Sunday 30th September 2018 - Saturday 6th October 2018

Unibet World Grand Prix

Citywest Hotel, Dublin

Steve Beaton beat Rob Cross by two sets to nil in the first round of the Unibet World Grand Prix at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin for the second year running.

Cross struggled to find any fluency throughout the match and it always looked as though the 1996 BDO World Champion was the likely winner over the short format double start clash.

Beaton kicked off with a 160 in the opening leg of the first set and finished it with a 50 outshot (18, D16). Cross took six darts to get away in the second leg, both players traded maximums, then a poor score from 'The Bronzed Adonis' gave Cross a chance to capitalise but he just wasn't firing and one missed dart at double sixteen was all he had as Beaton finished it in 23 darts. A great start to the third leg from Cross, a 156 gave him hope of getting a leg on the board which he did by finding double eight for a 19 darter despite back-to-back 140s from Beaton. This was to be Cross' only leg of the match as Beaton won the next in 19 darts to win the opening set 3-1.

The first two legs of the second set comfortably went the way of Beaton and both 15 darters with finishes of 64 and 68 with Cross left well adrift on 185 and 140.

A second 180 from Cross in the third leg of the second set wasn't celebrated by the former electrician and one missed dart at double top a couple of throws later was his only chance of finding a way back in to the match as Beaton finished the leg off in 20 darts.

The head-to-head between the two players now stands at 3-3.

Following the match Beaton said "Knowing I'd beaten him at this stage last year was an advantage for me, I was determined to win again,

"We had a bit of banter in the practice room that the last time I beat him here he went on to become World Champion!

"It sounds strange to say it but Rob is more experienced than me at the moment, in terms of his big stage play in 2018 so that makes the win all the more satisfying."

Beaton averaged 84.27

Cross averaged 76.98

Steve Beaton lost out to Gerwyn Price 3-1 in the second round.