Stephen Bunting dumped OUT of New Zealand Darts Masters on day one in two huge shocks

ROSS SMITH and Stephen Bunting were the big-name casualties on day one of the New Zealand Darts Masters. The PDC pair were shocked by Oceania stars at the Spark Arena in Auckland in this invitational World Series of Darts event. Stephen Bunting was dumped out of the New Zealand Darts Masters on the opening day Credit: Hunter/Action Plus/Shutterstock Ross Smith was another big-name casualty as he was beaten by Australian Adam Leek Credit: Getty Dover-based Smith, 37, was beaten 6-5 in a last-leg decider by Australian world No.123 Adam Leek in round one, even though he had wasted six match darts. And then unranked Brisbane-born Raymond Smith eliminated Premier League player Bunting 6-2. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Leek, 27, said: “It’s the best feeling in the world. It’s a dream come true to play on this stage.” Antipodean Smith, 46, now plays PDC Tour Card Holder Leek in the quarter-finals on Saturday and he said: “It feels pretty awesome. “Eight years since I last played on a PDC stage, so I’m pretty stoked. “I think I played really well. What we’re doing in the ADA, DPNZ and ANZ Premier League is setting us up for this sort of stuff.” Darts’ annual trip Down Under has lacked gloss this time as Box Office throwers Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen are all absent. Gerwyn Price – who thumped New Zealander Mark Cleaver 6-1 – is the only former PDC world champion in this year’s field. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Play Dream Team this season! £100,000 in prize money up for grabs in 2026/27 Free to enter Play in Mini Leagues against your mates £60,000 jackpot for the overall winner £1,000 prize for winning Gameweek 1 PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW! Darts stars are competing for a total prize pot of £100,000, with the winner banking £30,000. The biggest absentee is Littler, who is taking a break and heading to Disney World in Orlando instead. He told the Ariel Helwani Show: “After my first full year on the tour, I was like, this is crazy, the (number of) flights. “When we go to Germany and stuff, we have to get like two flights just to get to one place. “But now obviously where I am in the rankings, number one, that’s why I’m missing tournaments and having more time at home. “Well this year I’ve decided not to go to Australia and New Zealand. That’s in August, the second and third week. “So, it’s probably 16 days in Australia and New Zealand. The time zone over there is mental. 10 hours, maybe 12 hours. “So I’m not going there. I’ve got the whole of August off for the first time. “So we’re gonna go to Orlando. I’ve been to Orlando three times now.” Comment now