Humphries and Smith Looking to Cap Fine Summer for English Sport at the World Cup of Darts

As a country that has produced many of the finest players to toe the oche, it's quite a surprise to see how England has struggled at the World Cup of Darts – particularly in recent years.

They've only reached one final in the last seven editions of the tournament, which is a paltry record – a far cry from the heroics of Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis, who combined to lift the trophy on four separate occasions.

But it feels different this year, with England represented by two world champions Luke Humphries and Michael Smith. So, could this be the year of an English victory at the World Cup? And can the duo kickstart a championship summer of sport for the country?

 

World Cup teams locked in 

The 40 nations competing in June's @BetVictor World Cup of Darts have been confirmed.https://t.co/f82QcObsJz

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 22, 2024

 

Summer Silverware

You only need to be a passing fan to know that 2024 is serving up a thrilling summer of sport.
There's the European Championships in Germany, with England leading the way in the football betting odds to lift the trophy as 3/1 favourites ahead of France and the host nation – supporters of the Three Lions have had to wait decades longer than English darts for major team glory!

Over in the United States and the Caribbean, there's the next edition of the T20 Cricket World Cup. The cricket betting odds for the hard-hitting tournament confirm that England – the defending champions – have a strong chance of doubling up.

And we have the Olympic Games in Paris too – Great Britain will be hoping to build on their impressive medal haul from Tokyo three years ago.

For darts fans, all eyes are on the Winter Gardens for the World Matchplay in July, with the World Cup an appetising starter to get us warmed up and ready for action.

 

Big Guns and Dark Horses

The England duo of Humphries and Smith are favourites to win the World Cup, which heads to Frankfurt at the end of June.

The relative lack of form of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton has seen them fall down the pecking order despite their fine record in this competition, while the struggles of Michael van Gerwen, in particular, have hit the Netherlands' chances.

 

Gerwyn Price bowed out of the 2024 Premier League Darts last night after a 6-4 loss to Luke Humphries 

Price won just seven of his 23 matches in this year's competition, finishing as runner-up on two of the 16 weeks. pic.twitter.com/citGxl5xk6

— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) May 17, 2024

It's an edition that feels like there could be shocks and upsets, with half of the Scotland pair – Peter Wright – also struggling to put together a string of consistently strong performances.

You would think England's favouritism is justified, although a handful of 'dark horses' will be looking to push them all the way.

The German crowd will give their home favourites a raucous reception – and their opponents a rough old ride, and you wonder if the growth in stature of Martin Schindler could help propel them to new heights.

The Wall landed his maiden European Tour title on home soil earlier in the season, reaching two other semi-finals along the way. His playing partner, Gabriel Clemens, also has a mammoth performance ceiling when everything clicks for him.

Of the other pairings, Northern Ireland could be an interesting team to watch, with Josh Rock replacing Daryl Gurney. Rock has also recently bagged a maiden title on the European Tour with his playing partner – Brendan Dolan – a wily old campaigner who won a Pro Tour event in May.

Whichever way you look at it, the World Cup of Darts is shaping up to be a thriller – and it could form part of a glorious summer of sport for England teams.