Bunting wins World Champion title
Stephen Bunting who was before the tournament tipped as favourite and who is the actual BDO number 1 justified his assessment as favourite against surprise finalist Alan Norris as well. He won a thrilling and high-class final in which 27 180s were thrown - 12 by Bunting and 15 by Norris - with an average of 96.33 and hit around 37 percent of his doubles.
Till the break both players went head to head. Bunting had problems with hitting his doubles while Norris didn't score as strong as in his other matches which eventually squared the match. Norris won the first leg of the match after a 52 finish against the throw and extended his lead to 2:0 before Bunting got his first leg with double 2. Norris then secured himself leg four and the set despite he had missed the bu7llseye for his 101 finish. But he got a second change to take out his 25 remaining points and took it. In Set two Bunting threw all in all six 140s and by this in three legs was so far in the lead not even more misses hindered him from winning the set 3:1. Thanks to his better scoring Bunting won set three as well in the deciding leg before Norris managed to draw 2:0 in set four.
Bunting got the first leg of set five in a 13-darter. In the second leg Norris threw two 180s and reached a finish first. He busted because he hit the double 10 instead of the double 6 but had a second attempt and hit the right double this time. In leg Bunting missed the Bullseye for a 170 finish but Norris was too far back to be able to use the chance and Bunting returned to win the leg. He could win leg four in a 14-darter with an 82 checkout and was 3:2 in the lead.
The first to legs of set six were won against the throw - Leg 1 by Bunting with a 57 Finish, leg two by Norris who in leg 3 again punished Bunting for missing the doubles. Bunting managed to win the fourth leg but it was Norris who got the deciding leg with double ten to draw 3:3.
After the break Bunting won the first leg. Leg two was in regard of both the finishing and the scoring the weakest leg in the match of both players, Norris got it with double 4. In the following leg Norris stepped it up a notch and after nine darts stood on 41 points rest which he finished against the throw. Bunting answered with a 101 finish, the first high finish of the match. In the fifth leg of the set Norris scored much better then Bunting but Norris made a hash of his finish and Bunting won leg and set. Bunting slowly started to recover his accuracy on the doubles and only lost a single leg in set 8 despite Norris had scored better. For the first time Bunting was two legs in the lead. Bunting won the first leg of the ninth set hitting double 20 with his first dart, put out thirty points in leg two by double 14 double 1 and hit in leg three with his third dart double 18.
But Norris didn't give in easily but won the 10. Set and only lost one leg to Bunting. In the other three legs his scores were much higher than Buntings. He ended the set with a 140 finish - the highest of the match. In the first two legs of set 11 both players showed nerves. With a 104 finish in leg two Bunting recovered. Norris could win a last leg after his 14. 180 with a 113 finish but already in the next leg Bunting finished the match with his second Matchdart.