Stephen Bunting prevails over Raymond van Barneveld in Stoke exhibition featuring return home for Adrian Lewis

As ever with it being a quiet weekend, top darting stars were in exhibition action including Stephen Bunting who lost to a returning World Champion and also beat a five-time World Champion in Stoke.

The exhibition trail headed to Stoke with the MODUS event and it was headlined by the return home of their second greatest son after Phil Taylor and that is of course Adrian Lewis who many players have joked they want to see return just so he can stop trouncing them in exhbitions.

He beat the Premier League star in the opener 3-2 in Stoke after receiving a heroes welcome. This after a comeback from Bunting was thwarted by 'Jackpot'. While Simon Whitlock faced off against Ryan Meikle on his return to the UK after playing in World Series duty. He will return home for Australia Premier League in just over a month aiming to make it to the World's and also is set to play at the World Series of Darts Finals.

But he was well beaten in the exhibition by Ryan 'The Barber' Meikle in a 3-1 win for the Suffolk ace averaging 99 in the end. Then it was the turn of Adrian Lewis again to take to the stage against a former rival and that being Whitlock once more as Lewis took a 6-5 win in what was described as a 'great battle' between two sparring partners.

Before the show closer as Raymond van Barneveld took on Stephen Bunting. It was Bunting who did gain a win and didn't lose to another great of the game as he won 6-4 against 'Barney' in a repeat of their classic 2015 World Championship Quarter-Final.

Albeit more famous for the dramatic conclusion which saw both in tears on the stage but in the end it was Bunting who sealed the win. Players Championship action on Monday sees the main ranking events return before the Flanders Darts Trophy next weekend as Autumn begins to kick into gear.