Van Gerwen's Netherlands out of Darts World Cup at hands of Belgium

Belgium thus advance to the quarter-finals. England, Northern Ireland and surprisingly Croatia also advance to the quarter-finals.

Catch up on all the action:

Northern Ireland 8-7 Germany

It started right away with an unprecedented high level. Three 180s were thrown in the first leg. Josh Rock threw two for Northern Ireland, Gabriel Clemens one for Germany. Northern Ireland left 41 which Brendan Dolan threw out in two darts: 1-0. In the second leg, which Germany started, the Germans had no trouble with Northern Ireland.

Martin Schindler threw out tops to make it 1-1. 

The smaller of the two Germans threw the fourth 180 of the match in the third leg, but Northern Ireland made it 2-1. Rock threw out double 16. Schindler threw another 180 in the fourth leg, but then missed two darts on the double. Clemens was allowed to come back for it and threw out double 2: 2-2.

Germany breaks back before the break

Also in the fifth leg there was no dart on the break. Dolan hit 82 to give Northern Ireland a 3-2 lead. Those chances for the break did come in the sixth leg. 130 and 85 did not go out, but Dolan came back for 56. He got two darts on tops, but missed them both. Schindler needed to throw out 47, but did not. And so the break still came via double 5: 4-2.

They almost broke the deadlock by hitting 170, but Rock missed the bullseye. Germany grabbed the rebreak as Schindler threw out 100 in two darts, 4-3 at the break.

Misses on the doubles

Even after the break, the first turn was a maximum score. Schindler already threw his third 180. Clemens just did not finish the job. Clemens missed three doubles and so Dolan had three chances.

He threw out double 8 and put the Northern Irish on 5-3. Schindler had a chance to break back from 101, but he missed tops. Dolan had to throw out 76 but did not. Clemens only missed three chances again, but Rock also failed to get 20 out. But the error fest continued, with Schindler also failing to throw out 10. Dolan did and so it became 6-3.

Rock threw 180 in the tenth leg, but could not prevent it becoming 6-4. Clemens hit double 5 to keep Germany in the match. Dolan missed three chances on double 11 and thus Clemens three chances for the break.

But he missed three chances again and so it was still 7-4. Rock threw out double 2. Germany stayed in the match as Schindler threw out 104: 7-5. Germany got two match darts, but Dolan missed tops. Clemens did throw out 58 and so Germany came back: 7-6.

Deciding leg

In the 14th leg, Clemens threw his second 180 to put Schindler on 36. Schindler threw out double 18 and so came a fifteenth and decisive leg: 7-7. Northern Ireland won that decisive leg, as Rock threw out 56 and so Northern Ireland advanced to the quarter-finals.

England 8-3 France

Michael Smith and Luke Humphries took on Thibault Tricole and Jacques Labre. England took the lead. Smith threw out double 4 to put the 1-0 on the board. France equalised.

Labre threw out 80 with the first arrow on the double: 1-1. England were sloppy in the early stages. Humphries did not get 100 out and so came the first break. Labre threw out 56 via tops and put the French on 2-1. But England did not get flustered. Humphries repaired the damage by throwing out 87 to put England level again, 2-2.

England come into the match

Tricole put the first 180 on the board in the fifth leg, but could not prevent England from winning the leg. Humphries threw out tops to put England back in the lead, 3-2. Smith threw the first 180 on behalf of England, leaving 42 for Humphries.

The world number one threw that out and made it 4-2. This put England ahead by a break. Humphries had a chance to make it 5-2 from 52, but missed two doubles. Labre had a chance for the break via 83, but was sloppy and did not get a dart on the double. Smith did throw out double 4 and put England on 5-2.

French resistance broken

After the break, France were allowed to start. Tricole had two chances on double 16 for the 5-3, but missed twice. This gave Smith three chances for the break from double 14 and he threw that too: 6-2. France had two more chances in the ninth, but Labre could not post the break and so Smith again finished it off mercilessly.

Via tops, 60 went out and it was 7-2. Tricole did take the chances in the tenth leg. He threw out double 18 to win another leg for the French: 7-3. That was the last leg France won, as Smith threw out the match on tops: 8-3.

Wales 6-8 Croatia

Reigning world champion Wales entered the match without Gerwyn Price, but with Jonny Clayton and Jim Williams.

They took on Boris Krcmar and Romeo Grbavac. Wales started the match and took the lead. Clayton threw out 60 via tops. Krcmar replied with the first 180 of the match. Krcmar and Grbavac missed three more chances on the double, but got more. Krcmar threw out double 10 to make it 1-1. 

Clayton almost threw out 96 in the third leg, but missed double 8. Williams needed to throw out 8, but did not. Grbavac had two chances at the break from 52 and threw that out: 2-1 for Croatia. Krcmar threw the second 180 in the fourth leg. He then almost threw out 104, but missed double 16. Grbavac had the chance to still throw in the 3-1 and did so.

Croatia with break lead into the break

Wales did hold the fifth leg. Clayton threw out 62 in two darts to bring the score to 3-2.

Clayton also had the chance to throw the rebreak via 18 and he did. Double 8 made it 3-3. In the seventh leg, Croatia had a chance at the break. Grbavac only failed to throw out 126 as the bullseye went wrong. Clayton had 100 left and went for two tops, but missed the second. Krcmar then threw out 25 to give Croatia a 4-3 lead at the break.

After the break, Croatia cashed in. Krcmar threw out double 10 to make it 5-3. Krcmar threw the third, and also his third 180 of the match, in the ninth leg.

But the double break was not realised. Clayton threw out double 10 and kept Wales in the match: 5-4. Clayton also threw in the first 180 on behalf of Wales in the tenth leg, but Croatia also threw a good leg, leaving 32.

Krcmar threw out double 16 to put 6-4 on the board. Clayton needed to throw out 76 in the 11th leg to stay in the match, but he missed tops. Krcmar had three chances for the break, so Williams had to hit the target. He did so via double 10: 6-5.

Wales misses very expensive doubles

Croatia's misses came at a cost, as Wales regained the break in the 12th leg. Clayton threw out double 4 and brought the score to 6-6. Wales had every chance for the 7-6, but missed four doubles.

Croatia took advantage, Grbavac threw out 84 via double 11 to make it 7-6. Match point for Croatia. They won the match too. It was again Grbavac who threw the finish. 83 went out and so Croatia surprisingly advanced to the quarter-finals.

Netherlands 2-8 Belgium

The Netherlands started the match with Michael van Gerwen and Danny Noppert. The latter threw 180 in the first leg and Van Gerwen then almost threw out 138, but missed the double 12. Noppert also failed to get 12 out and so Belgium had two chances for the break via 89. Kim Huybrechts also threw that one out and so an early break was a fact: 1-0.

Dimitri van den Bergh started the second leg on behalf of the Belgians and he also threw the second 180 of the match. Huybrechts failed to get 86 out and so the Netherlands had a chance at the rebreak from 121, but Noppert failed to get that out. Van den Bergh and Van Gerwen also failed to get it out after that, so Huybrechts had to do it again. He threw out double 2 to put Belgium up 2-0.

Huybrechts finishes fantastic

Noppert threw in the second 180 for the Netherlands, putting Van Gerwen on 52. That went out and that also put the Netherlands on the board: 2-1. Van den Bergh opened the fourth leg with 180, but Noppert also threw another maximum score.

A chance for the break did not come, as Huybrechts was finishing great. 129 went out via the bullseye. Also in the fifth leg, Noppert threw 180. Van den Bergh could not stay behind and also threw just one. 

Noppert had 130, but missed the double 5. Huybrechts had 121 left and that too went out via the bullseye: 4-1 and a double break.

In the sixth leg, Van Gerwen also threw his first 180, but Huybrechts followed with 177. It was an insanely high-level match, with both countries throwing well over 100 on average. The Netherlands left 40, but Belgium threw out 86. Van den Bergh found the double 16 and made it 5-1. The Netherlands did make it 5-2 before the break, as Noppert threw out 52.

Van Gerwen misses all doubles

The Netherlands needed to break as soon as possible after the break and also got a chance from 107. Van Gerwen only failed to throw tops. Huybrechts took advantage and hit 52 to make it 6-2. Noppert threw another 180 and had a chance on 86 for double 7, but the Netherlands missed too many chances.

Van Gerwen also failed to get 7 out and so it became 7-2. Van den Bergh threw out 64 to put the Belgians on match point. The Netherlands had chances for the break, but Van Gerwen missed three chances again. Huybrechts got a match dart from 74 and threw that out as well. Thus, the Belgians won very easily over the Netherlands, 8-2.