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August15August 15, 2019

Birthday Boy Damon Heta Wins Brisbane Darts Masters

Against all odds, 100/1 long shot and local outsider Damon Heta from Perth won the Brisbane Darts Masters on Saturday after he beat world number two and current World Matchplay champion Rob Cross 8-7 in the final. To cap off a thoroughly memorable weekend for the Aussie, his success even took place on his 32nd birthday.

The recent BDO Australian Open winner’s victory came despite never actually being ahead in the contest until the game’s climax when, in the deciding leg, he threw 170 leaving 32 on the board. On his return, he took out the double 16 on his second attempt to complete a brilliant and completely unexpected win.

On his way to springing one of the biggest surprises in televised darts history, Heta, nicknamed The Heat, had already beaten major winners James Wade, Gary Anderson and fellow Aussie Simon Whitlock, which alone is enough for him to consider the event a success. But things would only get better come the final where he would go on to add a second world champion, Rob Cross, to his list of the vanquished.

Cross had made it to the final after a dominant performance in the semi-final against Daryl Gurney, where he ran out the 8-3 winner. The final looked much like it was going to go the same way, not least because there are 103 places between them in the rankings, albeit under different codes.

Voltage soon found himself 3-1 up before he missed four darts for a 4-1 lead, instead allowing Heta to capitalise and set up a run of legs that would level the game. The match remained tight thereafter with Cross just about nudging ahead until the tenth when a 90 checkout gave him a 6-4 lead. Still, the Aussie wasn’t to be shaken off and he drew level again to take the game to a decider where The Heat would take out double 16 to seal one of the most remarkable victories in memory.

Melbourne Darts Masters Betting Tips

Ok, we didn’t see last week’s epic victory by The Heat coming but can it really happen again? Given Damon Heta beat four major winners on his way to victory last weekend, he will be full of confidence, but there will no repeating the 100/1 price tag that was on his head last weekend. Instead, Betway are cautious enough to quote 33/1 this time around. Once again, he plays James Wade in the opening round.

As for Wade, it will be interesting to see how The Machine responds in Melbourne. He gets an immediate shot at revenge in the first round, one I fully expect him to take, but whether or not momentum can carry him on to a tourney win, I’m not so sure. Priced at 14/1, Betway aren’t convinced either.

Michael van Gerwen for the second week running has been put in the betting as the 7/4 favourite. MVG lost to Daryl Gurney in the round two in Brisbane, and although you can never rule Mighty Mike out, he’s really only the favourite right now on the grounds of reputation rather than recent results.

Rob Cross will be angry with himself for not closing out the win last week and finds himself with the much shorter price of 10/3. Voltage has been drawn apart from MVG and plays 25-year-old local 250/1 shot Robbie King in his opening match. He has to be fancied to go one better in Melbourne.

Elsewhere, Peter Wright is 13/2, just short of Gary Anderson’s 15/2. While The Flying Scotsman beat Aussie Corey Cadby in the opening round in Brisbane, Snakebite had a horror show and went out to Kyle Anderson on Thursday, so again these prices aren’t a true reflection of current form.

The Wizard, Simon Whitlock was even more impressive in the second round of the Brisbane event, whitewashing Kyle Anderson 8-0 with a 101.9 average. As such, the Australian is certainly over-priced at 16/1.

Daryl ‘Superchin’ Gurney can be picked up for 14/1, Kyle Anderson 28/1, Corey Cadby 33/1, Raymond van Barneveld 50/1 and James Bailey 200/1. Haupai Puha, Mick Lacey and Tim Pusey are all available at 250/1.

Friday, August 16 (Best of 11 legs)

Simon Whitlock v Mick Lacey
Raymond van Barneveld v Haupai Puha
Daryl Gurney v Kyle Anderson
Gary Anderson v James Bailey
Peter Wright v Corey Cadby
James Wade v Damon Heta
Michael van Gerwen v Tim Pusey
Rob Cross v Robbie King

Saturday, August 17 (Best of 15 legs)

Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final

QUICK GLANCE AT THE MELBOURNE DARTS MASTERS

Venue: Melbourne Arena
Dates: Thursday Friday 16.08.2019 – Saturday 17.08.2019
Format: First round, best of 11 legs, QF, SF, F, best of 15 legs
Current Champion: Peter Wright
Where To Watch: PDC TV and ITV 4
When To Watch: (08.30 GMT PDC TV & delayed coverage on ITV 4 from 20.00 GMT)

August8August 9, 2019

2019 Brisbane Darts Masters Betting Tips

By Peter FryersIn

Darts Betting Tips

The PDC pick up their popular World Series of Darts tour again this week as they play the first of three Antipodean stops with week one in Brisbane, Australia. Following this week’s event at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), the action will then head over to Melbourne Arena in — wait for it — Melbourne on August 16 through 17, before crossing the Tasman Sea to Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena for the New Zealand Darts Masters on August 23 and 24.

So far this series we have seen Nathan Aspinall win in Las Vegas to take home the US Darts Masters and Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright scoop the German Darts Masters and the Brisbane Darts Masters is sure to offer more of the same.

Made up of 16 players in total – 8 PDC professionals and 8 Oceanic Representatives – ITV4’s coverage of the Brisbane Darts Masters will not be broadcast live due to Brisbane being 10 hours ahead of the UK. Instead, live action can be streamed through the PDC itself, while delayed coverage will be going out from 20.00 GMT both nights.

A look at this years Brisbane Darts Masters

In 2018, when Rob Cross won the inaugural event in Brisbane, Australia had three representatives who made it as far as the quarter-finals. Kyle Anderson was on a PDC invite and was joined by wildcard Corey Cadby and DPA World Series Order of Merit qualifier Raymond Smith. While none of the Aussies made it to the last four, there were some impressive performances along the way, not least when Smith thrashed Michael Smith 6-1.

This year, Simon Whitlock is a homegrown PDC representative, while Corey Cadby is once again a wild card and is again joined by Kyle Anderson who will play Peter Wright first. There will also be debuts for local stars James Bailey, Haupai Puha, Koha Kokiri, Brendon McCausland and Ben Robb. Whitlock will actually begin his campaign against McCausland who once tattooed his arm.

As for the PDC, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Daryl Gurney, Peter Wright, James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Raymond van Barneveld will all be making an appearance down under so there are plenty to consider when making your picks.

It’s also worth noting that Aussie pair Simon Whitlock and Kyle Anderson, along with big Dutch Barney, all competed in a Players Championship event in Germany over the weekend before making their way to Australia. Damon Heta, on the other hand, won the Australian Open event staged by Darts Australia as he warmed up in style for the World Series.

Betting wise, world number one and Dutch darting phenomenon Michael van Gerwen, who opens up against Ben Robb, will be keen to show a dominant performance after a disappointing World Matchplay campaign. The online bookmakers Betway reckon on Mighty Mike as the favourite, placing an 11/8 price on his head. This event does provide the Dutchman with a massive bounce-back opportunity. Its fast-paced format means he only needs four victories to raise the trophy, something that won’t faze him whatsoever, so this price is unlikely to be bettered elsewhere.

MVG’s early elimination in Blackpool offered the opportunity for others to gain some wins along with some confidence heading into this series. No one does this apply to more than Matchplay champion and world number two Rob Cross. Voltage overcame some incredible tests against Daryl Gurney and Stephen Bunting as well as a near fightback attempt from Michael ‘Bully Boy’ Smith in what was otherwise a disappointing final. The last time Cross won a major, his form dipped for a while, but now he is older and more experienced this time around. Don’t be surprised to see his good form continue, in which case the 5/1 offered feels very generous indeed. James Bailey will provide the first test for Voltage.

Peter Wright is another man in good form with a string of recent successes on the PDC tour including a win in the recent German Darts Masters. He has rightly been installed as the second favourite and can be picked up for 5/1. Gary Anderson is still working his way up to full form following a lengthy layoff that saw him miss the Darts Premier League a few months ago, but bettors could still profit from his 7/1 price tag especially if he gets off to the perfect start against former world youth champion Corey Cadby on Friday.

Daryl Gurney (12/1), James Wade (14/1) and Raymond van Barneveld (50/1) are the rest of the PDC representatives on show in Brisbane, save for local hero Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock (33/1), who always saves his best for back home. As for the rest of the Aussies on show, Corey Cadby looks to be the standout which is reflected in the betting where Betway have priced him at 28/1, just ahead of Kyle Anderson’s 33/1 with the same sportsbook.

Damon Heta (100/1), Haupai Puha (150/1), Koha Kokiri (150/1), Ben Robb (200/1), James Bailey (200/1) and Brendan McCausland (250/) bring up the field.

PDC Representatives: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Daryl Gurney, Peter Wright, James Wade, Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld

Oceanic Representatives: Kyle Anderson, Corey Cadby, Damon Heta, James Bailey, Ben Robb, Haupai Puha, Koha Kokiri, Brendon McCausland

Brisbane Darts Masters Schedule of play

Friday, August 9 (Best of 11 legs)

Raymond van Barneveld v Haupai Puha
Daryl Gurney v Koha Kokiri
James Wade v Damon Heta
Simon Whitlock v Brendon McCausland
Rob Cross v James Bailey
Michael van Gerwen v Ben Robb
Gary Anderson v Corey Cadby
Peter Wright v Kyle Anderson

Saturday, August 10 (Best of 15 legs)

Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final

QUICK GLANCE AT The Brisbane Darts Masters

Venue: BCEC, Brisbane
Dates: Friday 09.08.2019 – Saturday 10.08.2019
Format: First round, best of 11 legs, QF, SF, F, best of 15 legs
Current Champion: Rob Cross
Where To Watch: ITV 4
When To Watch: (08.30 GMT PDC TV & delayed coverage on ITV 4 from 20.00 GMT)

August5August 5, 2019

Rob Cross Wins 2019 World Matchplay Darts

By Peter FryersIn

Darts Betting Tips

Rob ‘Voltage’ Cross picked up his second ever major title on Sunday when he beat Michael Smith 18-13 in the final of the World Matchplay Darts in Blackpool. The 2018 world champion has now landed the two biggest prizes in the sport, becoming only the ninth ever winner of the Matchplay and the fourth player to win both, despite having only turned professional three years ago.

The final was another low-quality affair with Smith starting poorly and allowing Voltage to race into a huge 9-0 lead, threatening Blackpool’s biggest ever final victory when in 2009 Phil Taylor destroyed Terry Jenkins 16-4.

A look back at Cross’s 2019 World Matchplay Darts win

While this wasn’t the fitting climax that what was otherwise an excellent week’s darts, the crowd were soon to be suitably entertained as another epic comeback was on the cards. When Bully Boy finally got his first leg on the board, he was greeted with a chorus of ironic cheers before clawing the match back to 11-4.

Bully Boy managed to stop Cross running away with an uncontested – if inevitable – victory by landing a 147 checkout plus legs of 12, 13 and 12 to follow. Following the break, Smith managed to land an 11-darter which reduced the deficit still further to 14-11. A brilliant save from Cross, checking out from 110 when Smith had only 16 left, in the next helped to nip Smith’s momentum though. Had Bully Boy got the chance to shot for the 16 and pin it, perhaps that would have been the pivotal point of the contest.

Still, Smith managed to close the gap on his own throw to within two legs, and finally enjoying themselves, the Winter Gardens crowd began cheering Voltage’s six missed doubles. Smith, though, also wasted five of his own before pinning tops for a 20-darter that brought the game to as close as it would ever get. From here, Cross closed out the match and the title by taking down the next three legs, albeit surviving multiple bullseye shots from Smith.

Cross had himself needed to stage a dramatic comeback only 24 hours earlier against Daryl Gurney when he found himself 13-7 down only to win 17-15. In turn, what had been a great week of darts also saw Gurney star in a quarter-final epic against Peter Wright in which Superchin came out on top in a 13-16 thriller.

In the other semi-final, 28-year-old Smith, who is still seeking his first major title, saw off the challenge of MVG slayer Glen Durrant 17-10. The Bully Boy keeps on coming close and the 2018 Premier League, 2018 World Series of Darts Finals and 2019 World Championship runner-up is now 14/1 to go one better and win the World Championship of Darts at the Ally Pally, which starts in December.

For Voltage, he is celebrating his first title of any kind since the Brisbane Darts Masters in August last year. Since then, he has finished second to Nathan Aspinall at the UK Open and again to Michael van Gerwen in the Darts Premier League, a win that would have seen him complete the Triple Crown of Darts if he had beaten the Dutchman. Naturally, Mighty Mike is in the elite group of players to have won the Triple Crown of Darts that also includes Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor and Gary ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Anderson.

For now though, he can enjoy being in the same esteemed company of those who have collected the top two trophies in darts. What’s more, is that he would be the second quickest to have achieved such a feat having taken only three seasons to do so. Phil Taylor, who Cross beat in the 2018 World championship final -– a match that was Taylor’s last professional appearance — managed to achieve both titles within two years but it took Michael van Gerwen eight and Gary Anderson ten.

World Matchplay Most Titles

Phil Taylor (16)
Michael van Gerwen (2)
Rod Harrington (2)
Gary Anderson (1)
Larry Butler (1)
Peter Evison (1)
Colin Lloyd (1)
James Wade (1)
Rob Cross (1)

A look at World Darts Championship

At Betway, they still consider Michael van Gerwen to be the favourite for the World Darts Championships at the end of the year, putting an 11/8 price on his head. Value has been lost on Rob Cross though as his recent win draws his price into a still pretty decent 15/2. Gary Anderson is 9/1 to pick up his third ever World Championship, while Peter Wright is worth 12/1. Current BDO World Champion, Glen Durrant is available at 16/1, Nathan Aspinall 25/1 and Gerwyn Price 28/1. James Wade can be picked up for the same price, while Daryl Gurney is 33/1. Others, including 65-year-old Singapore star Paul Lim, who qualified through a PDC Asian Tour event over the weekend, are available at Betway.