CLINICAL CRABTREE CONTINUES TO SHINE ON DEV TOUR

By Aaron Toubian

The race for ‘Ally Pally’ reached boiling point at the penultimate Development Tour weekend of 2025, at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan.

The strength in darting depth continued to show, as each of the five events resulted in a different winner.

On Friday afternoon, Huddersfield’s Charlie Manby continued his breakthrough year, as he clinched a maiden PDC title, beating the likes of Jamai van den Herik, Beau Greaves and Owen Bates along the way. Manby produced a pair of 96 averages en-route to glory, and came from 3-0 down to beat Bates 5-4 in the final – the headline moment a 144 outshot to move into a 4-3 lead.

Later in the day, there was another first-time winner on the Development Tour in Jamai van den Herik, who is enjoying a year filled with Challenge Tour silverware and deep runs on the Pro Tour. The Dutchman produced a tournament average of 91.8 and fought off names including Jurjen van der Velde, Viktor Tingstrom, Jarno Bottenberg and Liam Maendl-Lawrence, before eventually dispatching Tour Card Holder Cam Crabtree, 5-1 in the final, with an average just a shade below 98.

Saturday afternoon produced a surprise story, as Norfolk’s Tyler Thorpe claimed Event 18 glory. Thorpe produced a pair of ton-plus averages, as well as wins over Sebastian Bialecki, James Beeton and earlier winner, Charlie Manby, en-route to the final where he beat Viktor Tingstrom 5-3, averaging 98.45 in the process.

Later in the day, Cam Crabtree continued his blistering 2025 form, by picking up his fourth Development Tour title in the space of nine events. ‘Shazam’ saw off fellow Tour Card Holder, Sebastian Bialecki, 5-3 in the final, in a game littered with 140s.

Sunday afternoon saw World Youth Championship runner-up, Jurjen van der Velde win his second Development Tour title in successive weekends, leapfrogging Jamai van den Herik, Ryan Branley and Bialecki in the Order of Merit, and into a provisional ‘Ally Pally’ place. The Dutchman claimed four whitewash victories on his way to the final, where he beat Henry Coates 5-2, with an average in excess of 92.

Following the weekend’s five events, there are no less than ten players with a realistic chance at a ticket to the big dance in December, whereas the race for a PDC Tour Card has thinned heavily, with Beau Greaves having all but secured her card, and Jurjen van der Velde and Charlie Manby the only real threats to Owen Bates – who is almost £1500 better off than the pair, both victorious in Wigan this weekend.

Cam Crabtree continues to sit pretty on top of the Order of Merit, with very little qualification worries for the remainder of the year. He is followed by Beau Greaves, Owen Bates, Jurjen van der Velde, Charlie Manby, Sebastian Bialecki, Ryan Branley, Jamai van den Herik, Patrik Williams and Dominik Gruellich, who make up the top ten.

The Challenge Tour season, as well as the fight for a Tour Card and an Ally Pally spot, concludes in Wigan on 11 & 12 October, with the early stages of the Winmau World Youth Championship taking place a day later.