Darts World Championship: Scotland’s William Borland hits nine-darter to beat Bradley Brooks

Scotland’s William Borland hit a sensational nine-dart finish in the deciding leg of his first round match at the William Hill World Championship.

His match against Bradley Brooks was locked at 2-2 in both sets and legs when Borland pulled off the remarkable show of skill and nerve.

As Borland struck 180 with his first three darts, there were boos from the raucous Alexandra Palace crowd very much behind his English opponent.

William Borland celebrates after hitting a nine-dart finish to win his first round match

Scottish player Borland settled an epic with England’s Bradley Brooks with the brilliant finish

But those jeers soon turned to cheers as Borland, 25, took out two more treble 20s and a perfect covering treble 19.

And the Ally Pally erupted when Borland hit two more treble 20s and a double 12 finish on what was his World Championship debut.

Borland, from East Calder in West Lothian, danced around in delight on the stage as he became the first player to win a televised match with a nine-dart finish in Professional Darts Corporation history.

‘It’s the greatest night of my life. It’s unbelievable, I’m just loving it,’ Borland, whose nickname is ‘Big Willie’, said.

‘Everyone was singing ‘Scotland get battered everywhere they go’ and that just kind of got me going.

Borland after hitting 177 with his penultimate set of three darts to tee up the nine-dart finish

‘Bradley played a brilliant game, we both struggled at times and I feel I just did the right thing at the right time to get over the line.

‘It’s special to hit a nine anywhere, but to do it on the biggest stage of all is just something else.’

Borland’s is the 11th nine-darter at the PDC World Darts Championship and he joins some illustrious company with Raymond van Barneveld (twice), Adrian Lewis (twice), Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and James Wade also going it in the big event.

It was the first at the Ally Pally since Anderson completed the feat in his semi-final win against Jelle Klaasen in 2016.

Paul Lim was the first player to achieve a nine-dart finish on the biggest stage in 1990 at the BDO World Championship.

Borland and Brooks bump fists after their epic contest was settled in spectacular fashion

The Singapore veteran, who made his World Championship debut in 1982, was denied a place in the second round of this year’s tournament after being edged out 3-2 by Joe Murnan.

But 67-year-old Lim pushed his opponent all the way, taking the match to a deciding set after Murnan had missed match darts in the fourth.

Second seed Peter Wright, world champion in 2020, was not at his best but still proved to good for fellow Englishman Ryan Meikle, who he defeated 3-0 to reach the third round.

Kent’s Ross Smith booked his place in the second round with a comfortable 3-0 win against Canada’s Jeff Smith.

Peter Wright, in festive attire, made it through to the second round with a win over Ryan Meikle

Earlier on Friday, Poland’s 12th seed Krzysztof Ratajski became the first seeded player to be knocked out after losing 3-1 to Irishman Steve Lennon in a second-round clash.

Russia’s Boris Koltsov produced dazzling 121 and 130 checkouts as he whitewashed Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena 3-0 to reach the second round for the first time.

Irish teenager Keane Barry marked his tournament debut by edging past first-round opponent Royden Lam 3-2 and Newcastle’s Ryan Joyce clinched a deciding leg after letting slip a two-set lead to beat Czech Roman Benecky by the same score.