Premier League Darts LIVE RESULT: Stephen Bunting beats Gerwyn Price to WIN Night 9 in Berlin – updates
Stephen Bunting came out on top in Berlin on Night 9 of Premier League Darts.
Bunting came into the round with a losing record that stretched back to a decade, but vanish League demons to beat Gerwyn Price 6-5.
The Bullet overcame Nathan Aspinall and world No.1 Luke Humphries on his way to his triumph.
Whilst, Price was handed a bye due to Michael van Gerwen's late withdrawal via injury before trashing Chris Dobey in the semis.
Table-topper Luke Littler was dumped out in the quarter-finals to Dobey, after winning four of the first eight nights.
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
- Live stream: NOW/Sky Sports app
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Stephen Bunting 3-3 Gerwyn Price
BUNTING BREAKS - six breaks on the spin!
Price misses another dart for the leg and Bunting punishes - it's basically been the same in every single leg.
Whoever holds throw first will win this match - Bunting will hope it's him in the next leg!
Stephen Bunting 2-3 Gerwyn Price
This is getting silly now - PRICE BREAKS AGAIN!
Price had a 60 bounce out in the leg but was still well clear in the leg.
But he has to suffer as Bunting comes back for 65, hitting 25 and then inexplicably hitting single 5.
A two-dart combo from Price, finishing on tops, sees him nose ahead.
Stephen Bunting 2-2 Gerwyn Price
Non-stop breaks - BUNTING BREAKS AGAIN!
Price missing six darts at a double there - two attempts of which were pretty pathetic - and Bunting slowly creeps back into the leg.
Bunting had left 60 himself and checks it out to break once again!
Stephen Bunting 1-2 Gerwyn Price
PRICE BREAKS AGAIN!
Bunting almost takes out the bullseye again to checkout 124, just missing high!
He had to take it too as Price against the throw left 40 and he comes back to check that out in the next visit to nose ahead once again.
Stephen Bunting 1-1 Gerwyn Price
BUNTING BREAKS BACK!
Price's 180 leaves him with 41 but he has to sit and watch Bunting try to take out 87.
After six missed darts at a double in leg one, this time he ends up going to bull route and pins it superbly - that'll maybe be a tactic moving forward!
All-square.
Stephen Bunting 0-1 Gerwyn Price
A desperate, ugly finish to the leg - but Gerwyn Price BREAKS!
They miss a combined 11 darts at double for the leg before Price's third dart of the next visit finds the D6 he'd missed with the previous two darts.
Big start for the Welshman in a nervy exchange.
Stephen Bunting 0-0 Gerwyn Price
Here we go, the Berlin fight is getting underway.
Stephen Bunting to throw first - GAME ON!
Here come the finalists
Gerwyn Price is still punching the air, he's absolutely loving it tonight!
He thunders down the walkway to get onto the stage before another double fist pump to the crowd. He's gunning for it!
Stephen Bunting slightly more measured in his stroll up and getting the crowd to sing along.
The players share a joke on the stage before getting their game faces on!
Not out of it?
I said earlier that a couple of wins tonight won't do much in terms of the table for Stephen Bunting.
But Wayne Mardle disagrees, telling Sky Sports: "Bunting seemed to find his feet against Nathan Aspinall and was better in the end. And there's no doubt about it, he was better than Luke Humphries.
"I don't want to over-hype what this may mean... but say he does win tonight, he'd be on five points, and maybe he follows that up with another win after that.
"This is a format where if you are winning nights, no-one is winning more points than you. You can make inroads pretty quickly. It's still doable with half the season to go."
Price the favourite
Quite a tight final on paper by the looks of things.
The bookmakers make Bunting the 6/5 outsider, with Price the 4/6 favourite to win the trophy and £10,000.
Who'd have thought it?
Not me!
Stephen Bunting vs Gerwyn Price in the Night 9 Berlin final!
Bunting has been good tonight, Price was absolutely solid, especially in needing his last dart for a double at times.
Gerwyn Price is into the final!
Chris Dobey 2-6 Gerwyn Price
Two more missed darts at a double for Dobey who couldn't hold in leg eight.
Not for the first time in the match, Price needed all three in hand to take out a one-dart checkout but this time it's for the match and he pins the middle of tops.
A bye in the quarters and a thumping win in the semis, Gezzy Price will take on Stephen Bunting in the Berlin final!
Chris Dobey 2-5 Gerwyn Price
DOBEY BREAKS!!
He couldn't, could he!?
A really great leg for Dobey to leave 96 after nine darts and Price is a mile behind and can't get near him here.
Dobey comes back and takes out 96 in his next visit for a great break of throw.
Chris Dobey 1-5 Gerwyn Price
PRICE BREAKS!
The chances continue to come and go for Dobey with a few more agonising misses at D10 then D5 to hold throw.
Price also left 20 and he comes back needing just one dart for it.
Now the Iceman throws for the match!
Chris Dobey 1-4 Gerwyn Price
So many times a leg could've gone one way or another.
The same again here as Price leaves 22 and has to watch Dobey leave 40 to again put pressure on him.
Price misses D11 with his first two attempts before checking it out with his third dart in hand. Like so many of the previous legs before this one.
He's opening up a good lead now.
Chris Dobey 1-3 Gerwyn Price
PRICE BREAKS AGAIN!
Again, good set-up from Dobey but he was always chasing on his own throw after a 41 to open the leg.
Price leaves 64 when Dobey does superb to leave 40 and pressure the 64.
Price hits T8, miss and double 20 before an almighty roar as he restores his two-leg advantage.
Chris Dobey 1-2 Gerwyn Price
DOBEY BREAKS!
The Geordie battles back and he breaks Price to halve the deficit.
A miss at the bullseye leaves 25 and he is allowed to come back for it, hitting a great two-dart combo to nick the leg.
Chris Dobey 0-2 Gerwyn Price
PRICE BREAKS!
He leaves 24 and Dobey follows him in with a great 110 to leave tops, should Price make a mess of things.
Price is miles away and hits single 12 and again needs all three darts in the visit to take the leg, this time on D6.
Chris Dobey 0-1 Gerwyn Price
After that opening 180, the scoring from both was really quite poor.
But Price always had his nose in front in the leg and even when Dobey pressured his 40 late on by leaving 60, Price managed to eventually pin D5 to move one up.
Chris Dobey 0-0 Gerwyn Price
Both players are out and Price looks bang up for it, giving a huge roar to the crowd!
Price will throw first, game on!
Price starts with a 180!
Who will he play?
He'll play either Chris Dobey or Gerwyn Price!
Those two are ready to walk out.
Poor old Gezzy has had to wait a couple of hours backstage after his quarter final was called off due to Van Gerwen's withdrawal.
He'd have been planning to take on Luke Littler again but now comes up against the man who thumped him in the quarters.
Incredible stuff - Stephen Bunting is into a Premier League nightly final!
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Luke Humphries
He leaves tops after 12 darts and pins it with his 13th dart to THUMP the world number one and move into the Berlin final!!
He's waited nine weeks for a win and two come in one night, superb from Bunting!
He'll play either Chris Dobey or Gerwyn Price, who's been hanging about for ages for his match.
As for Humphries, he won't be making the headlines again this week...
Bunting is a Premier League nightly finalist!
Stephen Bunting 5-2 Luke Humphries
BUNTING BREAKS!
Humphries with two more missed doubles after changing his flights twice!
Bunting from 164 sets up 40 superbly, so when Humphries does miss he comes back for 40 and hits 20, 10 and then eventually D5 to move one leg from victory!
Stephen Bunting 4-2 Luke Humphries
Daylight for Bunting who again goes the bullseye route to set up a two-dart combo!
Humphries again is well behind, on 160. Bunting comes back for 71 and T13, D16 later, he opens up his lead over Humphries!
Stephen Bunting 3-2 Luke Humphries
So nearly a stunner from Bunting but he does BREAK anyway!
He doesn't need to go the bull route when on 132, with Humphries over 100 behind.
But he does it anyway, going bull, bull before just missing double 16!
Humphries sets up well but Bunting comes back to tidy up and retake the lead with a break.