ENTERING their first-ever season in the UDUK, Solent Darts are off to a flawless start in both the league and cup competitions, sparking hopes of a cup double.
Solent’s 13-9 victory in Warwick last Wednesday saw them progress to the last 16 where they will face the University of Birmingham at home on 19 November.
The first two rounds of the UDUK Challenge Cup are split regionally into north and south university sections – then from the quarter-final stage onwards, the draw will become national.
After winning the singles section 10-8 and the doubles 3-1, we spoke with player of the match Luke Bentall, to hear his thoughts on their next opponents.
He said: “If we play like we did yesterday [Wednesday], we’ll definitely be able to come away with a win and hopefully get further.
“Obviously we don’t know who they are, so it’s a step into the unknown, but we’ll take them on.”
Also making their debut in the UDUK South division, Solent are yet to lose a match, dropping just eight games in the process.
Having only played the two fellow Solent teams, as well as both Portsmouth lineups, there is still work to do for Solent if they are to win the division and make nationals at the end of the academic year.
Up next for Solent Darts, it is a trip UCFB Wembley on Wednesday, 29 October, where they will look to continue their unbeaten start.
Looking ahead to their final away trip of 2025, Bentall is confident in the team that they can achieve the unthinkable double by April.
He stated: “Obviously it’s a bit early to tell, but we definitely have the players to do it and we’re very confident we can take the double home.”
