GWENT darts ace Nick Kenny says he needs to “step it up” at the BDO World Trophy, which starts on Friday at the Memo Arts Centre in Barry.

The four-day event, one of the British Darts Organisation’s four majors, comes to Wales for the first time this year, and Kenny wants to put on a show for the home fans.

Kenny, from Cwmbran, gets his campaign up and running against qualifier Martin C Atkins, as five Welsh players in all go for glory in the seaside town.

Martin Phillips, Jim Williams and Dean Reynolds join Kenny in the 32-strong men’s tournament, while Rhian Griffiths is one of 16 entrants in the women’s draw.

Seeded 14th, Kenny, who qualified for January’s World Championship, reached the second round of the World Trophy last year before losing to Mark McGeeney.

He would love to go a lot further this time around but knows it is going to be tough, with all of the BDO’s top names making the trip to South Wales.

“I wouldn’t say I’m struggling at the moment, my form is great, I just haven’t been getting over the line,” he said.

“I need to step it up at this tournament, but I’m looking forward to it, and I know I’ve got enough in my game to go on and win it.”

In the men’s event, Darryl Fitton dazzled his way to the title in 2016 and returns this time as the number seven seed.

He will face stiff competition from the likes of BDO number one and top seed Glen Durrant, who holds both the Winmau World Masters and Lakeside World Championship crowns.

Number two seed McGeeney has already won the Dutch Open, HAL Open and German Open this season, while third seed Jamie Hughes made the semis in each of the last four BDO majors.

The 2014 World Trophy finalist Ross Montgomery and 2015 champion Geert de Vos also return, as do three former world champions in Scott Waites, Scott Mitchell and Martin Adams.

The 16 seeds are joined by seven regional qualifiers from around the world and the six highest ranked players from the main BDO table who hadn’t already qualified.

Defending ladies’ champion Lisa Ashton is seeded two and will be a woman on a mission to make it a hat-trick of BDO World Trophy titles – her daughter Lyndsey is also taking part.

There is a welcome return to the oche for 2013 champion Anastasia Dobromyslova following the birth of her baby boy in February.

BDO world number one and 2016 finalist Deta Hedman tops the list of seeds having won an unprecedented 20 ranking titles in the past 12 months.

A high quality women’s event is guaranteed with former Winmau World Masters champion Aileen de Graaf, Lakeside finalist Corrine Hammond, HAL Masters champion Lorraine Winstanley, WDF Europe Cup Singles winner Sharon Prins and reigning Winmau World Masters champion Trina Gulliver completing the list of eight seeds.

Play starts at 5pm on Friday and finishes on Monday, with the tournament being shown on Front Runner TV (Sky channel 468 and Freeview channel 91).