Tag: Martin

Southampton let Plymouth back in at St Mary’s after some calamitous defending allowed Ryan Hardie to make it 2-1.

Damon Heta sealed 4-3 victory over Berry van Peer in sensational manner by taking out a 151 checkout.

Gerwyn Price’s hopes of a second World Championship crown came to an end as he was beaten by Brendan Dolan; the World Darts Championship runs all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – we’re back on Friday at 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Darts

Gerwyn Price says he’s “absolutely gutted” to be knocked out of the World Darts Championship after a dramatic 4-2 defeat to Brendan Dolan on Thursday night.

Dolan put on a phenomenal show as he beat 2021 world champion Price 4-2, incredible 130 and 144 checkouts helping him on his way.

The Welshman could never find a solid spell in the contest and so Dolan continually took advantage, setting up a last-16 clash with either Boris Krcmar or Gary Anderson.

Earlier this month, Price revealed he nearly pulled out of the tournament over concerns about the reception he would face from the crowd but thanked the fans for their support.

“Absolutely gutted with the chances I gave away tonight, trying too hard and beating myself up,” Price wrote on Instagram.

“Just wanna say how much I appreciate the crowd that got behind me, just couldn’t get a flow and Brendan took out every chance I have him, well done to him and hopefully I’ll learn from this, #gutted. But once again thank you.”

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Brendan Dolan admitted he was very happy to avoid a final set against Gerwyn Price

Mardle praises ‘underrated’ Dolan

Three years ago, Price beat Dolan in the third round in a sudden death leg on his way to winning the 2021 World Championship.

However, he couldn’t fight back this time after already levelling the match on two occasions before Dolan won the final two sets.

“Price will be so deflated because if he plays well, Dolan doesn’t get half of those chances,” Wayne Mardle told Sky Sports.

“The four biggest legs of the match, Dolan won them all. Gerwyn Price never strung a five or 10-minute spell together and when he did, it was on his own darts and it won him sets 3-1 and 3-0. But it never went over into Brendan’s set.

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Brendan Dolan punished Gerwyn Price as he fought back and stole the third set by taking out 90 on the bull

“You don’t know when a purple patch will come and it never came at the right time for Gerwyn Price. Things were coming at the right time for Brendan.”

Price actually won one more leg than Dolan but the set format meant it was the Northern Irishman who capitalised on his opponent not quite firing on all cylinders.

Mardle thinks Dolan’s timing was “perfect” and believes he has been hard to beat on the tour for over two decades.

“Brendan never went off to a bad spell when it mattered. That last set was incredible,” he continued.

“Dolan never gets the credit because he’s not flamboyant, he’s not one of these ‘speedsters’ like Scott Williams who is a bit marmite and separate the crowd.

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Bendan Dolan lived up to his pre-match billing as he won the first set in style

“He just does his own thing, plays within himself. Even when he’s nervous, he soon calmed himself down. That was a brilliant performance.

“Don’t forget that’s the second brilliant performance on the bounce. Against Mickey Mansell, he was better than that and could easily do that again. Why can’t he get through to the semi-finals?”

Three-time world champion John Part added: “Brendan got to him. Three years ago, Gerwyn survived a match against Brendan on a last leg decider. Tonight Brendan said ‘look, that wasn’t a fluke’. And he was more timely with good outs.

“He held it together and is a mature, confident darts player. He’s constantly underrated and is a great darts player.”

Watch the World Darts Championship all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts. Stream Sky Sports with a NOW Sports Month Membership

Hibernian and Hearts were both granted penalties for handball during the Edinburgh derby, however both missed from the spot!

Andy Scott, Gary Logan and Jane Couch discuss whether Francis Ngannou knocking down Tyson Fury was the biggest shock in 2023.

Raymond van Barneveld makes winning start but Dimitri Van den Bergh loses a thriller; the World Darts Championship runs all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – we’re back on Saturday at 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Darts

Raymond van Barneveld rolled back the years as he struck a remarkable 19 140s and came close to a near 100 average on his way to a 3-1 victory over Radek Szaganski on Friday night at the World Darts Championship.

The five-time world champion – who last lifted the title in 2007 – produced the fourth highest average of the tournament with a stellar 99.81 to set up a meeting with Jim Williams in the last 32 after Christmas.

Debutant Szaganski silenced the large contingent of Dutch fans by winning the opening leg but only for Van Barneveld to reel off three in a row to wrap up the set with a 98.6 average and 3/4 on the doubles.

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Watch the moment Raymond van Barneveld entered Ally Pally to his iconic ‘Eye of the Tiger’ song

The 56-year-old, playing in his 31st World Championship, continued the relentless finishing spree with an 86 and 104 checkouts at the start of the next before wrapping up the second set on double 5 with his last dart in hand.

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The Dutch legend nailed this 113 checkout during his win

Polish-Irish star Szaganski managed a neat hold of throw to stop the rot at the start of the next with a neat 118 finish, but Van Barneveld answered back with a fine 113 and clutch 60 to move within touching distance of victory.

However, the Cork thrower fired in a timely 13-darter on double 14 to edge the third set.

Barney was taken to a deciding leg by a gritty Szaganski in the fourth but a 19th 140 allowed the Dutchman to set up 80 which he took out thanks to a slick two-dart combination.

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Van Barneveld admitted Radek Szaganski gave him a hard game, but he did enough to come through and win

“There are no easy games. It gives you more pressure. (Peter) Wright has gone, (James) Wade has gone. But hey there’s a guy called Luke Littler, he’s fantastic,” said Van Barneveld.

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Florian Hempel battled back from two sets down to defeat Dimitri Van den Bergh in a classic

The boy from Cologne Florian Hempel sensationally recovered from 2-0 down to stun 15th seed Dimitri van den Bergh 3-2, surviving three match darts and saving his PDC Tour Card in the process.

The German won the last six legs on the spin, hitting back-back-back 10-dart legs en route, landing a skin-saving 151 checkout, whilst averaging 106.09 after surviving match darts in an Ally Pally classic.

“I’m the man for the comebacks, I think,” Hempel told Sky Sports. “I started so bad, but the back-to-back 10 darters helped and the 151 kept me in the game.”

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Hempel took out this incredible 151 checkout to keep himself in the match against Van den Bergh

There were a total of 17 180s in 20 legs as Chris Dobey won a barnstorming tussle against William O’Connor with a 103.09 average.

The Masters champion, nicknamed ‘Hollywood’, won a deciding set shoot-out to progress to a clash with former European champion Ross Smith up next.

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Chris Dobey was ‘delighted’ to get past William O’Connor

German No 2 Martin Schindler joined his fellow countryman Hempel in the next round after defeating Jermaine Wattimena 3-1.

‘The Wall’ secured a meeting with Scott Williams with a 97 average and 52 per cent on the doubles, despite the quick-fire Dutchman reeling in the fourth 170 finish of the tournament.

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Jermaine Wattimena fired in this 170 checkout in his defeat to Martin Schindler

The afternoon session of day eight started with an absolute cracker between Northern Irishmen and best friends Brendan Dolan and Mickey Mansell.

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Brendan Dolan said he found it difficult playing his best friend on tour Mickey Mansell and expects to be more lethal with Gerwyn Price

There was nothing separating the two and the match went all the way to a tie-break with Dolan edging the win in the deciding leg to set up a meeting with Gerwyn Price.

Dutchman Jeffrey de Graaf wrapped up an impressive 3-1 victory over the ‘Special One’ Jose de Sousa to cause an upset.

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Jeffrey de Graaf apologised to the Ally Pally crowd who were eager to see a nine-dart leg, but got it done in 10 against Jose de Sousa

Krzysztof Ratajski’s campaign continues after a 3-1 victory over Jamie Hughes.

Hughes battled back from two legs down to take the first set but from there, Ratajski showed his experience to grind out the win and secure his spot in round three.

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Boris Krcmar defeated Dirk van Duijvenbode in style with a 102 checkout

The final match of the afternoon saw Dirk van Duijvenbode outplayed by big Croatian Boris Krcmar as he made it into the third round for the first time in his career.

He will now face ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Gary Anderson in the next round.

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Van Duijvenbode showed his agility as he attempted to avoid the infamous Ally Pally wasp!

What’s happening on Saturday at the World Darts Championship?

Former World Youth champion Josh Rock returns to Alexandra Palace

Jonny Clayton, ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ Steve Beaton, youngster Josh Rock and World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall all headline the action at Alexandra Palace on the final day before the Christmas break.

Elsewhere, Kim Huybrechts, ‘Heavy Metal’ Ryan Searle and former semi-finalist Stephen Bunting will be among the high-profile names taking to the stage.

The sport’s biggest event sees 96 players compete for the Sid Waddell Trophy and £2.5m in prize money at Alexandra Palace. You can watch all the action live on our dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel.

Watch the World Darts Championship all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts. NOW Sports Month Membership: £21 a month for 6 months

One of the biggest stories from the Alexandra Palace so far has been 16-year-old Luke Littler; the World Darts Championship runs all the way until the final on January 3 – we’re back on Friday at 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Darts

Luke Littler was flattered to hear people are comparing him to Michael van Gerwen after he booked a place in the third round of the World Darts Championship.

Littler held off a mid-match charge from the experienced Andrew Gilding to knock out the 20th seed with a 3-1 win on Thursday night.

The 16-year-old won his first match at the Alexandra Palace on Wednesday and his natural throwing style has got the darting world talking.

Ahead of the World Championship, he became the first two-time Junior Darts Corporation world champion and is already being compared to the sport’s greatest ever players including Phil Taylor and Van Gerwen.

Sky Sports Darts‘ Wayne Mardle says Littler is “probably the most naturally gifted player I have ever seen in my life”.

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Littler plans to celebrate his sensational win over Andrew Gilding with another kebab!

“People do compare me to Michael and see what he’s done and I’ve done. We’ve both done a lot at 16 years of age,” said Littler.

“I’m breaking records and it’s good to know people are talking about me and comparing me to my idols.”

Littler averaged 106.12 on his World Championship debut as he beat Christian Kist 3-0 and will play Matt Campbell in the next round after the Canadian stunned James Wade.

The winner of that match could play Raymond van Barneveld, who gets his campaign under way on Friday night live on Sky Sports Darts, in the last 16.

“I’m glad I’m coming back after Christmas. As soon as he beat Wade, my eyes lit up but I knew I had to get past Christian then Andrew and I’m coming back to face Matt. I’ll take it game by game and just play who’s up against me.

“Matt beat Wade, a multiple major winner, and what he’s done so far is good for Canadian darts but it’s me or him now.”

Littler on ‘unbelievable’ crowd chanting

Littler first picked up a set of darts at 18 months old and had the Alexandra Palace crowd singing “you’re going to school in the morning” during both of his wins.

They also sang “there’s only one Luke Littler”, a chant which Phil Taylor was associated with during his career.

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Littler celebrated wildly after taking a two-set lead against Andrew Gilding in the World Darts Championship

“It was unbelievable, especially when you are going for a double. Throughout the game they were chanting for me and chanting over different chants. You’ve just got to somehow get in the zone when they are all chanting,” said Littler.

He added: “I follow my own Instagram and have gone from 4,000 to 11,000 followers. I’ve had loads of rugby lads, local ones and other teams, follow me and footballers from Ipswich and United U20s. It’s just unbelievable that so many people know about me.”

Part: Littler can handle different situations

Three-time world champion John Part on Littler’s performance against Gilding:

“We learnt he can handle different sorts of situations. I think he did well.

“Andrew was the better average early going, but somehow he managed to steal set one, set two of course.

“Set four saw Luke behind at times but Andrew couldn’t get the darts needed to force a tie breaker.”

Watch the World Darts Championship all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts. NOW Sports Month Membership: £21 a month for 6 months

Anthony Joshua kept his interview as short as possible as he is fully focused making his arrival in Riyadh, ahead of facing Otto Wallin

Young Tottenham mascot Ralph explains his lively pre-match warm-up against Newcastle which went viral.

Fallon Sherrock makes costly error in defeat as Luke Humphries surges through in style; the World Darts Championship runs all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – we’re back on Monday at 7pm, live on Sky Sports Darts

Fallon Sherrock suffered a gut-wrenching opening round defeat at the World Darts Championship as red-hot Luke Humphries looked cool as a cucumber as he progressed in style on the Alexandra Palace stage.

Sherrock’s opponent Jermaine Wattimena won nine out of the last 12 legs to send ‘The Queen of the Palace’ crashing out in the first round.

Humphries, who has been on an incredible run of form which has seen him win three televised titles in two months at the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals, defeated Lee Evans in straight sets.

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Sherrock was delighted after winning the first set against Wattimena

Sherrock made a dream start by edging the opening set in a deciding leg with a cool 50 finish in two darts having levelled up the set at 2-2 with an 80 checkout on tops.

The Dutchman recovered well to seal the second set 3-1 and restore parity much to the annoyance of Sherrock, who missed two darts at tops which would have sent it into a deciding leg.

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It was agony for Sherrock who made a costly error at a crucial moment of her clash against Wattimena

Wattimena soon silenced the rowdy Ally Pally crowd when he blasted his way through the third set without reply to move ahead.

Sherrock’s hopes were ended when she bust when aiming for double 8 with Wattimena sinking a magnificent 110 checkout to level the fourth set at 2-2. He sank double 5 in the deciding leg to claim victory.

“Obviously, I’m gutted with the result,” said Sherrock. “I had spells when I played well tonight but I missed chances at key moments and they cost me.

“Full credit to Jermaine, he was the better player on the night and he punished me when I missed chances.

“The Ally Pally stage is a special place for me and I will be back to hopefully make more positive memories here in the future.”

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Wattimena ended Sherrock’s hopes when he nailed double 5 to claim a fine win

Three-time quarter-finalist Humphries bossed the opening set of his match against Lee Evans, who hit back with the first 170 checkout of the tournament to narrow the gap in set two before the tournament favourite won the deciding leg to stretch his advantage.

Evans pinned a whopping 116 finish to take a 2-0 lead in the third set but he was punished for a total of 19 missed doubles with ‘Cool Hand Luke’ making it through thanks to a neat 70 checkout on double 16.

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Humphries admitted he wasn’t at his best during his win over Evans

“I was not at my best today, the most important thing for me is it felt good,” said the 28-year-old Newbury thrower. “I said in my previous interviews, just get through the first game, it’s always the toughest.

“There will be nothing in that game where I look back and say I’m disappointed in myself because I won the game 3-0 and that’s what I wanted.

“The next game will be tough but I feel I will be a lot lot better than that.

“It’s hard not to get frustrated but this is darts. You can’t always be fantastic and that’s the way it is.”

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Evans reeled in ‘The Big Fish’ during his second round match against Humphries

Dutchman Niels Zonneveld halted ‘The Demolition man’ Darren Webster’s revival to land his very first victory on the World Championship stage.

After easing through the opening two sets, Norfolk ace Webster bounced back by edging the third set in a decider to keep his hopes alive despite 16 missed darts at doubles and an 84 average.

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Niels Zonneveld eventually got over the line against Darren Webster, despite EIGHT missed match darts

However, ‘Triple Z’, who reached the quarter-finals of the 2021 World Series of Darts, booked his spot in the second round against former European Champion Ross Smith thanks to his ninth match dart.

In the opening match of the night, Florian Hempel recovered from a set down to defeat Ireland’s Dylan Slevin 3-1 with five 180s along the way.

Young Irishman Slevin piled in a 167 but former handball star Hempel showed all his experience to make a winning start to his campaign.

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Dylan Slevin hit this sensational 167 checkout during his first round defeat at the Worlds

The German will now renew his rivalry with Dimitri Van den Bergh in a fascinating second round tie on Friday, two years after shocking the Belgian.

‘The Rockstar’ lays down marker in afternoon session

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Joe Cullen was happy with his victory over Darren Penhall

Joe Cullen raced into the third round after easing to a straight-sets victory over Darren Penhall on Sunday afternoon.

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Cullen smashed in this 160 checkout against Penhall

Cullen fired a 93.41 average and posted six maximums during a comfortable 3-0 win over Penhall, with a 160 checkout also helping set up a last-32 meeting with Ryan Searle, Ian White or Tomoya Goto.

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‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans summons the spirit of Christmas for his walk-on against Simon Adams

Ricky Evans brushed aside Simon Adams in straight sets earlier in the session to book a second-round clash with Nathan Aspinall, while Wales’ Jim Williams didn’t drop a leg on his way to defeating qualifier Norman Madhoo by the same scoreline.

The contest of the session came when ‘Ginja Ninja’ Matt Campbell battled back from squandering five match darts in the third set and a two-set lead to defeat Lourence Ilagan in a final-set decider.

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Matt Campbell missed the chance to finish the match before Lourence Ilagan hits tops-tops to win the set

What’s happening on Monday at the World Darts Championship?

Gerwyn Price will be aiming to land a second World title at Ally Pally

Welshman Gerwyn Price begins his bid to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy for a second time on Monday.

The night will also see World Youth Championship finalist Gian van Veen make his World Championship debut.

The sport’s biggest event sees 96 players compete for the Sid Waddell Trophy and £2.5m in prize money at Alexandra Palace. You can watch all the action live on our dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel.

Watch the World Darts Championship all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts. NOW Sports Month Membership: £21 a month for 6 months

Trent Alexander-Arnold fires a low effort just wide as Liverpool push for an opening goal against Manchester United.

Gary Anderson sinks 112 and 116 checkouts as ‘The Flying Scotsman’ demolishes Simon Whitlock for opening win; the World Darts Championship runs all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – we’re back on Sunday afternoon at 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Darts

Gary Anderson was back on the Alexandra Palace stage and in relentless form as the 52-year-old crushed Simon Whitlock to cruise through at the World Darts Championship on Saturday.

The two-time World Champion may currently be ranked 21 in the world but he has statistically played better than anyone on the PDC circuit this year.

The legendary Scot, who turns 53 on December 22, will enjoy his Christmas at home after racing through the opening set in 11, 14 and 18 darts with an average close to 105.

Anderson, watched on by tennis star Jamie Murray, then defied a 106 checkout from the Aussie to clinch set two 3-1 and double his lead with three 180s to his name.

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Anderson defeated Whitlock in the second round with this spectacular 116 checkout

He soon wrapped up a 3-0 with a classy 116 finish to end the contest with a neat 98.3 average and five 180s.

“The more I play, the more I get used to it, so fingers crossed. But I still want to be 35 again,” Anderson told Sky Sports.

The flashy Scott Williams left his form on the Tour behind him as he rolled his way past Japan’s former World Cup of Darts semi-finalist Haruki Muramatsu to reach the next round.

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Williams attempted a no-look 180, then followed it up with a 120 checkout in his first leg

‘Shaggy’ opening the match with a 120 checkout and even attempted a blind 180 on his way to claiming an edgy set but he swept his way through the second without reply.

Muramatsu claimed the third set to halve the deficit, but Williams sealed the deal when he nailed a show-stopping 127 on the bullseye to set up a clash against Danny Noppert on Thursday.

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Williams rounded off his win over Muramatsu this sensational 127 on the bull

Jamie Hughes finally tasted success at Ally Pally at the fifth time of asking to reach the second round with a 3-1 victory against David Cameron.

The Tipton ace known as ‘Yozza’ sealed the victory on double eight before showing plenty of emotion on the big stage as he set up a meeting with Krzysztof Ratajski of Poland.

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Jamie Hughes let out all his emotions after his first ever victory on the Ally Pally stage

Keane Barry missed a total of 26 darts at a double, while his Filipino opponent Reynaldo Rivera failed with 22 attempts, but it was the Irishman who pinned a Shanghai 120 checkout on his way to a slow-burner of a win and a clash against three-time champion Michael van Gerwen on Tuesday evening.

Chizzy makes winning start on Saturday afternoon

Dave Chisnall has struggled for form on the televised stage in 2023, but has picked up three European Tour titles as well as winning two Players Championship events

Dave Chisnall broke the heart of an emotional Cameron Menzies, who missed five darts to force a deciding set with the St Helens thrower eventually coming through a tricky second-round tie 3-1.

Former Lakeside Championship semi-finalist Menzies spent Friday morning plumbing before taking to the biggest stage in world darts to defeat Rusty-Jake Rodriguez in the opening round.

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Cameron Menzies couldn’t hide his emotion after losing to Dave Chisnall and exiting the World Darts Championship in the second round

And he made a good start but ‘Chizzy’ recovered from a set down to reel off three in a row and complete a fine victory over the Scot with six 180s along the way.

Earlier, Connor Scutt was the pick of the players involved in the first-round matches, returning a 95.97 average on his way to a 3-0 whitewash victory over Krzysztof Kciuk of Poland.

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Darren Penhall breezes the first two legs of the third set, taking out a 108 and 120 against Jules van Dongen

Darren Penhall provided some extravagant moments during his 3-1 victory over Jules van Dongen, taking out three ton-plus finishes, while Lee Evans overcame Sandro Eric Sosing 3-0 to book a second-round meeting with the in-form Luke Humphries.

What’s happening on Sunday at the World Darts Championship?

Fallon Sherrock makes her highly-anticipated return to Ally Pally. Can the ‘Queen of the Palace’ cause another seismic tungsten shock?

Luke Humphries – who has won three of the sport’s last four TV ranking titles – will headline the action when he takes on Lee Evans.

Former Masters champion Joe Cullen will also feature, while Fallon Sherrock goes head-to-head with quick-fire Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena on her Alexandra Palace return.

The sport’s biggest event sees 96 players compete for the Sid Waddell Trophy and £2.5m in prize money at Alexandra Palace. You can watch all the action live on our dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel.

Watch the World Darts Championship all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts. NOW Sports Month Membership: £21 a month for 6 months

Michael Smith survives opening-round scare to make it through at Ally Pally; the World Darts Championship runs all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – we’re back on Saturday afternoon at 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Darts

Reigning champion Michael Smith began his World Darts Championship title defence with victory but only after surviving a huge scare to defeat Dutch debutant Kevin Doets on opening night at Alexandra Palace.

Smith created global headlines with his sensational triumph in January, producing an incredible nine-darter in a leg dubbed ‘the greatest of all-time’ on his way to a 7-4 success against Michael van Gerwen.

The world No 1 was facing the prospect of becoming the first defending champion to lose their opening match in the sport’s showpiece event since 2009, before he fought back magnificently to keep his hopes alive.

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Michael Smith dug out this huge 142 in the final set to leave his opponent Kevin Doets shaking his head in disbelief

Doets, who reached the fifth round of this year’s UK Open after winning his PDC Tour Card for the first time in January 2022, dumped out Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finalist Stowe Buntz in the opening match of the tournament.

The world No 66 came into the meeting with St Helens star Smith on a high, but it was the reigning champion who made a strong start by sealing the opening set 3-1 with 60 per cent on the doubles.

The talented Dutchman responded by claiming the second set in a deciding leg against the darts for parity with a 100.3 average after Smith failed to hit tops to move clear of his opponent.

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Smith pinned this superb 150 during his 3-2 victory over the Dutchman

Doets, nicknamed ‘Hawk Eye’, continued to find the target and he despite a huge 150 checkout from Smith, he produced winning legs in 12, 14 and 13 darts to move within a set of causing a almighty upset.

However, Smith wrapped up set four 3-1, including a whopping 121 checkout to send the match all the way.

Smith landed a majestic 142 checkout under immense pressure to regain the lead in the decider and despite missing five darts at a double, he eventually claimed victory with a neat 67 finish on tops.

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Wayne Mardle heaped praise on Smith after his close opening win at Ally Pally

“It’s one of them, I managed to fall over the line, no nerves, no pressure, I’ll have a good Christmas now,” Smith told Sky Sports.

Simon Whitlock, the 2010 runner-up, missed five darts before winning a slow-burner of a contest against former PDC Asian Championship finalist Paolo Nebrida to set up a showdown with two-time champion Gary Anderson on Saturday evening.

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Paolo Nebrida found checkouts of 116 and 121 but eventually lost out to Simon Whitlock in a nervy contest

‘The Wizard’ was forced to dig deep to battle past Nebrida, using all of his experience to avoid a shock exit.

“I’ve just been messing around with my darts too much. I’ve been like Peter Wright,” Whitlock admitted.

And on facing Anderson next, he replied: “I’m a big 180 hitter and they weren’t there today, but tomorrow is a different day. Maybe they will turn, maybe I will turn up and me and Gary will have a great game.”

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Whitlock credited his experience for getting him through a razor-thin opening-round contest

Cameron Menzies came through a fiery encounter against Rusty-Jake Rodriguez to reach the second round.

The Scot, who is the partner of Fallon Sherrock, closed out a 3-0 success over Austria’s Rodriguez with four 180s and 50 per cent on the doubles to move through.

“I was so nervous today, because I knew that game meant a lot,” revealed Menzies, who prepared for his opening round clash with a plumbing shift this morning.

“Winning that game meant the world to me, and I think going to work today helped me relax, because it made me realise that darts is a hobby for me.

“Obviously I would like to be in a situation in the future where I can give up work, because I know in spells I can score as well as the best, but it’s still my finishing that separates the top ten from a player like me.”

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Rusty-Jake Rodriguez threw his darts off the table after going down two sets to Cameron Menzies

What’s happening on Saturday at the World Darts Championship?

Dave ‘Chizzy’ Chisnall headlines he action on Saturday afternoon at Alexandra Palace

The first double session at this year’s tournament will take place, as two-time world champion Gary Anderson opens his title challenge with a clash against Simon Whitlock.

Dave Chisnall, a 2021 semi-finalist, takes centre stage in the afternoon when he faces Cameron Menzies, while American No 1 Jules van Dongen makes his debut against DPA qualifier Darren Penhall.

The sport’s biggest event sees 96 players compete for the Sid Waddell Trophy and £2.5m in prize money at Alexandra Palace. You can watch all the action live on our dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel.

Watch the World Darts Championship all the way until the final on January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts. NOW Sports Month Membership: £21 a month for 6 months

Gary Neville says if Dejan Kulusevski continues starring in the number 10 role for Tottenham Hotspur, he could end up being worth between £80 million and £100 million.

We take a look behind the scenes at what goes into preparing the World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace; The World Darts Championship runs from December 15, 2023 to January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts

The calm before the storm – the final preparations are well under way at Alexandra Palace.

The seats are all set out, the fan area has beer and food aplenty, and the stage is looking as special as ever in luminous green.

The long green carpet to the fan area leads you into a mix of games, fun, and charity.

A chance to play darts against the best, food and drink galore, and most excitingly, your chance to recreate Wayne Mardle and Stuart Pyke’s iconic commentary from the 2023 final greet you in the space that will soon be packed out by thousands.

Come 5.30pm, when fans are all set with their pitchers of beer, they can head into the arena which is dominating in its proximity to the stage.

The rows of tables are all dutifully lined up and the flashing lights are ready to put on a show with the fans up close and personal with the players they have come to watch.

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Watch how Wayne Mardle and Stuart Pyke reacted to the sensational leg between Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith in the World Championship final that culminated in a nine-darter for Bully Boy

The former winners adorn the walls in a constant reminder of how big this tournament is and the walk on area, although shorter in person, is as intimidating as ever – never mind when 1,000s of fans are watching on.

“Stand up if you love the darts” is the message that is on the walls alongside “it is the most wonderful time of the year” and for most who will visit the Ally Pally over the next six weeks, it is wonderful because of the darting show they will witness.

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We take a look inside the St Helen’s darts club that produced Michael Smith, Luke Littler and others to see how they inspire young players

Last year brought the greatest leg of darts ever seen, and now it is time to find out what from this tournament will live on in darting history…

Watch the World Darts Championship from December 15, 2023 to January 3, 2024 – live on Sky Sports Darts. Stream your favourite sports and more with NOW

West Indies 1st innings

Yet to bat

Fall of Wickets

• Kyle Mayers at 43 for 1, from 5.4 overs43-1 (Kyle Mayers, 5.4 ov)
• Nicholas Pooran at 48 for 2, from 6.3 overs48-2 (Nicholas Pooran, 6.3 ov)
• Shai Hope at 51 for 3, from 7.2 overs51-3 (Shai Hope, 7.2 ov)
• Shimron Hetmyer at 54 for 4, from 8.2 overs54-4 (Shimron Hetmyer, 8.2 ov)
• Rovman Powell at 134 for 5, from 15.6 overs134-5 (Rovman Powell, 15.6 ov)
• Andre Russell at 176 for 6, from 19.5 overs176-6 (Andre Russell, 19.5 ov)
• Jason Holder at 176 for 7, from 19.6 overs176-7 (Jason Holder, 19.6 ov)

Eddie Jones says he doesn’t feel guilty at all about his process of joining Japan after it was rumoured he was in talks with the Japanese Rugby Football Union while coaching Australia at the World Cup.