9:43 p.m
Good start
To start, both of them don’t need long to get up to operating temperature. Van Gerwen takes the first set 3-2, playing an average of 100 points and a doubles rate of 50 percent. Bunting can’t quite keep up with the scoring and currently has around 95 points.
9:41 p.m
Strong first set
Van Gerwen plays the deciding leg in the first set from the front and after nine darts he has 129 remaining and Bunting is at 246. MVG has time and sets the D18. The Dutchman deletes the 36 with the third dart on the D9.
9:39 p.m
First high finish
Bunting starts with his first 180 and follows up with a 100. The Dutchman can answer with a 140, but Bunting is already at 138 remaining and van Gerwen has no finish. The Englishman hits the T19 twice and checks the D12.
9:38 p.m
Good leg from van Gerwen
In the third leg, both players are looking for the triple, but van Gerwen gets into the finish area first and puts himself at 170. The Dutchman misses that and then has 74 remaining. Bunting can’t apply any pressure and is at 215. MVG checks the 75 over that D16.
9:36 p.m
Bunting equalizes
Both don’t score particularly well here, but Bunting finishes first with 167. He hits the T20, T19 and goes for the bullseye, but only hits the single bull. He checks the 25 via the S9 and D8.
9:34 p.m
First leg for van Gerwen
Van Gerwen opens the match with a 100. Bunting answers with only 60 points. MVG throws the first 180 of the game and faces 161 and Bunting still has 246. The 161 is still too much for van Gerwen, but he faces 24 and checks with the first dart.
9:31 p.m
It’s about to start
Both players are on stage and in a few moments the first round of 16 of the World Cup will begin.
9:30 p.m
Bunting in great shape
The Bullet doesn’t need to hide from van Gerwen with his achievements so far. In his first match, the Englishman won 3-0 against his compatriot Ryan Joyce and averaged 107.28 points. So far he holds the record for the highest average of this year’s tournament. Bunting didn’t miss a beat in his second game either, sending Florian Hempel home 4-0 and finishing with an average of 101.
9:22 p.m
The Green Machine is running hot
Michael van Gerwen gave his opponents no chance in his first two games. At the start, the three-time world champion beat Irishman Kean Barry 3-0, playing a 3-dart average of 98 points and a world-class checkout rate of 60 percent. In the third round, Mighty Mike went one better and beat his compatriot Richard Veenstra 4-0 and impressed with a 101 average and a double rate of 63 percent.
9:17 p.m
Welcome!
Welcome to the second game of this evening. At 9:30 p.m. Michael van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting meet in the first round of 16 of the tournament.