Previously a figure at the BDO World Darts Championships, James Hurrell is the latest to walk the path PDC World Darts Championships and with great effect against Jim Long.
Hurrell showed his great stage talent by defeating the Canadian in the hammer. The match was expected to be a close one but it was not to be as Hurrell wasted no time in sealing the clash with Michael van Gerwen.
It was a dream start for Hillbilly, who quickly stormed through the first set 3-0, with his doubling up being a theme throughout as he stood out. He achieved a high score of 120 with 75% on the outer ring. That excellence continued as he won 6 of 7 legs to double his lead in the set.
Long had no answer for his skills as Hurrell led 2-0 and from there he calmly approached the finish line. More misses continued to plague Long as he missed most of his darts in the legs to finish him off.
Hurrell was there every time to help defeat the Canadian in the final set 3-0. What was perceived on paper as an extremely difficult gruel for close contact was not at all. If Hurrell continues this and MvG isn’t as rosy as it was this year, it could be a tough draw for the three-time world champion.
Next up is Noa-Lynn van Leuven making her World Championship debut. There will be a Dutch derby with Kevin Doets, the winner of which will face Michael Smith for a place in the third round.
