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There’s a handful of players who raise their game in every respect when the World Darts Championship comes around, and Stephen Bunting is quickly becoming one of those as he prepares for a third quarter-final at the iconic Alexandra Palace.
Bunting reached the quarter-finals during his maiden season on the professional circuit and had to wait six years for another last eight appearance, although two quarter-finals in three years means he’s made that stage more times in London than at all the other majors put together during that period.
Former Lakeside world champion Bunting overcame a strenuous second round match against North American champion Leonard Gates, which was riddled with spurned attempts on the doubles, to defeat both Dave Chisnall and Luke Humphries with averages around the 100 mark.
There were questions from some pundits regarding Bunting’s ability to replicate his overly impressive victory over Chisnall against the world number five, although the Liverpool-born thrower dismissed those concerns with a second successive sensational display.
“It’s unbelievable – what a venue, what a time to be in the quarter-finals and what an absolutely brilliant crowd. They got me through that. From the moment I stepped onto the stage, they were all behind me,” Bunting told Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.
“If you’re going to play your best darts then this is the place to play it. I was watching this afternoon and they were saying ‘can he do it again?’.
Photos courtesy of Kieran Cleeves/PDC
“I’ve been preparing so hard for this tournament. I’ve been practising with Nathan Aspinall, I’ve been locking myself away and I’ve been bruising and battling myself to hit the big scores. I’m a danger to anyone and write me off at your peril.”
Tenth seed Aspinall endured a disappointing third round departure at the hands of the highly-regarded Josh Rock, but his practice partner Bunting has motored on and now faces two-time runner-up Michael Smith for a place in a second semi-final in three editions.
“We’re both lads from St Helens. He’s going to be a tough opponent but he’s not stupid and he’s watched my last two games, he knows what to expect,” the world number 21 added.
Bunting beat Smith during his remarkable 2015 debut campaign in a match in which both averaged in excess of the 102 mark. “That goes for nothing and that’s all in the past,” he said. “Hopefully we have a brilliant game and the crowd are entertained.”
The two-time ranking event winner proceeded to reveal in his post-match press conference that he wants to brush aside the past occasions he’s been labelled as leisurely and prove himself as a member of the world’s very elite.
“I don’t want to relax to be honest,” Bunting expressed. “I want the best the players in the world. I want to prove myself as being one of the best players in the world. I know I am and I know I’ve put the effort in this year.
“Sometimes in the past I’ve been accused of being a lazy darts player, sitting on my butt playing the PlayStation too much. I’m really good at FIFA now! But it’s time to man up and it’s time to become a proper darts player again.”
Perhaps Bunting’s results didn’t match his performances heading into the sport’s showpiece staging this season but there’s no better place to right that record than the stage where everybody wants to taste success.
