Bunting Silences Doubters with Emotional Night 4 Triumph in Belfast

Stephen Bunting answered his critics emphatically on Thursday night, producing a stunning display to claim Night 4 of the 2026 Premier League at the SSE Arena in Belfast.

‘The Bullet’ defeated Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton, and Gian van Veen en route to securing the maximum five points and £10,000 winner’s bonus.

The victory lifts the Liverpudlian into fifth place after beginning his third Premier League campaign with three consecutive quarter-final exits.

Serious questions had surrounded Bunting’s inclusion in this year’s showpiece event. After finishing bottom of the table in 2025 and enduring a winless run that stretched until Night 9 in Berlin last season, many felt his selection was fortunate.

He failed to make any real impact on the televised stage across 2025, and doubts lingered as to whether the 40-year-old had done enough to justify another opportunity in the eight-man line-up.

Yet despite losing his opening three matches this year, averages of 97.59, 99.55 and 99.84 suggested the performances were not as poor as the results suggested.

In Belfast, he moved through the gears and finally converted quality performances into points.

Stephen Bunting pictured after victory in Belfast (Photo by: Michael Cooper/PDC)

High-Class Start Against Humphries

Bunting’s evening began with a high-quality encounter against World No.2 Luke Humphries.

He averaged 106.63 and pinned 75% on his doubles (6/8) in a 6-4 victory over ‘Cool Hand’. Humphries himself averaged 106.29 but managed just 30.77% on the outer ring (4/13), an area that ultimately proved decisive as the Bullet punished every opportunity.

Given his winless start to the campaign, securing victory in the quarter-final felt significant, not only in terms of the two points but also psychologically.

He flipped the script on the outer ring, an area that has often been Bunting’s Achilles’ heel on the televised stage, and did so against one of the most clinical operators in the sport.

Statement Whitewash Against League Leader

In the semi-final, Bunting produced the first whitewash of the Premier League season, dismantling league leader Jonny Clayton 6-0 in a stunning display.

It was an emphatic performance, with Bunting averaging 106.09 to punish a below-par Clayton, who managed just a 90.04 average and had only two attempts at a double.

Clayton, who had earlier defeated Luke Littler 6-3 with a 96.16 average, was unable to replicate that level as Bunting controlled the contest from the outset and never allowed him to settle.

Composed in the Final

Awaiting Bunting in the final was Gian van Veen, who was into his third nightly final in just four nights of his debut campaign.

However, the Dutchman never truly found his rhythm.

The World No.7 raced into a 4-1 lead and capitalised on missed opportunities from van Veen, who was visibly frustrated throughout, shaking his head as the contest began to get away from him.

The Bullet averaged 97.15 and, despite not registering a maximum, cruised to a 6-2 victory, producing a high checkout of 106 in the match.

The Giant, however, was unable to replicate the heights he had reached earlier in the evening, averaging 95.76 and landing just 33.33% of his attempts on the outer ring.

The victory capped an emotional night for the Liverpudlian, who moves onto five points and firmly back into genuine play-off contention.

Key Takeaways from Night 4

Rock’s Nine-Dart Moment Amid Difficult Start

In defeat on home soil, Josh Rock etched his name into Premier League history in a moment he will cherish forever.

Trailing 5-1 to Gian van Veen in his quarter-final and struggling to find any rhythm, the Northern Irishman produced a sensational nine-dart finish to send the SSE Arena into raptures.

The 24-year-old bounced across the stage, visibly emotional after landing the 22nd nine-darter in Premier League history in his home city.

Despite going on to lose 6-2 with a 91.05 average, the reigning World Cup champion earns the first set of gold darts handed out in 2026, courtesy of tournament sponsors BetMGM, worth £30,000.

After pinning the perfect leg, Rock admitted:

“To hit a nine-darter as nervous as I was… Holy God! When it went in, I couldn’t hold the celebrations back in front of my home crowd! Gian was buzzing too!

“Those golden darts will be in my cabinet forever, knowing that I’ve hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd.

“I know I didn’t get the result, but I was very happy to do it here.”

It was a full-circle moment for Rock, who revealed pre-match that he had once watched this event from the Belfast crowd as a child, dreaming of one day playing on that very stage.

However, four defeats from four nights on debut leave him rooted to the bottom of the table and under increasing early pressure to pick up points.

Van Veen’s Composure Continues

The Giant’s consistent performances on his debut campaign continued despite a disappointing defeat in the final.

The World No.3 averaged 96.08 in dispatching home hero Josh Rock before producing arguably his best display of the tournament to edge past Gerwyn Price in a deciding-leg thriller in the semi-finals.

Averaging 105.22 to Price’s 102.13, the quality was clear throughout, but van Veen showed immense composure after his opponent missed a dart at bull for the match. He calmly found double 16 with his only match dart to secure victory, just his second win in eleven meetings with The Iceman.

Three finals in four nights represents an excellent return on debut so far, even if converting those finals into maximum five-point hauls remains the next step.

Price Beats Van Gerwen Again

In the third quarter-final of the evening, Gerwyn Price produced a superb comeback to defeat Michael van Gerwen 6-5.

Price recovered from 5-3 down, producing an 18-dart leg before a magnificent 10-dart hold forced the tie to 5-5. He then landed a 12-dart break and a 102 checkout to complete the impressive turnaround.

While the Dutchman held the lead for large periods, he never looked fully in control of the contest, meaning both of his defeats in this year’s campaign have come against the Welshman.

Price collected two valuable league points, and despite a narrow semi-final loss to van Veen, he impressed with his performance and now heads to Cardiff next week on home soil, sitting inside the play-off places.

Littler and Humphries Searching for Rhythm

Jonny Clayton’s 6-3 victory over Luke Littler in the opening quarter-final marked the first time the Welshman has recorded back-to-back wins over the World No.1.

Littler was below par once again, averaging just 95.53, which is well below the usual standard of the back-to-back World Champion.

Four nights in, he sits on four points and can consider himself slightly fortunate, having survived match darts in his only victory in Antwerp against Humphries and also benefitting from van Gerwen’s withdrawal in Glasgow last week.

Meanwhile, Luke Humphries continues to perform at a high level without converting it into points. His 106.29 average and four maximums would be enough to win most quarter-finals, yet another loss leaves him on four points and outside the play-off positions.

Remarkably, neither the World No.1 or the World No.2 has reached a nightly final after four nights, a quarter of the way through the regular league phase.

How the League Is Shaping Up

Following Night 4 in Belfast, the table is beginning to take some shape.

Jonny Clayton continues to lead on 11 points despite a semi-final exit, maintaining a two-point gap at the summit.

Gian van Veen sits second on nine points after reaching three finals in four nights, an impressive start to his debut Premier League campaign.

Michael van Gerwen remains third on eight points. His start has been strong despite consecutive defeats to Price and last week’s withdrawal.

The final play-off position is occupied by Gerwyn Price. The Iceman sits on seven points, has built steadily, and heads into a home night in Cardiff full of confidence.

Stephen Bunting’s triumph lifts him two places to fifth in the standings, just two points outside the play-off spots after beginning the campaign with three opening losses.

Luke Humphries and Luke Littler sit sixth and seventh respectively on four points apiece, a surprising position for the world’s top two players.

Meanwhile, debutant Josh Rock remains in eighth, still pointless after four nights. Despite the nine-darter, his performances continue to raise questions, and he is searching for consistency on the big stage.

A Night That Changes the Narrative

Following Stephen Bunting’s announced return to the Premier League line-up, there was an outpouring of surprise at his inclusion, even Sky Sports pundits like Wayne Mardle admitted he was fortunate to make the eight-man lineup.

Four nights in, those questions have not completely disappeared, but they have certainly been quietened.

From a winless start after three nights to nightly champion in emphatic style, the 40-year-old has kickstarted his campaign and launched himself into genuine play-off contention.

After victory, he said:

“I’m overjoyed, to be honest. This has got to rank up there with one of the best wins of my career,” reflecting on his first nightly triumph since April 2025 in Berlin.

“I was a bit emotional early on after my first game, but I held it together. 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 show why I should be here.”

Next week, the travelling darting roadshow heads to Cardiff, where both Clayton and Price will enjoy home support.

But after Night 4 in the Northern Irish capital, the spotlight rightly belongs to the Bullet.

The race to the O2 continues to heat up, now a quarter of the way through the league phase.

Night Five Fixtures - Utilita Arena, Cardiff

Thursday March 5

Quarter-finals

Michael van Gerwen v Luke Humphries

Gian van Veen v Jonny Clayton

Gerwyn Price v Stephen Bunting

Luke Littler v Josh Rock