Premier League darts results: Gerwyn Price wins thriller as Michael van Gerwen thrashes Rob Cross in Cardiff

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Price thrills Cardiff crowd with epic win

An inspired Gerwyn Price delighted his home fans in Cardiff with a roof-raising 8-5 victory over Michael Smith which included back-to-back 170 checkouts from both players.

For once the controversial Grand Slam of Darts champion was roundly cheered rather than jeered to the Motorpoint Arena stage and it didn't take long for him to spark scenes of pandemonium - but only after his opponent hit the first big fish of the match to complete a 12-darter in the third leg.

Price, who had initially made a nervy start given the culture shock of an atmosphere and the pressure of not wanting to disappoint, bounced back in spectacular fashion by producing a 12-dart leg sealing 170 checkout of his own to level the scores.

Smith was in desperate need of victory having headed to Cardiff propping up the table with just eight points - four behind the quartet of players below Rob Cross and Michael van Gerwen that started the night on 12 - and edged edged ahead twice more, only for Price to hang in there to square the tie at 4-4.

Then came an incredible leg featuring four successive 180s, and although Price's attempts at a nine darter ended on his eighth throw, he returned to finish in 11 after Smith spurned two at tops.

That seemed to knock the stuffing out of Bully Boy as the Welshman kicked on to win the next two of the next three legs before finishing it off in impressive fashion with a match-sealing 11-darter.

The former rugby player averaged 98.43 compared to Smith's 99.11 and also hit one fewer maximum with four - but his finishing was far superior as he converted eight of his 17 attempts as the St Helens man blew 13 of his 18.

Whereas Price is now sitting pretty in the top four on 14 points - 12 months on from a winless debut campaign - the 2018 Premier League runner-up and 2019 world championship finalist is almost certainly out of the running to reach the Play-Offs for a second successive year.

Price told www.pdc.tv: "I'm thrilled to get a win and especially in Cardiff. The crowd were fantastic and helped me through. It means a lot to me and I played some pretty decent darts too I think.

"I never feel pressure but early in that game I was up against it. I settled down and I'm glad I got over the line. The 170 was crucial and a big shot in the game.

"Michael stuck to his guns and played pretty well but thankfully I got the win. I'm targeting the top four and I think it's possible but I want to keep winning."

Mighty Mike pulls plug on Voltage

Michael van Gerwen returned to the summit of the Premier League with an 8-2 demolition job of previous leader Rob Cross at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.

The in-form Voltage came into the encounter with high hopes of strengthening his position at the top with a first ever victory over MVG in this tournament but despite racing into an early 2-0 lead, he crumbled to yet another heavy loss against his nemesis.

Van Gerwen, who averaged a stunning 107.84 thanks largely to his lethal finishing of eight doubles hit from just 12 attempts, has now won all four of his regular season meetings with Cross and has only dropped two legs in each, while he also defeated him 10-6 in the 2018 semi-finals en route to his third successive title and fourth overall.

Having also averaged 109.11 in a thumping 8-3 triumph over Michael Smith last Thursday, the world champion looks to be back to somewhere near his very best after a wobble earlier in the campaign allowed Cross to threaten his record of always finishing top in all his previous six seasons.

Cross started brightly enough when an 80 checkout put him 2-0 up before missing an attempt at tops to take out 124 in the third as van Gerwen made him pay with a 13-dart break of throw.

The 2018 world champion would not get another shot at a double as the ruthless Dutchman romped to victory with which moves him one point clear.

Cross averaged 94.49 and didn't hit a single 180 although MVG, whose performance included a pair of 12-darters, only managed one himself.

Van Gerwen told www.pdc.tv: "It's nice to be back at the top of the table and it's good for my confidence. He's one of my biggest rivals and I think I played well, so I deserve this.

"It's really important to me because I've been top for the last five years and that's why this game was important for me to knock him off the top. Rob kicked off quite well and his finishing was good but he had one chance with the 125 to go 3-0 up and then I took advantage.

"I put him under pressure and I'm really proud of that performance. I kept my going and didn't make a lot of mistakes, and it felt good."

Machine immune to Snakebite

James Wade eased to a resounding 8-2 victory over a below-par Peter Wright as he maintained his grip on third spot in the table, albeit only on leg difference.

The Machine, who is on a high right now having won three Players Championship events out of four in the past two weeks, won five legs in succession from 3-2 up although his life was made easy by a string of missed double from his opponent.

Snakebite spurned four in the opening leg - which he still won - and blew a further three before a clinical 78 checkout kept him in touch.

By the time the Aldershot thrower hit his match-winning double, Wright had missed eight more, including four in that final leg, and that pretty much summed up his frustrating season.

Wade didn't need to be at his best, averaging 94.32 compared to Snakebite's 85.48 and converting eight of his 21 attempts at doubles including the two 18s which finished off his checkout of 104 in leg seven.

The 2018 European and World Series champion, who hit two 180s in the match just like Wright, ends the night level on 14 points with Gerwyn Price and Mensur Suljovic but his leg difference of +14 is nine better than the Welshman and 10 more than the Austrian.

He said: "It's a really good win. My average wasn't as good as I'd hoped but it's a win. As soon as Peter started using the darts which were wobbling, I thought 'I've got you'.

"Peter is one of the best players in the world when he dedicates himself to a certain set of darts, and sometimes he changes when he's not as confident in himself."

Double troubles for Gurney

Mensur Suljovic just about punished play-off rival Daryl Gurney for a string of missed doubles as he kept his top-four hopes alive and kicking with an 8-5 victory in Cardiff.

Both players headed into this crunch showdown level on 12 points in a congested race to reach The O2 next month but it was the Austrian who edged a scrappy, error-strewn affair.

Gurney, who was never ahead, squandered 19 of his 24 attempts at a double although it may have been a different story had his attempt at the bullseye for a 170 checkout in the third leg landed.

Suljovic responded with a finish from 100 to complete a cool 14-darter but apart from that his doubling wasn't much better - hitting eight of his 26 attempts - and that wastefulness allowed the Northern Irishman to stay in touch at 3-3.

The Gentle managed back-to-back legs in 13 and 14 darts to earn a bit of daylight and at 5-4 up he nailed a 76 checkout under pressure before guaranteeing himself at least a point in the next.

Gurney pulled one back but it was all in vain as Suljovic finally got himself over the line by converting a fourth match dart for a crucial victory.

Suljovic averaged 92.45 compared to his opponent's 91.42 while both players only managed a pair of 180s.

The Austrian ends the night fifth in the table but level on points with James Wade and Gerwyn Price on 14 in the race to reach the play-offs, with Gurney two back.

"It's a brilliant feeling," said Suljovic. "I won the Champions League here, it's a nice city and I love it.

"It was a hard game but I gave my best and played okay, and it's good to win. Last week was not my best form but this week I was better."

2019 Premier League Darts Table

1. Van Gerwen P 12 W 8 D 2 L 2 LegD +33 Pts 18
2. Cross P 12 W 8 D 1 L 3 LegD +17 Pts 17
3. Wade P 12 W 5 D 4 L 3 LegD +14 Pts 14
4. Price P 12 W 5 D 4 L 3 LegD +5 Pts 14
5. Suljovic P 12 W 6 D 2 L 4 LegD +4 Pts 14
6. Gurney P 12 W 5 D 2 L 5 LegD -5 Pts 12
7. Wright P 12 W 2 D 5 L 5 LegD -14 Pts 9
8. Smith P 12 W 3 D 2 L 7 LegD -14 Pts 8
9. Relegated: Van Barneveld P 9 W 1 D 2 L 6 LegD -22 Pts 4

Night 12 results and next week's fixtures

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Night 12 - Thursday April 18

• Mensur Suljovic 8-5 Daryl Gurney
• Rob Cross 2-8 Michael van Gerwen
• Michael Smith 5-8 Gerwyn Price
• Peter Wright 2-8 James Wade

Night 13 - Thursday April 25
Arena Birmingham
TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)

• Mensur Suljovic v Michael Smith
• Rob Cross v Gerwyn Price
• Daryl Gurney v Peter Wright
• James Wade v Michael van Gerwen

Tickets: 0844 338 0338 or click here

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