The Merseyside thrower Weathers Significant Test as Nitin Kumar Makes A Landmark for India.
The 2024 semi-finalist narrowly avoided an early exit to progress into the second round of the prestigious tournament on Sunday.
'The Bullet', who was a beaten semi-finalist last year, was forced all the way to a dramatic fifth leg by Polish qualifier Sebastian Bialecki before securing a hard-fought victory at the iconic Ally Pally venue.
A Rollercoaster Match
Bunting began in blistering fashion, posting a superb 119.4 en route to powering through the first set. Victory seemed assured after hitting a spectacular 160 finish to take the second set.
Yet, his momentum stalled, and he won just one leg over the next two sets. This let Bialecki – who remained oblivious even when a wasp landed on his shoulder – to draw level. Bunting steadied himself in the decider, but was still taken to the wire before securing it 4-2.
“Performing at this venue you go through all the emotions,” Bunting explained to Sky Sports. “I was aware Sebastian was going to be tough and even at 2-0 he kept fighting. I am lucky to come through that one.”
Kumar Makes Groundbreaking Victory
Bunting's second-round foe will be 'The Royal Bengal', who made history by becoming the pioneering Indian at the event. He beat the Netherlands' Richard Veenstra 3-2 in a thrilling match.
The veteran player, who had been defeated in all four of his previous first-round appearances, remarked this landmark win could have “paved the way to a billion” darts players from his homeland.
“Words fail me at this moment. I’m ecstatic, I’m delighted,” Kumar expressed. “Dream big, anything is achievable. I’ve dreamed of this ever since I watched Dennis Priestley win the World Championship.”
He joked with a light-hearted prediction: “I’m sorry, a decade down the line if you have eight people in the world championship walking on to Bollywood music, don’t blame me.”
Additional First-Round Action
- Darren Beveridge: The Scotland's debutant made an strong start, averaging 91.62 in a one-sided 3-0 win over Belgium's Dimitri Van den Bergh, who managed just one leg.
- Jonny Tata: Another first-timer, from New Zealand, ended the hopes of world No. 27 Ritchie Edhouse with a clear 3-0 victory.
- Dom Taylor: The fellow newcomer saw off Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak by the same 3-0 margin.
- Joe Cullen: The world No. 32 was in fine fettle as he eased past Bradley Brooks 3-0.
- Wesley Plaisier: The Dutch player beat Germany’s Lukas Wenig 3-1.
- James Hurrell: Rounded off the evening's play with a 3-1 victory over American Stowe Buntz.
