Duane cements second place with victory over Duncan

Duncan v Duane

Duane secured second place in the 2026 Depot Darts League by beating Duncan 1–0 on Thursday morning. His 19th league victory takes him to 58 points, beyond the reach of every player below him, with one match still to play.

The opening exchanges suggested a much quicker finish. Duane struck 81 and then 95 to leave just 25 after six darts, while Duncan’s first two visits of 25 and 3 left him on 173. It was a commanding early advantage, but turning that scoring into the winning double proved far less straightforward.

Duane worked down through 15 and 12 as Duncan began to close the gap. Visits of 56 and 55, the latter including the bull, brought Duncan to 35. He then reduced that to 14, keeping the result alive while Duane found himself on double one.

What followed was a prolonged struggle to finish. Misses and busts gave both players further chances, with Duncan eventually reaching eight. Duane finally found double one to end the contest, leaving Duncan still needing double four. After all the early scoring and late frustration, a two-point checkout settled both the match and the race for second.

SECOND PLACE CONFIRMED — Duane has 58 points from 27 matches: 19 wins, one draw and seven defeats. Duncan remains on 48 with three matches left, so even three wins would take him only to 57. Angus can reach 54 and John L 52; every other challenger has a lower ceiling. Duane is therefore mathematically guaranteed to finish runner-up behind champion Gary.

The season is not over for Duane. His remaining league fixture is against Gary on 21 October, with the chance to reach 20 wins and 61 points. That result can no longer change his finishing position: second place is secured.