The Bullet Stuns in Berlin: Bunting Defeats Price to Claim Night 9 Win
- Darts Central
- Apr 4
- 6 min read
Following Luke Littler’s fourth Premier League night win in eight weeks last time out in Newcastle, attention turned to the German capital for Night 9. A packed-out Uber Arena in Berlin buzzed with anticipation for another evening of world-class darting action.
Quarter-Final 1: Stephen Bunting 6-2 Nathan Aspinall
The night began in Berlin with Stephen Bunting still searching for his first Premier League points, now nine nights into the campaign, as he faced play-off chasing Nathan Aspinall.
Bunting was sharp from the start, capitalising on missed doubles from Aspinall to open up a commanding 4–1 lead after five legs. Aspinall responded with a brilliant 14-dart hold to make it 4–2, marked by a sarcastic celebration after finally taking a chance.
‘The Bullet’ wasn’t rattled, maintaining his composure with a superb 12-dart hold before sealing the win with a 13-dart break — clinching his first victory of the season in style.
Match Stats:
Bunting: 103.40 average, 4x 180s, Checkout %: 54.55% (6/11)
Aspinall: 100.23 average, 5x 180s, Checkout %: 25% (2/8)
After a long wait, Bunting finally got off the mark with a magnificent quarter-final display — and had the chance to build further momentum on the night.
Quarter-Final 2: Luke Humphries 6-3 Rob Cross
Humphries came into this clash off the back of a final appearance in Newcastle, while Cross continued to collect points with regular quarter-final wins — though he was still searching for a first final despite being firmly in the play-off hunt.
‘Voltage’ started superbly, producing back-to-back 12-darters to surge into a 3–1 lead. Humphries responded with a 12-darter of his own to reduce the deficit to 3–2.
Cross then missed chances on the outer ring across the next two legs, and the World No.1 punished him to edge ahead 4–3. ‘Cool Hand’ didn’t let him back in — breaking in 15 darts before sealing the win with a clinical 13-dart hold.
Match Stats:
Humphries: 98.00 average, 1x 180, Checkout %: 42.86% (6/14)
Cross: 99.68 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 23.08% (3/13)
Despite a blistering start from Cross, his scoring power faded as the match went on — and Humphries took full advantage to bank two more points and extend his cushion in second place.
Quarter-Final 3: Chris Dobey 6-2 Luke Littler
A 21-point gap separated these two in the table heading into Night 9, as first-placed Littler faced seventh-placed Dobey.
The league leader opened up in typical fashion with a 14-dart hold to lead 1–0, but the match quickly turned. Dobey capitalised on repeated missed doubles from Littler to reel off three straight legs and take a 3–1 lead.
‘Hollywood’ then turned on the style — following up with a 13-dart break and a superb 12-dart hold to move 5–1 ahead, winning five consecutive legs in the process. Littler managed to stop the rot with a 14-dart hold, but Dobey kept his cool and sealed the win with an 18-dart hold.
Match Stats:
Dobey: 93.23 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 54.55% (6/11)
Littler: 93.28 average, 4x 180s, Checkout %: 15.38% (2/13)
Dobey picked up two valuable points with a dominant performance — ruthlessly punishing Littler’s missed opportunities to pull off a shock win and close the gap on the top four.
Quarter-Final 4: Gerwyn Price Bye (Michael van Gerwen Withdraws)
Michael van Gerwen withdrew from Night 9 due to a shoulder injury, resulting in Gerwyn Price receiving a bye to the Semi-Finals.
Under Premier League rules, Price was awarded two points and a +1 leg difference. Van Gerwen, meanwhile, collected zero points and was handed a -6 leg difference.
Semi-Final 1: Stephen Bunting 6-2 Luke Humphries
Fresh off his first points of the campaign in the quarter-finals, Stephen Bunting looked to build on that momentum, while Luke Humphries aimed for back-to-back finals.
Bunting opened up a 2–0 lead in a scrappy start that saw Humphries miss several chances. The World No.1 responded with two legs of his own to level at 2–2, with Bunting narrowly missing one dart at double 18 for a potential 3–1 lead.
‘The Bullet’ immediately broke back to lead 3–2 and never looked back — reeling off the next three legs to seal a convincing 6–2 victory. Humphries had just two darts at double in that final four-leg stretch, both missed in the seventh leg.
Match Stats:
Bunting: 95.66 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 40% (6/15)
Humphries: 87.83 average, 1x 180, Checkout %: 20% (2/10)
It was a fully deserved win for Bunting, who outscored Humphries and remained clinical on the outer ring to continue his remarkable turnaround on the night.
Semi-Final 2: Gerwyn Price 6-2 Chris Dobey
Gerwyn Price finally took to the Berlin stage following Michael van Gerwen’s withdrawal and was looking to pull clear of the chasing pack in the play-off race. Chris Dobey, meanwhile, was aiming to reach his first final since Week 1 in Belfast.
Price set the tone early, taking the opening two legs with a 180 in each and nailing crucial last-dart doubles to frustrate Dobey. The Geordie responded with a 14-dart break to make it 2–1, but Price immediately hit back with a brilliant 12-darter before holding again — once more pinning the double with his final dart — to move 4–1 ahead.
Dobey missed four darts at double in the sixth leg, and Price punished him by landing double 10 for a commanding 5–1 lead. A superb 11-dart break briefly gave Dobey a glimmer of hope, but any comeback was short-lived as two more missed doubles allowed Price to seal the 6–2 win.
Match Stats:
Price: 92.42 average, 4x 180s, Checkout %: 37.5% (6/16)
Dobey: 96.94 average, 1x 180, Checkout %: 22.22% (2/9)
It was a clinical display from the Welshman, whose timely scoring and sharp last-dart finishing saw him reach a third final of the campaign.
🏆 The Final: Stephen Bunting 6-5 Gerwyn Price
After picking up his first points of the campaign this evening, Stephen Bunting was now looking to add a Night victory to his tally. Meanwhile, Gerwyn Price was hunting his third Night win of the season to solidify his position in third place.
The final began with a scrappy first leg, where the players missed 11 darts at double between them. Price eventually snuck ahead with a double 6 for a 1–0 lead and a break. The trend of breaks continued for the next five legs, leaving the score tied at 3–3. Price had chances to pull away but couldn't capitalise on key opportunities, particularly on the outer ring.
Bunting finally ended the streak of breaks with a solid 14-dart hold and a clinical 96 checkout to lead 4–3. Price responded with a comfortable 15-dart hold to make it 4–4. The next leg saw Bunting miss two darts at double, and Price punished him, taking out 71 for a 5–4 lead.
With the match on the line, Price had two darts at double top and double 10 to seal victory, but both went begging. Bunting seized the opportunity, taking out 25 in two darts to level the match at 5–5 and force a decider.
In the final leg, with Bunting holding the throw, he needed a 107 checkout to win. After 12 darts, Bunting was left with 107, while Price was on 112. The pressure was on, but the Bullet nailed his checkout to stun Price and win the match 6–5.
Match Stats:
Bunting: 93.73 average, 5x 180s, Checkout %: 33.33% (6/18)
Price: 93.12 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 22.73% (5/22)
Incredibly, Bunting claimed Night 9 despite a winless start to the campaign. His consistency throughout the night, combined with a little overdue luck, earned him the maximum 5 points and a well-deserved victory.
Updated Premier League Table After Night 9
Following Stephen Bunting’s Night win in Berlin, he surged from 0 to 5 points, just two behind Chris Dobey in 7th. With Michael van Gerwen's withdrawal, Price capitalised on the opportunity, making the final to add 3 points and strengthen his position in 3rd.
Luke Humphries added another 2 points to solidify his 2nd spot, while Littler, despite a poor performance tonight, remained comfortably in 1st. Nathan Aspinall and Rob Cross had disappointing exits but are still within striking distance of the 4th play-off spot, while Dobey’s win over Littler keeps him in the mix, although he has a lot more work to do to reach finals night.
Position | Name | Points |
1st | Luke Littler | 26 |
2nd | Luke Humphries | 20 |
3rd | Gerwyn Price | 15 |
4th | Michael van Gerwen | 13 |
5th | Rob Cross | 12 |
6th | Nathan Aspinall | 10 |
7th | Chris Dobey | 7 |
8th | Stephen Bunting | 5 |
Night Ten Fixtures—Thursday, 10th April
AO Arena, Manchester
Quarter-Finals
Chris Dobey v Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall v Rob Cross
Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price
Stephen Bunting v Luke Humphries
Final Thoughts
Stephen Bunting’s impressive Night win in Berlin will provide a much-needed confidence boost as he heads into the final seven nights. Having come off a winless 8-night run, Bunting now believes he has a shot at a play-off push, an outside possibility after tonight's victory. He also claims the £10,000 winner’s bonus and the PL Night trophy.
Gerwyn Price will be pleased to solidify his spot in the top 4 despite a disappointing finish in the final. He’ll look to build on this momentum in the upcoming weeks. On a separate note, attention must be given to Michael van Gerwen, who withdrew from Night 9 due to a shoulder injury. Hopefully, it’s not too serious, and MvG will be fit for his next match.
Upcoming Tournaments:
International Darts Open (ET3)—April 4th-April 6th in WT Energiesysteme Arena, Riesa, live on PDC.tv
Players Championship 11 & 12—April 8th & April 9th in Mattioli Arena, Leicester, live on PDC.tv
Premier League Night 10—Thursday, 10th April at AO Arena, Manchester, live on Sky Sports
Comments