Night Four in Belfast: Josh Rock’s Nine-Darter Spotlight as Stephen Bunting Wins Final
Stephen Bunting emerged victorious in night four in Belfast, defeating Gian van Veen 6-2 in the final, while Josh Rock delivered the first Premier League nine-darter of the season. The evening combined a commanding tournament winner performance with a historic personal milestone, underlining both Bunting’s hot form and Rock’s finishing prowess.
Stephen Bunting’s win and route to the title
Final: Stephen Bunting 6-2 Gian van Veen. Bunting’s evening featured a dominant semi-final display, where he beat Jonny Clayton 6-0 to reach the final. Earlier in the night he recorded a quarter-final victory, beating Humphries 6-4 to progress through the draw. Observers described Bunting as a juggernaut for the night; his 6-0 semi-final performance against Johnny Clayton was called extraordinary and a sign he may have turned a corner after recent weeks where he had often been beaten despite solid play.
Josh Rock: nine-darter and quarter-final exit
Rock hit his first Premier League nine-darter - and the first of the season - in Belfast, a landmark moment for the player and the competition. Despite that achievement, Rock did not advance past the quarter-finals, losing 6-2 to Gian van Veen in that round. Reactions on the night celebrated the nine-darter while noting Rock’s capacity to produce more, with one onlooker suggesting Josh Rock has the capability and will do it again.
Quarter-finals and semi-finals: full results
Quarter-final results: Littler 3-6 Clayton, Bunting 6-4 Humphries, Van Gerwen 5-6 Price, Van Veen 6-2 Rock.
Semi-final results: Clayton 0-6 Bunting and Price 5-6 Van Veen.
Commentary and crowd moments
Commentators and fans supplied vivid reactions throughout the night. Observations included praise for Bunting’s form and references to his recent run: maybe this is the start for Stephen Bunting, and he has now picked up a couple of wins after previously finding ways to lose despite decent play. It was also noted that even if he had not won the final, he still picked up three points for the night.
On Gian van Veen’s finishing, it was remarked that right now there is not a better finisher on double-16 in the world than Gian van Veen, and under pressure there is nobody better on that particular segment of the board. For the final time on the night, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Geen made their walk-outs, a moment that punctuated the closing stages of the event.
Fans and commentators also captured the mood: Where’s this Stephen Bunting been? The guy’s a juggernaut tonight. What did I say? Let’s go Bunting mental one more time for the final! Another voice summed up the mixed drama of the night: Bunting had to be the favourite tonight going 6-0 against Johnny Clayton is extraordinary. And Rocky nine darter, what a night in Belfast.
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What this night means going forward
Stephen Bunting leaves Belfast with the night’s title and momentum from decisive wins, while Gian van Veen advances as a strong pressure finisher after beating Josh Rock in the quarter-finals and edging past Price in the semi-final. Josh Rock’s nine-darter stands out as the evening’s headline moment and marks the first nine-darter of the Premier League season; observers suggested he will be capable of repeating such a finish. Details on future nights and standings were not provided in the available context.
