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WHITE-HOT IAN SEES OFF BUNTING AT BETVICTOR WORLD MATCHPLAY

IAN WHITE defeated Stephen Bunting in a high-scoring thriller at the BetVictor World Matchplay on Sunday afternoon, as Gerwyn Price, Jamie Lewis and Andrew Gilding also enjoyed first round wins at the Winter Gardens.

White emerged victorious with a 10-6 win over Bunting in a game which saw 17 maximum 180s hit and both players average over 100, although it was three ton-plus finishes for the number nine seed which proved crucial in the final outcome.
White's first big checkout came with a 127 finish in the game's second leg as he came from one down to take a 3-1 lead, and he also took out 118 before Bunting finished a pair of 11-darters in hitting back to 5-4. Bunting then levelled in a dramatic tenth leg as White was punished for missing darts at doubles across three visits - only to see the tables turned in a crucial 11th leg as a pair of misses at double 16 from the St Helens ace allowed his rival to regain the lead. White the took out an 11-darter and a 112 finish in moving 9-5 up, with Bunting hitting tops to reply before his rival sealed victory in the next by hitting the same bed to set up a second round meeting with Simon Whitlock.

White ended the game with an average of 103.51 and landed eight 180s, and admitted: "It ranks amongst by best performances on TV and it shows that my game's there, but I've got to be consistent and that's my aim now. You have to play well against Stephen and keep the pressure on him. I took some good ton-plus finishes out and you need to do that against a player of Stephen's quality."

Welsh debutant Price caused an upset with a big 10-4 win over former World Youth Champion Michael Smith, who never recovered from falling 5-0 down to the former rugby ace.
Price took out 106 and 120 to surge into the lead, with Smith checking out 121 and 108 as he pulled back to 6-3 in mid-game. A miss at double 18 from Smith in the tenth leg allowed Price in on tops, and he then finished double six and double 16 to move 9-3 up, and though the St Helens youngster replied on tops in the next, a 14-darter saw the Welshman progress.

"It's the second best tournament of the year and I'm just happy to be in it, so to win a game means the world to me," said Price. "I played in the World Championship where I scored quite well but missed my doubles and lost; today I didn't score as well but I hit my doubles and won so I prefer that. I took my chances and that got me through the game. I've got Adrian Lewis next but he we know what we're both capable of and if I can score and hit my doubles then I think can win the game."

Welsh youngster Jamie Lewis also enjoyed victory on the Winter Gardens stage as he defeated Justin Pipe 10-7 to bounce back from his first round exit in Blackpool two years ago.
Pipe started well with a 13-darter and a 71 finish, but Lewis hit back superbly to take the next five legs without reply to take a 5-2 lead. Pipe took two of the next three to reduce the arrears, and after Lewis took out 128 to lead 7-4, the Taunton ace's revival continue as he pulled back to 8-6 with a 116 checkout. Lewis, though, proved too strong as finishes of double top and double four saw him retain his advance to move through to a second round meeting with top seed Michael van Gerwen.

"I'm really chuffed," said Lewis. "It's the first game I've won on TV apart from a game at the UK Open a couple of years ago, it's a massive buzz for me and a good confidence boost. A lot of people have been bigging me up but I've never done it on TV and this is where I want to perform, so hopefully I can kick on from today. I got a bit edgy towards the end but thankfully I got myself there in the end. I've got Michael van Gerwen next and if I play like I can against him then we'll see what happens."

Suffolk's Gilding had suffered a whitewash defeat to Adrian Lewis 12 months ago, but overcame East Anglian rival Mervyn King 10-8 in a thriller to open the day's action.
King led 2-0 before Gilding finally claimed his first leg on the Winter Gardens stage - but another six followed as he established a 7-2 advantage. King hit back strongly with three successive legs before Gilding took out 91 - only for the Norfolk thrower, a former Winter Gardens semi-finalist, to finish legs of 11 and 13 darts before levelling with a 90 checkout. King, for the second tme in the game, set up a possible nine-darter with two 180s to open a crucial 17th leg, but two misses at tops allowed Gilding in to finish 105 to move 9-8 up before he landed six perfect darts of his own in the next before sealing victory on double ten.

"I keep finding myself in exciting games - it's no good for the heart but it's great to be a part of them," said Gilding, who now meets Peter Wright on Tuesday. "It was an amazing experience. "After losing 10-0 last year, that first leg was hard to get on the board. I was really nervous trying to hit that first double, but once I did I settled down and held my cool. I've got over the nerves now of getting that first leg and getting my first win - I always do things one step at a time and I've achieved what I wanted to do, so we'll see what happens next."

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