The 2023 My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts continues in Germany on Friday, as the group stage concludes at Frankfurt’s Eissporthalle.
The losing nations from Thursday’s matches will play the third team from each group in Friday’s afternoon session, with Northern Ireland and Austria among the teams battling to preserve their qualification hopes.
The decisive final group games will then be played on Friday evening, as reigning champions Australia, hosts Germany and former finalists Belgium bid to secure their places in Saturday’s second round.
The draw for the last 16 will be made following the completion of the group stage, as England, Wales, Netherlands and Scotland enter the fray in the knockout stages.
The My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts will be broadcast on Sky Sports for viewers in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC’s international broadcast partners, including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland).
2023 My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts
Friday June 16
Afternoon Session (1200 local time, 1100 BST)
Group Stage – Second Matches x12
Loser First Match v Team 3
Finland 4-0 China (A)
Philippines 4-1 Singapore (I)
Sweden 4-1 Switzerland (L)
Lithuania 4-1 Portugal (G)
New Zealand 4-1 Bahrain (K)
Spain 4-2 Iceland (J)
Croatia 4-3 Thailand (E)
Northern Ireland 4-0 Ukraine (D)
Hungary 4-0 India (H)
Japan 4-3 Hong Kong (B)
Gibraltar 4-1 Guyana (C)
Austria 4-2 USA (F)
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Group Stage – Final Matches x12
Winner First Match v Team 3
Belgium v China (A)
Czech Republic v Philippines (I)
Italy v Sweden (L)
Poland v Lithuania (G)
Latvia v Bahrain (K)
South Africa v Iceland (J)
Republic of Ireland v Croatia (E)
France v Ukraine (D)
Canada v Hungary (H)
Germany v Japan (B)
Australia v Gibraltar (C)
Denmark v USA (F)
Afternoon Round-Up
Finland’s Marko Kantele and Paavo Myller punished a profligate display from China to keep their qualification hopes alive in Group A, closing out a 4-0 win despite affording their opponents 11 darts at double.
Philippines’ pairing of Christian Perez and Lourence Ilagan kicked off their Group I campaign with a 4-1 win over Singapore, setting up a qualification shoot-out against Czech Republic on Friday evening.
Ilagan landed three 180s to triumph alongside PDC Asian Champion Perez, as Paul Lim and Harith Lim became the first team eliminated from this year’s competition.
Sweden’s Dennis Nilsson and Oskar Lukasiak will face Italy for a place in the last 16 later tonight, after condemning 16th seeds Switzerland to back-to-back defeats in Group L.
Lithuanian duo Darius Labanauskas and Mindaugas Barauskas produced a clinical display to dump out Portugal’s Jose de Sousa and Luis Ameixa, converting four of their six attempts at double to make a winning start to Group G.
New Zealand preserved their Group K qualification hopes with a 4-1 success against debutants Bahrain, with Ben Robb posting a ton-plus average to inspire the 2019 quarter-finalists to victory.
Spain’s Jose Justicia and Tony Martinez returned to winning ways with a battling 4-2 win over newcomers Iceland, who will now take on Group J leaders South Africa in Friday’s evening session.
Croatian counterparts Boris Krcmar and Romeo Grbavac survived a scare in their Group E opener against Thailand, recovering from 3-2 down to set up a winner-takes-all clash against 2019 runners-up Republic of Ireland tonight.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan and Daryl Gurney demolished debutants Ukraine to register their first victory in Group D, averaging almost 97 to keep their slender hopes of progression alive.
Patrik Kovács helped Hungary make the perfect start to Group H, as he and Levente Sárai whitewashed India to set up a crucial showdown against three-time quarter-finalists Canada.
Japan’s Jun Matsuda and Tomoya Goto won through a topsy-turvy deciding-leg contest against Hong Kong in Group B, and their reward is a decisive tussle against hosts Germany for a spot in Saturday’s second round.
Gibraltar will play reigning champions Australia for a place in the knockout stages, after young duo Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt recorded a 4-1 win over Guyana to secure their first win on the World Cup stage.
Meanwhile, Mensur Suljovic produced a captain’s performance for 2021 runners-up Austria, converting all four of their successful darts at double as they stayed in contention with a battling 4-2 win over USA in Group F.
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