The Brighton Centre erupted on March six when Rob Cross produced a nine dart finish yet still bowed out in a deciding leg semi final. Two months later analysts wonder if that glorious failure marked the veteran last stand or the spark for a late surge toward the play offs.
Cross sits sixth on eighteen points and the table suggests time is slipping away. He collected three league points in Berlin and Cardiff but back to back quarter final exits since have reopened old questions about killer instinct on doubles.
Brighton displayed glimpses of vintage Voltage. His first nine average topped one hundred and five and his checkout percentage cleared fifty for the first time this year. Crucially he outscored Luke Humphries in maximums, a feat few have managed in twenty twenty five.
The south coast venue has long been a happy hunting ground and Cross believes its compact lighting softens glare on the oches white board. That psychological comfort could prove vital if he returns in two weeks for the European Tour event scheduled at the same arena.
Whether Brighton proves a swan song or a launch pad rests on carrying that nine dart momentum into Leeds and Aberdeen. Another deep run would keep mathematics alive and remind rivals that experience can still trump youthful swagger.
