a 22-dart break in the third set on double 10 before moving 2-1 ahead with a comfortable hold.

Price began to dominate and a neat 76 finish on the bullseye and then a stunning 150 out put him on the brink and he completed the job on double 5 as he finished with a 92.88 average.

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The Welsh wizard also landed this 150 finish which even his opponent applauded

“That’s probably the most nervous I’ve been for the last two years and I said that to Luke,” admitted Price. “I stuck in there and Luke bless him fell apart towards the end. He couldn’t hit anything thankfully, but it was a tough game. I just needed to get through.”

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History-maker Steve Beaton made a record-breaking appearance at The Palace but he was unable to produce the good

Beaton, the 1996 Lakeside champion, was nowhere near his best and the young Dutchman, ranked 127 in the world, was there to take full advantage for a dream 3-0 win against the 58-year-old.

Van Trijp opened up a 2-0 lead with Beaton struggling down at 20 per cent on the doubles before surging back from 2-0 down in the third set to claim a famous victory and set up a meeting with Jonny Clayton.

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Leonard Gates made it through with a memorable win over Geert Nentjes, as the American entertained the crowd on the way to a 3-1 victory

American Leonard Gates came from a set down to defeat 24-year-old Dutchman Geert Nentjes 3-1 on his debut with three ton-plus finishes of 100, 128 and 111 along the way.

“I love it here. This is the dart mecca,” said crowd-favourite Gates, who clinched his passage through to Ally Pally by winning the North American Championship.

He will take on former Lakeside champion Stephen Bunting for a spot in the third round on Wednesday evening.

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The famous Ally Pally wasp landed on David Cameron’s back during his match against Ritchie Edhouse, but it proved to be a lucky charm for the Canadian on his way to a remarkable 3-2 triumph

A wasp, a miscount and a remarkable comeback! Ritchie Edhouse squandered six match darts and then capitulated from 2-0 up as Canadian David Cameron – with a little help from the Ally Pally wasp – reeled off the next nine out of 10 legs to complete one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the Worlds.

“Sometimes you feel down and out but, you know, I just stuck with it and it was good,” said 53-year-old veteran Cameron. “It (the wasp) might be lucky or something but I didn’t even know it was there.”

De Sousa wins five-set tussle to dump out ‘The Wizard’ I Williams’ near nine-darter

Jose de Sousa sent a heartfelt message to his cousin after second round win over Simon Whitlock

An emotional De Sousa recovered from 2-0 down to dump out former finalist Whitlock in a high-quality encounter.

The Portuguese ace looked beaten after the opening two sets, struggling to find big scores and lacking a killer instinct on the outer ring.

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De Sousa nailed 114, 127 and 136 checkouts as he battled back from two sets down to defeat Whitlock in a thriller

However, he then clicked into gear with three fabulous finishes of 114, 127 and 136 to turn the game on its head as Whitlock was unable to arrest the momentum in the final set.

Speaking to Sky Sports’ Polly James, a tearful De Sousa explained his gesture at the end of his match: “Last week the wife of my cousin died of cancer. I’m here for you and you know that.”

Lewy Williams meanwhile almost capped a 3-0 victory over Niels Zonneveld with perfection, but missed D12 for a nine-dart finish in the final leg of the match.

It was largely routine for the ‘Prince of Wales’, with the critical moment coming in the deciding leg of set two, as Williams fired in a ton checkout with his opponent waiting on 32.

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Williams just missed out on a fabulous nine-dart attempt during his whitewash win against Zonneveld

Earlier in the day, Andrew ‘Goldfinger’ Gilding was forced to dig deep to deliver a 3-2 win over Robert Owen.

Owen took the opening set to a chorus of boos and he Welshman appeared to be in control at 2-1 in the second set. However, Gilding then delivered a stunning 105 checkout to break throw and turn the contest on its head.

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Gilding took out this cracking 120 checkout to defeat Owen

Owen forced a deciding set with a 154 out-shot. But Gilding used all his experience, sealing the win on a superb ‘Shanghai’ checkout.

Jansen impressed the Ally Pally crowd with his mullet as well as his fabulous darts on the oche

Meanwhile, Danny Jansen had enough in the locker to get past world No 211 Paolo Nebrida 3-2.

‘The Mullet’ had two match darts for a 3-0 triumph, but the Filipino came roaring back into the contest to make it a nervy finish for the Dutchman, who eventually completed the win.

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Here’s a round-up from a thrilling afternoon session which saw De Sousa and Whitlock play out an epic encounter

Tuesday at Ally Pally

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Laura Turner has tipped Michael van Gerwen for a fourth title, whilst adding that Fallon Sherrock is in the right frame of mind heading in to the tournament

Women’s World Matchplay winner Fallon Sherrock will make her Alexandra Palace return against Ricky Evans on before Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld gets his 30th World Championship appearance underway.

Van Barneveld – fresh from reaching last month’s Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals – will be the 32nd seed in his milestone appearance – matching the position from which he won the 2007 World Championship at the Circus Tavern.

“I’m in the top 32 now, and I’m proud of myself. I am really happy, and if you feel happy, then anything is possible”

Raymond van Barneveld

“30 World Championships, wow! This sport has changed my life,” reflected Van Barneveld, who will play Ryan Meikle for a place in the third round.

“The World Championship is the big one. This is the one you want to win. You want to perform well.

“I’m in the top 32 now, and I’m proud of myself. I am really happy, and if you feel happy, then anything is possible.”

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3.