TAB Auckland Darts Masters Day One Ⅱ

The event's other New Zealander, Stratford-based Mark Cleaver, was defeated 6-1 by world number four Peter Wright on his televised debut.

Wright kicked off the game with a 180 and won the opening leg with a 12-darter, before hitting another maximum and double ten to break in the second.

Cleaver, who had battled through the DPNZ Qualifiers in Swanson this week to earn his debut on the big stage, missed two darts to get off the mark in the third as Wright moved 3-0 up on double one, before the home hope landed tops in the next to hit back.

Wright, though, responded by hitting the same bed to regain his cushion at 4-1, before taking out 116 and 81 in the next two legs to seal his win.

"I wanted to perform well for the crowd here and I started great with the 12-darter, but it was downhill from there," said Wright.

"Mark's a good player and he was hitting everything when he was practicing, but it was his first time on stage and he wanted to perform for his home crowd. I think he tightened up and it didn't quite go as he would have wanted to.

"I wanted to go out and hit a big 100+ average and that didn't happen, but I'm through and that's the most important thing."

World Champion Gary Anderson stared defeat in the face against Australian debutant Rob Modra before snatching a narrow 6-5 win in a dramatic first round contest.

After Anderson took out 88 on the bull and tops to win the first two legs, he could only watch as Adelaide's Modra took out 100, 126 and 120 to stun the Scot and take a 3-2 advantage.

The Australian also missed four darts to take the sixth leg as Anderson escaped from misses across three earlier visits by landing double one to level - only to see Modra finish 78 on tops for a 4-3 lead and double eight to move 5-4 up.

Anderson posted a maximum and tops to take the game into a decider, in which he landed a 180 to be first to a finish - only to then miss two darts at double 19 to finish 95.

Modra, though, was unable to take out 100 to snatch the win, and Anderson returned to spare his blushes on double 19.

"I've not seen Rob for about ten years and I hope it's another ten years before I see him again because his finishing was superb," joked Anderson afterwards. "I was scoring well but I'd miss a double and he was checking out.

"It's my first time in New Zealand so I was a bit shaky but I've got through this."

Australian star Simon Whitlock claimed a superb 6-4 win over number eight seed Stephen Bunting in a see-saw contest to set up a quarter-final against Phil Taylor in Auckland on Saturday.

Whitlock has been defeated in the first round of the World Series of Darts events in Perth and Sydney over the past fortnight, but showed his class against the former Lakeside Champion.

Finishes of 76 and 62 were an ideal start for Whitlock, with Bunting taking the third leg on double 16 only to see the former European Champion take the next three, twice punishing missed doubles from his opponent before hitting a 177 and a 68 finish to establish a 5-1 cushion.

Bunting regained his range on double 16 to hit back in leg seven, and landed a 180 and double 19 to break throw before taking out 62 to suddenly pull back to 5-4.

He also opened the tenth leg with a 180, but Whitlock fired in a 171 score as he left 94 before finishing the combination on double six to hold off Bunting's fight back and surge over the winning line.

"I've got every emotion going through me and that was an amazing win," admitted Whitlock. "I'm over the moon to win again and I want to build on this now.

"I've been working really hard and I was confident when I went out there.

"When he got back to 5-3 I started to feel under pressure but I wanted one chance to win the match and I got it, and took it. I haven't won many games on TV lately but I held it together, which is fantastic."

Whitlock added: "Phil's the best player in the world right now; he's won in Perth and Sydney with amazing darts so he's going to be tough to beat, but hopefully I'll get the New Zealand crowd behind me.

"I've got a lot of fans here and friends and I feel right at home in New Zealand. I got a fantastic reception and I'll do the best I can against Phil and play my own game."

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