Kayden Milne, Mark Cleaver, and Ben Robb will all feature in August’s New Zealand Darts Masters, after sealing their qualification in Hamilton last weekend.
Cleaver and John Hurring shared the spoils in last weekend’s DartPlayers New Zealand ProTour double-header, with Cleaver, Milne and Robb finishing in the top three of the DPNZ NZ Darts Masters rankings.
Hurring defeated Cleaver in Saturday’s Event Seven showpiece, conceding just three legs in eight matches before prevailing in a last-leg decider to secure his third title of 2024.
Cleaver whitewashed Darren Herewini and swept aside Milne in the semi-finals, although he surrendered a 4-2 advantage in the Event Seven decider, with Hurring running out a 7-6 winner.
However, Cleaver captured his second title of the campaign in Sunday’s Event Eight, dispatching Hipirini Tewhakaara 7-1 to secure top spot on the DPNZ NZ Darts Masters rankings.
The 56-year-old also overcame Frank Bush and Alan Skayman in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively to confirm his big stage return in August’s World Series of Darts event.
Milne – a quarter-finalist at the 2022 New Zealand Darts Masters – will also star after finishing second on the rankings above Ben Robb, who will partner Haupai Puha at next month’s World Cup of Darts.
Puha will also headline the New Zealand Darts Masters on home soil alongside Australian stalwart Simon Whitlock, with a further three Oceanic representatives to be confirmed in July.
World number one Luke Humphries and teenage superstar Luke Littler will both make their debuts Down Under, with reigning NZ Darts Masters champion Rob Cross set to defend his title.
Former World Champions Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright have also been included, as have UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh and Australian number one Damon Heta.
The 2024 New Zealand Darts Masters will take place at Hamilton’s GLOBOX Arena on August 16-17, as the 16-player field compete for the coveted title across two days of action.
2024 DartPlayers New Zealand ProTour
Saturday May 11, Hamilton
Event Seven
Quarter-Finals
Wayne McRae 5-3 Ben Robb
John Hurring 5-1 David Adams
Kayden Milne 5-1 Jaymie Hilton-Jones
Mark Cleaver 5-0 Darren Herewini
Semi-Finals
John Hurring 6-1 Wayne McRae
Mark Cleaver 6-2 Kayden Milne
Final
John Hurring 7-6 Mark Cleaver
Sunday May 12
Event Eight
Quarter-Finals
Ben Robb 5-3 David Adams
Hipirini Tewhakaara 5-4 John Hurring
Alan Skayman 5-1 Kayden Milne
Mark Cleaver 5-3 Frank Bush
Semi-Finals
Hipirini Tewhakaara 6-4 Ben Robb
Mark Cleaver 6-4 Alan Skayman
Final
Mark Cleaver 7-1 Hipirini Tewhakaara
2024 New Zealand Darts Masters
August 16-17, GLOBOX Arena, Hamilton
PDC Representatives
Luke Humphries
Michael Smith
Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross
Peter Wright
Luke Littler
Dimitri Van den Bergh
Damon Heta
Oceanic Representatives
Haupai Puha (NZ)
Simon Whitlock (AUS)
Mark Cleaver (NZ)
Kayden Milne (NZ)
Ben Robb (NZ)
DPNZ Q1 (July 6)
DPNZ Q2 (July 7)
DPA OOM Leader (July 14)
—–ENDS—–
