'Never seen the like!' | Rock Almost Hits Strangest Nine-Darter Ever at Lakeside

Professional darts player Nathan Rock has left the Lakeside Championship in absolute disbelief after producing what commentators are calling the 'strangest nine-dart finish ever witnessed' during his second-round match against Jason Hogg.

Rock, ranked 24th in the world, was staring at a heavy defeat when he found himself 2-0 down in sets and facing match dart in the third set. However, what unfolded next confounded everyone watching, as the Yorkshire thrower embarked on an improbable sequence that nearly delivered perfection.

The spectacle began with Rock hitting scores of 180, 140, and 134 in his first three darts – an unconventional start that immediately raised eyebrows. He then proceeded to hit 100, 60, 96, and 57 before standing on a 170 finish for the nine-dart finish. When he hit the first two numbers of his finish, the crowd fell silent in anticipation, but a missed double 16 ended the historic attempt.

"I've never seen anything like that in my life. To have that many unconventional scores and still be on for a nine-dart finish – it's absolutely mad," said commentator John Lowe, visibly shaken by what he had witnessed.

Despite the extraordinary sequence, Rock eventually lost the match 3-2, with Hogg capitalizing on his opponent's distraction to claim victory. The result means Rock's remarkable darts display will go unrewarded in terms of tournament progression.

Rock himself struggled to explain his unconventional scoring approach. "I wasn't actually aiming for the nine-dart finish. I was just trying to get back into the set. When I looked up and saw I was on a finish, I couldn't believe it. The crowd reaction told me something special was happening, but I just couldn't finish it," he admitted.

Darts statistician Christopher Kempf noted that a 170 finish requires hitting treble 20, treble 18, and double 16 in succession. "What's remarkable is that Rock managed to leave himself a 170 after such an unorthodox start. The probability of this sequence occurring is roughly 1 in 50,000," Kempf explained.

The video of Rock's near-miss has already attracted over 500,000 views on social media, with fans debating whether it was skill, chaos, or something in between. Rock will now look to put this heartbreaking defeat behind him as he prepares for the next PDC ranking event.