Stephen Bunting goes mental in Belfast after Rock nails a 9-dater on home soil
Stephen Bunting goes mental in Belfast after Rock nails a 9-dater on home soil
Stephen Bunting delivered a sensational response to a difficult start in the BetMGM Premier League, producing three outstanding performances to secure Night Four glory in Belfast, as Josh Rock thrilled a partisan crowd with a moment of darting perfection at the SSE Arena.
After failing to register a win across the opening three weeks of the campaign, Stephen Bunting reignited his challenge in emphatic fashion, defeating Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton and Gian van Veen to claim his first nightly success of the season in front of a packed Northern Irish crowd.
The St Helens thrower set the tone immediately, producing a personal-best Premier League performance in his quarter-final victory over Humphries. Averaging an outstanding 106.63, Bunting dismantled the reigning world champion 6-4, landing an astonishing 75% of his attempts at doubles to underline his clinical edge at the business end of legs.
That blistering standard showed no sign of dropping in the semi-finals, where Bunting dismantled league leader Clayton in ruthless fashion. The former Masters champion recorded another average north of 106, whitewashing the Welshman and sending a clear warning to the rest of the field that his early-season struggles were firmly behind him.
Awaiting him in the final was Van Veen, who continued his remarkable debut Premier League run by reaching a third final in four nights. Bunting, however, seized early control of the contest, racing into a 2-0 lead before capitalising on missed opportunities from the Dutchman to establish a commanding 4-1 advantage. From there, the 40-year-old never looked back, calmly closing out the contest with a composed 13-darter to clinch victory and surge to fifth place in the league table.
“I’m overjoyed to be honest, this has got to rank up there with one of the best wins of my career,” admitted an emotional Bunting, who secured his first nightly win since April 2025 in Berlin.
“I was a bit emotional early on after my first game and I held it together.
“I’ve had John Terry saying I should be pushing people off the stage, but hopefully I’ve done that tonight with my scoring and my doubles!
“I still believe I’m one of the best players in the world and deserve to be in this Premier League, this goes a long way to say why I should be here.
“The fans in here tonight, wow! These are the nights that I play for.”
While Bunting walked away with the silverware, the loudest roar of the night was reserved for home favourite Josh Rock, who produced a breathtaking nine-darter in his quarter-final clash against Van Veen.
Despite ultimately suffering a 6-2 defeat, Rock etched his name into Premier League folklore in unforgettable fashion. Trailing 5-1, the 24-year-old produced back-to-back maximums before holding his nerve to pin a spectacular 141 finish, sending the SSE Arena into absolute raptures.
“To hit a nine-darter as nervous as I was… Holy God!” confessed an elated Rock.
“Double 12 hasn’t been good to me the last six months, so when the treble 20 and treble 19 went in, I thought, please go in!
“When it went in, I couldn’t hold the celebrations back in front of my home crowd… wow! Gian was buzzing too!”
Rock’s moment of perfection was rewarded handsomely by Premier League title sponsor BetMGM, who presented the Northern Irishman with the first bespoke set of solid gold darts of the 2026 campaign, valued at an eye-watering £30,000.
“Those golden darts will be in my cabinet forever, knowing that I’ve hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd,” admitted the Northern Irishman.
“I know I didn’t get the result but I was very happy to hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd!”
Van Veen’s progress to the final ensured another impressive chapter in what has been a hugely promising Premier League debut. The European Champion overcame Rock despite the nine-darter, showcasing his class with a dominant overall display that included a stunning 167 checkout. He then edged past Gerwyn Price in a dramatic deciding-leg semi-final, averaging over 105 and sealing victory with a crucial 68 checkout before eventually being denied by Bunting.
Elsewhere on the night, Clayton continued his strong run of form by defeating Luke Littler for the second consecutive week, extending his streak of opening-round victories to four. Price, meanwhile, produced a spirited comeback against Michael van Gerwen, recovering from 5-3 down and winning the final two legs in just 22 darts to complete a dramatic deciding-leg triumph.
Attention now turns to Cardiff, where the BetMGM Premier League resumes for Night Five. Clayton and Price will both enjoy home advantage, with Clayton set to face Van Veen, while Price hosts Night Four winner Bunting. Van Gerwen will open proceedings against Humphries, and Rock will once again look to kickstart his campaign when he faces world champion Littler.
Stephen Bunting goes mental in Belfast after Rock nails a 9-dater on home soil
2026 BetMGM Premier League
Night Four – SSE Arena, Belfast
Thursday February 26
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Luke Littler
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Luke Humphries
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Gian van Veen 6-2 Josh Rock
Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6-0 Jonny Clayton
Gian van Veen 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Final
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Gian van Veen
Nine-darter!
Josh Rock hit a nine-dart leg during his quarter-final match against Gian van Veen.
