Our regular lighthearted look at who’s hot, and who’s not, in world darts. This time from Darts World Extra 13 (November 2023) Small incidents can have big consequences. Players and even companies and codes come from nowhere, suddenly move up a level or even dramatically collapse. The signs were there if you’d known where to look.
Luke Humphries: Cool Hand bagged two ranking majors since our last DWExtra and is simply THE form player right now. He may have also mastered the knack of timing as a place in the Premier League is now a certainty.
Natalie Gilbert: Our Columnist claimed the final Womens Series title of 2023 and set herself up for a bumper 2024 season. Natalie has clocked up a vast array of qtr, semi and final appearances across the codes and events. Could this victory be the first of many?
Gary Anderson: The Flying Scotsman is back, close to his very best on the floor and now showing signs of returning to his fluent stage best as well. Second overall in the Players Championships Order of Merit and seeming happy and content to play again.
Peter Wright: After a bizarrely mixed year Snakebite strung together some fine performances with some MVG darts and bagged a second European Championship. The 53-year-old may not hit the heights every week but is a threat to anyone on any given day.
James Wade: The Machine has always played through peaks and troughs but this can be tougher as sportsmen age.James however also has a fine sense of timing and just as things were looking dicey he finds a major final at the Euros and then a semi at the Grand Slam!
Bounceouts
Michael Smith: Bullyboy is having one of those spells. New kit from Shot darts, defending champion in places and with the biggest target on his back. The Englishman is playing well but then seems to find an average performance. Can he turn things around before the big defence?
Peter Wright: As we hinted above Peter has had the strangest of years. His Grand Slam exit seemed lacklustre in the extreme and such a contrast to the ‘Bullseye’ of the Euros!
Indian Darts: First the Indian qualifying spot was won by a player born in Rugby, based in the UK and plays for Warwickshire. To add insult to injury it appears that the player may miss the event and need to be replaced!
Ross Smith: It’s been a year of truncated title defences with Danny Noppert, MVG and Michael Smith all producing underwhelming efforts at ranking major defences. Smudger’s fairytale 2022 win left many wanting him to do a ‘Joe Johnson’ and go on a run again…
Lakeside: The WDF’s rescheduling has left the venerable old event with more pull-outs than a second rate 90’s porn movie. Hopefully it will settle after their first year’s teething troubles.
—–ENDS—–
Images: Darts World Magazine
