Chatting Bull with Dan Dawson - Issue #018

Nathan Aspinall struggled past Ritchie Edhouse in his opening game on Saturday night, admitting afterwards that he had never put so much pressure on himself in a game of darts.  The thing is, “The Asp” (a two-time major champion, current Premier League player, and one of the undisputed stars of the sport) is on a precipice.

His much-publicised battle with both dartitis and injuries has seen him miss many events and underperform in others, but he remains in the top 10 of the world rankings by virtue of the £200,000 he won in 2023 when he sensationally became the World Matchplay champion. In the summer this year, that big chunk of money will drop off his ranking, and with that comes potential catastrophe.

By the time the World Grand Prix rolls around in September, Nathan Aspinall was provisionally only clinging on to his spot in the top 32, and was set to miss out on an event in which he has competed for the last six years running. It was looking like a miracle was needed for him to mitigate his exit from the top table of world darts.  But unexpected things happen.

Having beaten Edhouse in a deciding leg at the European Darts Trophy on Saturday night, he produced another defiant last-leg victory against the in-form Jermaine Wattimena, and then thrashed the world number one Luke Humphries with an average approaching 107. It was turning into one of his greatest campaigns on the Euro Tour, but even then, he found himself 5-6 down in a race to seven legs with Gary Anderson in the semi-finals. 

Anderson was on double-top for the match, and Aspinall had to take out the biggest finish in the game, the 170, or his run would be over.The £8,500 prize money for losing in the semis would have helped, but nowhere near enough. He had to hit it. He did.  And despite still visibly shaking from the adrenaline, he somehow closed out yet another deciding leg win to make the final, in which he beat Ryan Joyce.

All of a sudden, “The Asp” is looking good for the Grand Prix, The European Championship and potentially the Grand Slam this year - all ranking majors. He will continue to have to manage his injury problems, but the heroics he produced in Gӧttingen might just have changed his trajectory for the next year or two.  Sometimes a single visit can have a huge impact on a match, and with it a tournament, and as a result an entire career - and in that moment of sublime chaos, Nathan Aspinall’s 170 checkout could turn out to be one of the biggest moments of his professional life.

Issue #018 Quiz Answers

1) Double in & Double Out
2) 1998
3) Nathan Aspinall

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