Betfred World Matchplay. Rob Cross favourite after comfortable win

It was an exciting night at the Winter Ballrooms as Stephen Bunting produced a sensational comeback to defeat Ian White, while Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney also advanced to the quarter-finals of the Betfred World Matchplay.

Night Five of the prestigious event saw Bunting recover from 9-4 down, surviving five match darts before winning a tense tie-break 14-12.

White, who hit ten of the game's 19 180s, appeared to be cruising through to his first televised quarter-final in over two years after opening up a 9-4 lead, before Bunting won four successive legs to cut the gap to one.

Tenth seed White stopped the rot with a break of throw to go within a leg of victory at 10-8, but missed three clear darts at double 16 in the following leg, allowing Bunting to land double top to trail 10-9.

SEE ALSO Betfred World Matchplay: Former World Champion Rob Cross powers through to last 16 | Cross: It doesn’t really feel real | Rob Cross in the 2019 Betfred World Matchplay: All you need to knowThe next leg saw White miss another two darts for the match, and Bunting once again stepped in to pin double ten and take the match to a tie-break.

White held to regain the lead, and a strong leg saw him waiting on 48 to break throw, only for Bunting to step in and take out a roof-raising 110 checkout to level once again.

The next two legs both went against throw, but after White burst his score twice when aiming for double eight, Bunting eventually mopped up double ten to lead 13-12 before completing the incredible comeback on double 16 in the final leg of the memorable contest.

"It's special to reach the last eight of my favourite tournament, it's a massive moment in my career," said Bunting, who will face Cross in the quarter-finals.

"It's crazy really when I think of the players I've beaten on that stage, Ian is a special player.

"I know I can do it, it's just about consistency and pushing myself to the limit and I believe I'm doing that now.

"I was so nervous but when I hit the winning double I took a deep breath before it and I was so relieved to see it go in."

Cross ran out a convincing 11-5 over Krzysztof Ratajski to reach the quarter-finals for the first time at the Winter Gardens.

After Blackpool debutant Ratajski took a 2-0 lead, a relentless display saw the former World Champion win nine legs without reply to take a stranglehold of the tie.

Polish number one Ratajski kept fighting and won three of the next four legs to make the scoreline respectable at 10-5, but Cross was not to be stopped and he wrapped up the win on double 16, his 11th successful shot at the outer ring from 19 attempts.

Sixth seed Wright laid down a marker with the highest average of the tournament so far in an 11-2 demolition of Simon Whitlock.