When one’s life has revolved around sport as much as it has in this seat, tying down a single favourite sporting moment – or indeed a compilation thereof – would be akin to asking Elvis Presley which one of his Number One records were his favourite. Were pressure put on the occupant of this seat to assemble such an ensemble, the fourth game between Meath and Dublin in 1991 will forever take pride of place therein.
Closely followed by the Queen Mother Champion Chase in which Viking Flagship somehow circumnavigated the gargantuan challenge offered by Deep Sensation and what has become known as the Miracle In Medinah when Rory McIlroy’s alarm clock didn’t go off and Martin Kaymer somehow managed to ensure he and his colleagues somehow managed to wrap the blue flag of Europe around the Ryder Cup.
Devotees of darts with more legs and sets under their belts than I always reference the 2007 clash of Raymond Van Barneveld and Phil Taylor as the greatest contest that particular discipline has ever produced. That joust was slightly before yours truly had picked up the darting addiction.
As of 29/12/20, however, the tungsten throngs may have a coming together of equal or perhaps greater majesty to take merited commendation alongside it. One which would have had the script writers in a similar position to British civil servants in Brussels when it comes to their employment situation.
By his own admission, Joe Cullen’s record in the Alexandra Palace has been appalling so you’d probably have got better odds on the results of the American Presidential Elections being reversed than the likelihood of the Stockport man opening up 2-0 (sets) lead over Michael Van Gerwen yet that is precisely what happened.
Not only that, but he hit 19 of the 27 maximum checkouts which illuminated the gripping game. Many taps of the keyboard have dedicated on this site to a perceived diminishment in the quality of production coming from the Green machine – aka Mr Van Gerwen.
However, when the fat was really in the fire, the dynamic Dutchman was able to call on the know required to get over the line in such a blockbuster affair having been involved in many of them. Thus, the ‘Rockstar’s virtuoso performance was eventually drowned out by a crescendo from the ‘Green Machi
The following is a very rare scenario, but, not only was Cullen fully deserving of the praise which was rightly lavished upon him in the aftermath of what was surely a career best performance, but, he can take much positivity from the brilliant contribution to an an unforgettable night’s sport.
At the end of an epic two days and nights of darts – during which James Wade hit a nine-darter but still lost out to a revitalised Stephen Bunting – the last 16 was halved in size and thrown up some mouthwatering games in prospect.
The Quarter Final pairings are as follows:
Michael Van Gerwen v. Dave Chisnall
Gary Anderson v. Dirk van Duijvenbode
Krzyzstof Ratajaski v. Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price vs. Daryl Gurney
