Josh Rock’s Nine-Darter Shines as Stephen Bunting Beats Gian van Veen 6-2 in Belfast
Stephen Bunting defeated Gian van Veen 6-2 to take the night in Belfast, a result framed by josh rock’s landmark nine-darter earlier in the evening. The combination of Bunting’s clinical scoring and Rock’s historic finish left a marked imprint on the night’s standings and atmosphere.
Josh Rock’s nine-darter and quarter-final exit
josh rock produced the first nine-dart finish of the Premier League season, and it was his first in the competition. The landmark moment came before his quarter-final match, where he was beaten 6-2 by Gian van Veen. Commentators celebrated the milestone and noted that, despite the loss, the nine-darter underscored Rock’s capability and suggested more high finishes could follow.
Stephen Bunting’s 6-2 win over Gian van Veen
Bunting closed out the night by beating Gian van Veen 6-2 in the final. He reached that stage after a dominant 6-0 semi-final victory over Johnny Clayton, a result that many observers said made him the favourite heading into the final. Bunting’s route to the title also included a quarter-final success, where he beat Daryl Humphries 6-4.
Quarter-final scoreboard and paths to the semis
The quarter-final results shaped the semi-finals: Luke Littler lost 3-6 to Johnny Clayton, Bunting beat Humphries 6-4, Michael van Gerwen was edged 5-6 by Gerwyn Price, and Gian van Veen beat Rock 6-2. Those outcomes set up semi-finals of Clayton 0-6 Bunting and Price 5-6 Van Veen.
Wayne Mardle on walk-outs, double-16 and Bunting’s form
Wayne Mardle, identified as a Former World Matchplay finalist on Sky Sports, provided running commentary on the night. He noted the final walk-outs, saying, “For the final time tonight, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Geen make their walk-outs. ” He also highlighted van Veen’s finishing, stating that right now there is not a better finisher on double-16 in the world than Gian van Veen and that, under pressure, there is nobody better on that particular segment. On Bunting, Mardle asked, “Where’s this Stephen Bunting been? The guy’s a juggernaut tonight, ” and urged momentum for the final with, “Lets go Bunting mental one more time for the final!”
Bunting’s big finishes and broader night takeaways
Bunting’s winning night featured two significant checkouts described as big finishes and marked what commentators labelled his first Premier League win in this run. Observers said that his 6-0 semi-final over Johnny Clayton was extraordinary and that the victory over Clayton in that match, plus the quarter win against Humphries, left Bunting with “a couple of wins under his belt. ” One commentator added that, even if Bunting had not won the final, picking up three points earlier in the night would have mattered to his campaign.
The cause-and-effect pattern of the evening was clear: Rock’s nine-darter energized the arena and spotlighted his scoring ceiling, but his subsequent 6-2 defeat to Van Veen removed him from title contention; Bunting’s emphatic semi-final performance created momentum that he translated into a 6-2 triumph in the final. What makes this notable is the contrast between individual moments of brilliance — Rock’s nine-dart finish — and the consistency required across matches to take the night, which Bunting supplied.
As the night ended, voices in the commentary box celebrated both the milestone nine-darter and Bunting’s clinical run, leaving the leaderboard reshaped by a mixture of landmark scoring and match-to-match consistency.
