Stephen Bunting v James Hurrell - Sky Bet Sign Up Offer

As the Christmas turkey begins to settle and focus shifts from festive family gatherings to the high-stakes drama of the Alexandra Palace, one of the most intriguing third-round clashes is set for Saturday, 27th December.

The "People’s Champion" Stephen Bunting takes on the tournament's current giant-killer, James Hurrell. With a massive offer on the table for Bunting to progress, we dive into the stats, the form, and the narrative behind this post-Christmas humdinger.

Stephen Bunting: The Resurgence of 'The Bullet'

For Stephen Bunting, 2025 has been a year of total resurgence. Since switching to his now-famous gold darts and embracing a more aggressive scoring style, the St Helens man has become a fixture at the business end of major tournaments.

Bunting’s journey so far this December has been a testament to his mental fortitude. He survived a genuine scare in his first-round tie against Sebastian Bialecki, where he averaged a staggering 119 in the opening set before winning a tense tie-break. He followed that up on December 20th with a clinical 3-0 dispatching of Nitin Kumar.

Currently ranked World Number 4, Bunting is no longer a dark horse; he is a legitimate contender for the Sid Waddell Trophy. You can check his full tournament stats on the official PDC website.

James Hurrell: The Underdog Who Refuses to Bark

If Bunting is the established star, James Hurrell is the man currently rewriting his own script. Hurrell’s second-round victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode remains the highlight of the championship so far.

Hurrell produced a "mental reset" in that match that saw him average 115 in the second set, eventually hitting ten 180s—the highest individual total in a single match at the 2025/26 World Championship heading into the Christmas break. Speaking after the win, "Hillbilly" was adamant: "I can beat anyone, to be fair."

The Verdict

While James Hurrell’s run has been magnificent, he is running into a Stephen Bunting who is playing with the focus of a man who believes his name is on the trophy. Bunting’s ability to find 140s and 180s at will puts immense pressure on his opponent's throw—a pressure that eventually caused even a veteran like Van Duijvenbode to crumble.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

1. This promotion is only available to individuals aged 18 years and over who have registered as new customers of Sky Betting and Gaming. For the avoidance of doubt, any customers who currently or have previously held an account with Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, Sky Bingo or Sky Poker will be considered existing customers.
2. Customers who are, or become, self-excluded from Sky Betting and Gaming products or have had restrictions placed on their account during the Promotional Period may not be eligible to participate in this promotion.
3. This promotion will run from 09:00 on Wednesday, 24th December 2025 until 12:30 on Saturday, 27th December 2025, (the “Promotional Period”).
4. To qualify for this promotion, new customers must sign up through the Enhanced Price Boost welcome offer, make a minimum deposit of £5, and place a bet of £1 (the "Staking Requirements") as their first bet on “S. Bunting to Win” in the match S. Bunting vs J. Hurrell, on Saturday 27th December (the “Bet”) at normal odds.
5. Where the bet wins, the winnings from enhanced odds will be credited as five £10 bet tokens, (the "Free Bets"). If the bet loses (S. Bunting does not win the match) customers will receive £10 in free bet credits as one £10 bet token.
6. Customers will also receive the winnings in cash that would have been credited had the Bet been placed at market odds. The odds will be those that were live on Sky Bet at the time the Staking Requirements were met.
7. Only your first bet with Sky Bet will count towards this offer. Any subsequent bets will not be eligible.
8. To meet the Staking Requirement, you must bet £1.00 in a single bet. Greater stakes or an accumulation of smaller stakes will not count.
9. Free Bets are non-withdrawable and free bet stakes are not included in any returns.
10. Free Bets expire 14 days after crediting.
11. To qualify for this promotion and receive any associated Free Bets, bonuses or rewards, all Staking Requirements must be met within the Promotional Period.
12. This offer can only be claimed once per customer.
13. Customers using Neteller or Skrill will not qualify.
14. Sky Betting and Gaming reserves the right acting reasonably to withhold, restrict or cancel this offer from individual account holders in accordance with its eligibility, promotion abuse and internal risk policies at its reasonable discretion.
15. Sky Betting and Gaming reserves the right, acting reasonably to change, withdraw or increase the availability of and/or value of rewards throughout the Promotional Period at any time. This will not impact players who have already started wagering under a promotion.
16. All Sky Betting and Gaming general rules and terms apply.
17. For customers using Euros, the Staking Requirements and Free Bets will be at an exchange rate of £1/€1.
18. Sky Betting and Gaming General Promotion Terms apply to this promotion and can be viewed here.

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