Wednesday 13 May 2020 10:30, UK
Mike De Decker recovered from an opening loss to Martin Atkins, as he topped Group 26 of the PDC Home Tour.
The 25-year-old finished at the summit of the table, level of points and leg-differential with Steve Brown, but he edged the Bristol native on head-to-head.
All players were competing in the tournament for the second time, having previously finished as runners up in their respective groups.
'The Bomber' got off to the perfect start, storming to a whitewash victory over Whitehead.
The second tie saw Atkins and De Decker go leg-for-leg, as it was finely poised at 3-3. The breakthrough finally came, as the Englishman got a crucial break and sealed a 5-3 win with a 102 average.
Brown and Atkins then faced off for pole position in the group. It was Atkins who burst out of the blocks, taking a 2-0 lead but he missed four shots at double for another break. From there, Brown rallied and recorded five consecutive legs.
Having averaged 97 in his opening defeat, De Decker made amends with a 5-1 win over 'The Barbarian' to remain in contention.
That set up Brown vs De Decker as a group decider, with the Bomber only needed three legs to seal top spot. However, the Belgian seized a crucial break with a stunning 135 checkout on the bull, and backed it up with a 13-darter to get the 5-2 win he needed.
He moves through to the next phase of the competition, where there are still six spots up for grabs over the coming evenings.
Coverage of the PDC's Home Tour continue on the Sky Sports app throughout the week, for the last week of the first round. Sky Sports - on the go! Available to download now on - iPhone & iPad and Android
