Bunting lost in the opening quarter final to Luke Humphries 6-4 in Dublin last week.
It was a noticeable improvement from ‘The Bullet’ who managed a 100.49 average and 40% on the doubles.
Bunting posted on X following the loss:
Not the start I had dreamt about but what an absolute pleasure to be playing in front of these fantastic crowds.
Still a few nerves and the emotion of the walk on will fade over the weeks. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
Really looking forward to Exeter next week.… https://t.co/i7HSeOC2hD
— Stephen Bunting (@sbunting180) February 20, 2025
Following Nathan Aspinall’s run to the final last week, Bunting now sits at the bottom of the table with 0 points.
He faces an uphill battle against World Champion Luke Littler in his quarter final this week.
Littler was left frustrated as he went out to the night winner Gerwyn Price in the quarter finals in Dublin, averaging below 100 for the first time this campaign.
This will give Bunting confidence of earning his first points in this year’s Premier League.
In the other quarter finals, Michael Van Gerwen will be looking for his first nightly win as he begins against the struggling Rob Cross.
Night 3 winner Gerwyn Price plays World Number 1 Luke Humphries, a repeat of last week’s semi final.
Nathan Aspinall, who earned his first points last week, plays Chris Dobey who has failed to win in the Premier League for two weeks.
The bracket for Night 4 allows for a possible matchup in the final between Luke Littler and Luke Humphries.
The Exeter crowd will be expecting an explosive night of darts, with the opening 3 nights setting a high bar.
(Featured image – Stephen Bunting – darts – pic by PDC)
