Stephen Bunting shoots through Tipton

'The Bullet' walked away with half of the £5,000 pot that was on offer for those entering the tournament, writes Craig Birch.

The second annual August Bank Holiday Monday competition once again took place at Allens Sports Bar, on Newhall Street.

It attracted another clutch of PDC professionals and BDO regulars, looking to cash in through the rewards on offer. Entry to play was just £10 on the day and £8 if booked in advance.

Hundreds more piled through the doors to watch the games, with the semi-finals and final taking place on the venue's stage.

Bunting, the 2014 BDO title winner and ranked No 14 by the PDC, travelled to the Black Country from his home in Merseyside.

He was joined in Tipton by PDC compatriots Robbie Green, Wes Newton, Jamie Caven, James Richardson and Andy Boulton.

The BDO contingent included Jim Williams and Jamie Hughes, the latter a hometown hero and 2016 World Championship semi-finalist.

Bloxwich's Matthew Dennant, Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones and Shropshire's David Pallett - who won the inaugural Open event in 2015 - are also PDC regulars.

But it was Paul Wells, from Netherton, who was the pick of the local darters with a march to the final, where he was beaten 6-1 by Bunting.

It brought to a conclusion a busy day of darts with 16 match boards in operation, plus a number of practice areas.

Money was paid out to all of the last 16, where the losers received £75 for their efforts. A run to the quarters netted £100, with £250 for reaching the final four and £1,000 to the runner-up.

Early ties were contested under a best-of-seven format, upgraded to nine in the semis with an extra leg in the final.

The pick of the last 16 clashes saw Rugeley's Mark Hylton put paid to Pallett's defence with a 4-0 victory, while Wayne Jones was also whitewashed 4-0 by Williams.

Green also went through 4-0, over Nathan Derry. Bunting eased past Barry Lynn 4-1, the same verdict which Tipton's Ian Jones used to put out Matthew Green.

Chris Quantock beat Bloxwich's Shaun Carroll 4-2, as did Wells against Mark Carter. Dennant fought to the last leg before overcoming Ian McFarlane 4-3.

Bunting was the only convincing winner in the quarters, vanquishing Hylton 4-1. The rest proved to be 4-3 tussles.

Wells downed Quantock, while Ian Jones pipped McFarlane to the post as Williams held his nerve to defeat Green.

Another shut out came Bunting's way in the semis as he showed his class, 5-0 against Williams. Wells dropped just a leg, 5-1 against Ian Jones, as the two entered a collision course.