By Dylan MacIsaac
In a sport where entertainment is paramount, it is always going to be difficult to narrow down what are ‘the greatest’ games of all time.
From nine-darters to mammoth comebacks to sudden-death legs; this list has them all.
10: Keith Deller v Eric Bristow – 1983 BDO World Championship Final
Darts in the 1980s was owned by one man: Eric Bristow. The Crafty Cockney was coming off the back of two world titles and seemed untouchable at the pinnacle of the game. Then came along Keith Deller, who found himself 3-1 up in a race to six sets against the master.
He fought on to lead Bristow 5-3, but thought his chance had vanished when the game was levelled at 5-5 having missed six match darts. Bristow then made the fatal error of underestimating his opponent, opting to set himself up instead of throw for the bullseye when Deller was on a finish.138 points later, Keither Deller found himself on top of the world courtesy of one of the most thrilling games of all time.
9: Fallon Sherrock v Gabriel Clemens – 2021 Grand Slam of Darts Group Stages
Fallon Sherrock has paved the way for women’s darts, and her win over Gabriel Clemens was not only a fiercely contested one but also made history. She became the first woman to reach the knockout stages of the Grand Slam, and she did so in style with a 170 finish to win the deciding leg.
Having fought back from 3-1 down against the German Giant, the ‘big fish’ raised the roof and put her through a difficult group that also included Peter Wright and Mike De Decker. She kept this form going to beat Mensur Suljović in the next round and continue to break down barriers for the women’s game.
8: Steve Beaton v Phil Taylor – 2010 Grand Slam of Darts Quarter-Final
Steve Beaton is a beloved figure in the sport, despite achieving relatively limited success compared to other big names. His crowning moment came in the 2010 grand slam of darts when he became the first player to ever knock out the might Taylor in this tournament. Taylor had won the first three titles since its inception and looked on course to do so again until he met the ‘Bronzed Adonis’ in the quarterfinals.
Beaton found himself chasing the game down 13-9 but rallied to level proceedings at 14-14 with a flurry of exceptional checkouts. The best of 31 leg marathon came to a dramatic end in the 29th leg when Taylor missed 4 darts at a double and Beaton made a meal of a simple 40 checkout but managed to salvage the shot and reel off his fifth leg in a row to finally topple Taylor.
7: Rob Cross vs Chris Dobey: 2024 PDC World Championship Quarter-Final
The 2024 World Championship will forever be remembered as the birth of the star that is Luke Littler, but amidst the chaos of his run to the final came one of the best comebacks the game has ever seen. A herculean effort saw former champion Rob Cross fight back from 4-0 down to defeat Chris Dobey 5-4 and complete the unthinkable.
Dobey missed a dart at tops to extend the match and left Cross with a 70 check out that he was never going to miss. Had Cross not lost to Littler in the next round, perhaps this game would find itself higher in the list.
6: Michael van Gerwen v James Wade – 2013 PDC World Championship Semi-Final
Some games aren’t made on the outcome but are made on moments. This is the case for the 2013 World Championship Semi-Final in which Michael van Gerwen produced 17 perfect darts before narrowly missing a double 12 for back-to-back nine-darters. Despite going on to lose the set, the Dutchman prevailed 6-4 against James Wade. The sheer number of times this match has been watched around the world warrants it a place in this list.
5: Adrian Lewis vs Gary Anderson: 2011 PDC World Championship Final
Jackpot claimed the first of back-to-back world titles with a dazzling display against Gary Anderson. A nine-darter in the first set was followed by the signature nonchalant shrug of Lewis and set the stage for a match of the highest quality. Lewis sat at an extortionate average of 134.38 after four legs on his way to a 7-5 victory and kickstarted his domination of the next two years.
4: Michael Smith vs Michael van Gerwen: 2023 PDC World Championship Final
The words “Michael may miss, and Michael may hit” and “they’re both on nines” are imprinted on the brains of anyone who was fortunate enough to witness this epic. It was Smith who came out victorious in the clash of the Michaels and provided us with arguably the most iconic moment in darts history when he hit a nine-darter just moments after van Gerwen had missed his own shot at double 12.
Smith had ended his agonisingly long wait for a televised major title earlier in the season at the Grand Slam of Darts after losing in 8 previous finals, and his deserved win on the world stage brought joy and relief to fans around the world.
3: Phil Taylor v Eric Bristow – 1997 PDC World Championship Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow had a unique relationship that is seldom seen in sports. A case of the student becoming the master was at play here, with Bristow having sponsored Taylor and nurtured him during his early days on the circuit. The baton wasn’t passed without a fight from Bristow, as he pinned a 141 checkout to deny Taylor a chance at a match dart.
He was able to force a deciding set, but the Power would ultimately prevail and mark the start of a new era. No love was lost on the day between what were once such great friends, and the combination of the darts, the drama and the storyline made for a true classic.
2: Rob Cross vs Michael van Gerwen: 2018 PDC World Championship Semi-Final
Beating a prime MVG was no easy task, especially when he averaged over 102. But that is exactly what World Championship debutant Rob Cross did, claiming a 6-5 sudden-death victory to reach the final at the first time of asking.
Neither player looked out of the game until the final leg where van Gerwen missed a match dart at double 16 and left Cross with 16 remaining. One dart at double eight was all it took for Cross to set up a stunning victory in the final over Phil Taylor in his final game, making this triumph even sweeter.
1: Phil Taylor vs Raymond van Barneveld: 2007 PDC World Championship Final
There could only be one answer for the number one spot. Two darting heavyweights at the peak of their powers going blow-for-blow with 180’s and huge checkouts lighting up the Circus Tavern. A deciding set turned into a sudden-death leg and culminated in van Barneveld winning his fifth World title, his first in the PDC. Barney battled back from a 3-0 deficit to win 7-6 and deny Taylor on the biggest stage of them all in a truly special, once in a lifetime encounter