Sporting Life
Michael van Gerwen wins the World Matchplay (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)
Michael van Gerwen wins the World Matchplay (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

Darts results: Michael van Gerwen wins the World Matchplay after beating Gerwyn Price 18-14 in the Winter Gardens final in Blackpool

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Mon July 25, 2022 · 2y ago

Michael van Gerwen is the World Matchplay champion for a third time after defeating Gerwyn Price 18-14 in a memorable final in Blackpool.

  • Scroll down for full leg-by-leg report and stats

The 2015 and 2016 champion defied the usual saying of 'trebles for show, doubles for dough' as he hit an astonishing 15 180s and missed an alarming 34 darts at doubles during a dramatic victory at the Winter Gardens.

Van Gerwen, who was underdog thanks largely to the world number one's incredible form en route to his maiden Winter Gardens final, twice trailed by four legs at 4-0 and 9-5 down when he could hardly buy a double but Price's fortune and ability to capitalise under pressure eventually ran out in the closing stages.

The Dutchman then rattled off 13 of the next 18 legs - including checkouts of 114 and 121 in the last two - to get his hands on the Phil Taylor Trophy and a cheque for £200,000.

Van Gerwen averaged 101.19 compared to Price's 96.92 and fired in a match high checkout of 160 in the seventh leg while he'd also come agonisingly close to a perfect leg at 4-0 down when his attempt at double 12 missed inside.

This success continues a remarkable revival for van Gerwen, who has now won seven titles this year following two seasons of struggles, while he arrived in Blackpool having played only one match since his Premier League final victory over Joe Cullen due to surgery on his throwing arm.

“To put my hands on this trophy again means the world to me,” reflected an emotional Van Gerwen after his 43rd major title in his 55th final. "I’ve come through a very difficult patch in my career. To come back and beat a player of Gerwyn’s quality means a lot to me. I am really proud.

“There was drama in the final, phenomenal darts, big scoring, great finishing. You cannot imagine how happy I am.

“The good times are coming again, I feel it. It’s the first time we’ve played a final on Sky Sports, and to win feels incredible.

“I hope we can have a lot more battles like this. I think before this tournament a final would have been a dream for me, because I’ve been going through a tough period."

Price pocketed £100,000 as runner-up following a superb campaign, which included a nine-darter in his semi-final success against Danny Noppert on Saturday night, and also reclaims the world number one spot from Peter Wright.

The 37-year-old said: "I was fortunate to be 9-6 up. Michael is a fantastic player and once he gets on a roll like that, it’s hard to contain him.

“I didn’t have a purple patch which I needed in this game, and I think Michael had it all game!

“Michael was fantastic. He’s a deserving winner. He is a great player and a great friend.

“I am definitely proud of myself, especially with the way I’ve been playing in the last couple of months. It just didn’t happen for me today.”

Michael van Gerwen 18-14 Gerwyn Price: Leg-by-leg report, statistics and highlights

Averages

  • MVG: 101.19
  • Price: 96.92

180s

  • MVG: 15
  • Price: 9

Doubles

  • MVG: 18/52 (34.6%)
  • Price: 14/33 (42.4%)

100+ Checkouts

  • MVG: 160, 140, 130, 121, 114
  • Price: 101
  • Leg 32
    Michael van Gerwen wins the World Matchplay with a fantastic 121 checkout on the bullseye! He trailed 4-1 and 9-5 despite his incredible scoring but after he eventually improved on his woeful doubling, there was only one winner!
    Van Gerwen 18-14 Price
  • Leg 31
    Price misses darts a tops and double 10 to level the match and he's made to pay in emphatic fashion as MVG finishes 114 to send the crowd wild! This is a truly remarkable comeback.
    Van Gerwen 17-14 Price
  • Leg 30
    Van Gerwyn misses four more darts at doubles but it matters little on this occasion due to Price's lacklustre scoring and eventually pins double six with his last in hand to move two legs from his third Phil Taylor Trophy.
    Van Gerwen 16-14 Price
  • Leg 29
    What a remarkable way to take the lead for the first time. Price fluffed his lines from 99 and MVG responded with a fantastic checkout from 130 to leave his opponent stunned!
    Van Gerwen 15-14 Price
  • Leg 28
    Nothing too eventful in this leg as MVG polishes off a 16-darter on tops to restore parity and we're now heading to a very tense and dramatic climax.
    Van Gerwen 14-14 Price
  • Leg 27
    Doubles desert van Gerwen once again amidst the tension and this time he misses tops to take the lead for the first time in the match. Price then made the most of his back-to-back visits of 140 to pin the same target and edge a little closer to glory.
    Van Gerwen 13-14 Price
  • Leg 26 (MVG throwing first)
    All-square again despite Price opening up the leg with his eighth maximum and later piling on the pressure with a 121 that left him just 24. However, MVG takes out 90 with his last dart in hand on double 18 to make it 13 all.
    Van Gerwen 13-13 Price

FIFTH INTERVAL: Michael van Gerwen 12-13 Gerwyn Price

Sky Bet latest odds: The bookies can hardly split the pair now, with Gerwyn Price i4/5 and Michael van Gerwen 10/11!. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

Averages

  • MVG: 101.97
  • Price: 96.65

180s

  • MVG: 15
  • Price: 7

Doubles

  • MVG: 12/39
  • Price: 13/29

Highest Checkouts

  • MVG: 160
  • Price: 101
  • Leg 25
    The Iceman is starting to find the treble 20 bed as he weighs in with a seventh maximum but after being unable to nail the bullseye in his attempt to checkout from 84, he rides his luck once again when MVG misses two darts at double 12. Price returns to the oche and hits double 17 with his first dart in hand before letting out a huge roar as the players leave for the interval.
    Van Gerwen 12-13 Price
  • Leg 24
    Price's sixth 180 gives him a real chance to break back but after MVG fails to pin double 19 for a 115 checkout, the Welshman can't take out 48 and is duly punished moments later. It's a level game!
    Van Gerwen 12-12 Price
  • Leg 23
    Another missed dart at tops from van Gerwen isn't punished by Price, who fails to take out 46 before the Dutchman pins double 10 on his return to the oche to move back to within one leg.
    Van Gerwen 11-12 Price
  • Leg 22
    MVG spurned two darts to finally level up the match at 11-11 but it's Price who breaks his opponent in a very scrappy leg with a 17-darter on double 10.
    Van Gerwen 10-12 Price
  • Leg 21 (Price throwing first)
    I'm a bit embarrassed to say the least about backing Price to win and hit the most 180s. He's now 10 behind on the latter following MVG's 15th of the match in this leg! Even more alarmingly for anyone who agreed, Price misses four darts at doubles when miles clear and MVG pinches the leg with an 81 checkout. To be fair, he is due some of these having gifted Price so many early on.
    Van Gerwen 10-11 Price

FOURTH INTERVAL: Michael van Gerwen 9-11 Gerwyn Price

Sky Bet latest odds: Gerwyn Price remains favourite at 4/7 favourite, with Michael van Gerwen available at 5/4. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

Averages

  • MVG: 105.05
  • Price: 98.59

180s

  • MVG: 14
  • Price: 5

Doubles

  • MVG: 9/29
  • Price: 11/18

Highest Checkouts

  • MVG: 160
  • Price: 101
  • Leg 20
    Van Gerwen weighs in with his 14th maximum compared to Price's surprisingly low tally of five en route to a comfortable hold in 14 darts.
    Van Gerwen 9-11 Price
  • Leg 19
    A rather uneventful leg compared to what we've seen so far tonight but Price won't mind as a steady 14-darter puts him seven legs from glory.
    Van Gerwen 8-11 Price
  • Leg 18
    Van Gerwen is being roared by into this contest by an enthralled Winter Gardens crowd and backs up his visits of 134, 135 and 92 with a roof-raising 140 checkout to cut Price's lead back to two.
    Van Gerwen 8-10 Price
  • Leg 17
    The Dutchman's THIRTEENTH 180 in just 17 legs is followed by a woeful score of 22 but still manages to carve out a dart at tops for the leg after Price's missed his attempt for a double-double 20. However, he spurns his attempt to take out 118 and Price comes back for a crucial hold.
    Van Gerwen 7-10 Price
  • Leg 16 (MVG throwing first)
    Van Gerwen starts this leg with just 44 but responds in style with back-to-back maximums before taking out 97 in two for an 11 darter!
    Van Gerwen 7-9 Price

THIRD INTERVAL: Michael van Gerwen 6-9 Gerwyn Price

Sky Bet latest odds: Gerwyn Price is now 4/7 favourite, with Michael van Gerwen available at 5/4. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

Averages

  • MVG: 104.37
  • Price: 99.46

180s

  • MVG: 10
  • Price: 4

Doubles

  • MVG: 6/25
  • Price: 9/13

Highest Checkouts

  • MVG: 160
  • Price: 101

  • Leg 15
    Van Gerwen is far from finished in this final and his 10th 180 - followed by scores of 134 and 140 - paves the way to a pressure-free 12-darter that keeps him in touch.
    Van Gerwen 6-9 Price
  • Leg 14
    The arch rivals trade 180s in another high-octane leg of darts but van Gerwen spurns another dart at tops - albeit when trying to take out 114 - and Price makes him pay once again to establish a four-leg lead that he had early on.
    Van Gerwen 5-9 Price
  • Leg 13
    Price is as phenomenal on his finishing as MVG is on his 180s at the moment. The Iceman follows up visits of 134, 140 and 140 with a clinical 87 checkout to complete a 12-darter and he's now pinned eight of his 11 attempts on the outer ring.
    Van Gerwen 5-8 Price
  • Leg 12
    Van Gerwen takes his maximum count to eight as his heavy scoring continues and then finishes the leg in style by squeezing his last dart in hand into the bullseye for an 82 checkout.
    Van Gerwen 5-7 Price
  • Leg 11 (Price throwing first)
    A superb leg from both players as Price begins it with this third maximum and follows it up with visits of 100 and 177 before closing it with a finish from 44 to complete an 11-darter. MVG was waiting on 88.
    Van Gerwen 5-7 Price

SECOND INTERVAL: Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Gerwyn Price

Sky Bet latest odds: Gerwyn Price is now 4/7 favourite, with Michael van Gerwen available at 5/4. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

Averages

  • MVG: 102.02
  • Price: 94.71

180s

  • MVG: 7
  • Price: 2

Doubles

  • MVG: 4/21
  • Price: 6/9

Highest Checkouts

  • MVG: 160
  • Price: 101
  • Leg 10
    Van Gerwen cuts the deficit down to two at the second interval with a 68 checkout to complete a 17-dart hold.
    Van Gerwen 4-6 Price
  • Leg Nine
    Price bags a relatively steady hold in 14 darts, with van Gerwen waiting on 70, to open up a three-leg advantage.
    Van Gerwen 3-6 Price
  • Leg Eight
    MVG's scoring power lifts his average above 108 and onto the brink of a fourth leg in succession but spurns six more darts at a double - three of which coming after Price's second 180 left him 58 - and that costs him dearly yet again.
    Van Gerwen 3-5 Price
  • Leg Seven
    The two-time champion continues to rattle in these 180s and then breaks the Price throw with a stunning 160 checkout. He's averaging over 106 and has the match back on throw.
    Van Gerwen 3-4 Price
  • Leg Six (MVG to throw first)
    Price finally gets his first maximum straight after van Gerwen drills home his fifth but it ends up being a hold of throw for the Dutchman despite another two missed darts at tops.
    Van Gerwen 2-4 Price

FIRST INTERVAL: Michael van Gerwen 1-4 Gerwyn Price

Sky Bet latest odds: Gerwyn Price is now 3/10 favourite to win his first World Matchplay while Michael van Gerwen is 12/5 to come from behind and lift the trophy for a third time. Still a long way to go. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

Averages

  • MVG: 102.77
  • Price: 92.92

180s

  • MVG: 4
  • Price: 0

Doubles

  • MVG: 1/10
  • Price: 4/6

Highest Checkouts

  • MVG: 12
  • Price: 101
  • Leg Five
    Ludicrous. Michael van Gerwen puts himself on for a nine-darter when following up an opening visit of 177 with his fourth 180 of the match but his attempt to take out 144 is foiled on double 12! He comes back to pin the target for a superb 10-darter that might just give him the lift he needs.
    Van Gerwen 1-4 Price
  • Leg Four
    The Dutchman moves 3-0 up in the 180 battle as he storms way ahead in this leg but he ends it by spurning five more darts at doubles before Price takes out 70 for a 21-dart break!
    Van Gerwen 0-4 Price
  • Leg Three
    Van Gerwen's second 180 of the match puts him in contention to break back but he later fails to take out 72 after a costly miss at tops and Price makes him pay by converting his attempt at the same target for a 16-darter.
    Van Gerwen 0-3 Price
  • Leg Two
    The Welshman bags himself an early break in 12 darts thanks to a classy 101 finish - his seventh 100+ checkout of the tournament so far - while van Gerwen will rue his two missed darts at double 12 in the previous visit.
    Van Gerwen 0-2 Price
  • Leg One (Gerwyn Price to throw first)
    Gerwyn Price lets out a roar after a 64 checkout seals the opening leg in 15 darts, with Michael van Gerwen waiting to pounce on 65.
    Van Gerwen 0-1 Price

2115: The players are now making their way out to the stage so let the drama begin...

2110: Anyone who followed my woeful pre-tournament betting tips - in which Jonny Clayton, Damon Heta and Michael Smith all fell early on - may not want to listen to my predictions for tonight.

You still have time to skim read my final preview by clicking here, but to save you time I've gone for an 18-13 scoreline in Price's favour and have also picked out these three tips.

2105: As for the chances of a nine-darter tonight, you can get 10/1 with Sky Bet on either player managing it - or 250/1 that they both do - but if you want to be more specific, MVG is 16/1 and Price is also 16/1.

2100: With time running out before the final, let's quickly run through the overall tournament stats...

  • Tournament Average
    MVG: 97.77
    Price: 101.73
  • 100+ averages (highest & lowest match average)
    MVG: 1 (101.86 v Aspinall, 89.99 v Lewis)
    Price: 2 (104.64 v De Sousa, 98.38 v Chisnall)
  • Tournament 180s (180s per leg)
    MVG: 30 (0.32)
    Price: 35 (0.37)
  • Doubles hit (Checkout %)
    MVG: 54/138 (39.1%)
    Price: 54/118 (45.8%)
  • 100+ checkouts (per leg won) & high checkout
    MVG: 2 (0.4) & 146
    Price: 6 (0.11) & 164

Gerwyn Price's statistics really show an improvement on what he's done this season as a whole and he put this revitalised form down to some constructive rest in recent weeks following such a hectic period of the season when the Premier League season was in full swing, and also the confidence gained from getting over the line in tight matches.

Michael van Gerwen's lacklustre opener against Adrian Lewis is the one of the key reasons why his tournament stats are significantly lower than Price's but he hasn't quite reached the blockbusting levels of his past. Yet.

Price bosses all the key stats, including his phenomenal checkout percentage, and that's one of the main reasons he heads into this clash as a very worthy favourite. Some may even say he's too big at 4/6 which is remarkable when you think Michael van Gerwen has never been underdog in a TV final since around 2014 when Phil Taylor was still going strong.

2050: Now it's Gerwyn Price's route to the final...

The pre-Blackpool question marks surrounding Gerwyn Price were all about his relatively poor form compared to the Iceman of old. But he used all his battling qualities to get through a very awkward opening contest against Martin Schindler with an average of almost 100 and it was a similar story when overcoming the in-form crowd favourite Dave Chisnall.

Since then he's raised the bar with a pair of 100+ averages against Jose de Sousa and Danny Noppert, who he blew away with the help of his fourth televised nine-darter of 2022! On what we've seen so far, it really looks like the world number one is reaching his relentless peak levels once again.

2040: So how did both players reach the World Matchplay final? Let's start with Michael van Gerwen...

There were doubts surrounding his match fitness due to a lack of recent action since surgery on his injured arm after the Premier League final and he certainly got off to a lacklustre start against Adrian Lewis in a tie that didn't live up to the billing.

After easing past a mediocre Joe Cullen, he played much better against Nathan Aspinall and his average could have been higher had he not stumbled over the line having earlier been way out in front with healthier stats.

MVG's finishing let him down a bit in an otherwise very solid display against Dimitri Van den Bergh, who wasn't at the same level that he displayed in beating Peter Wright, so he knows there's plenty of room for improvement. Is he ready to reach it and sustain it throughout what could be a very lengthy contest?

2030: Right, let's kick things off the head-to-head record between the pair. Michael van Gerwen won 18 of their first 19 meetings - which included a draw - but since then it couldn't be much tighter with seven wins apiece.

Gerwyn Price hasn't actually beaten him in a televised final but this year he won three of their five meetings, including the time he averaged 108 and fired in a nine-dart finish during that glorious Premier League night in Belfast.

If we compare the trophy cabinets, then there really is one winner and unfortunately for Gerwyn Price, the rising standards of those below the pair in the rankings means it's going to be nigh on impossible to ever get close to Michael van Gerwen's tally.

  • MICHAEL VAN GERWEN HIGHLIGHTS: 3x World Champion (2014, 2017, 2019), 2x World Matchplay champion (2015, 2016), 6x Premier League champion (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022), 5x World Grand Prix champion (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019), 3x UK Open champion (2015, 2016, 2020), 3x Grand Slam of Darts champion (2015, 2016, 2017), 4x European champion (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), 5x Masters champion (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), 6x Players Championship Finals champion ( 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020), 4x World Series of Darts Finals winner (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), 3x World Cup winner (2014, 2017, 2018) & 12 televised World Series titles.
    Senior Career PDC titles: 146
    Televised PDC Titles/Finals: 57/78
    Major Titles/Finals: 42/54
    Titles this season: 6 (TV: 1)
  • GERWYN PRICE HIGHLIGHTS: World Champion (2021), 3x Grand Slam of Darts champion (2018, 2019, 2021), World Grand Prix champion (2020), World Series of Darts Finals champion (2020), World Cup winner (2020)
    Senior Career PDC titles: 25
    Televised PDC Titles/Finals: 7/11
    Major Titles/Finals: 5/20
    Titles this season: 2 (TV: 0)

2020: Good evening and welcome to our live blog of the Betfred World Matchplay final, as these two great rivals collide for the second biggest major in darts at the iconic Winter Gardens.

Michael van Gerwen is bidding to become the second most successful player in the tournament's 29-year history behind Phil Taylor by winning a third title in Blackpool - and first since 2016 - while world number one Gerwyn Price is chasing his maiden success here.

That would put him in an elite club of players who have won both the World Championship and World Matchplay; Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Rob Cross and Gary Anderson.

The final begins at around 2120 BST so between now and then we'll run through the routes to the final, tournament statistics, head-to-head records and some predictions.

Before we get into the present, here is quick look at the previous finals in the tournament history...

World Matchplay: Past finals

  • 1994 - Larry Butler 16-12 Dennis Priestley
  • 1995 - Phil Taylor 16-11 Dennis Priestley
  • 1996 - Peter Evison 16-14 Dennis Priestley
  • 1997 - Phil Taylor 16-11 Alan Warriner
  • 1998 - Rod Harrington 19-17 Ronnie Baxter
  • 1999 - Rod Harrington 19-17 Peter Manley
  • 2000 - Phil Taylor 18-12 Alan Warriner
  • 2001 - Phil Taylor 18-10 Richie Burnett
  • 2002 - Phil Taylor 18-16 John Part
  • 2003 - Phil Taylor 18-12 Wayne Mardle
  • 2004 - Phil Taylor 18-8 Mark Dudbridge
  • 2005 - Colin Lloyd 18-12 John Part
  • 2006 - Phil Taylor 18-9 James Wade
  • 2007 - James Wade 18-7 Terry Jenkins
  • 2008 - Phil Taylor 18-11 James Wade
  • 2009 - Phil Taylor 18-4 Terry Jenkins
  • 2010 - Phil Taylor 18-12 Raymond van Barneveld
  • 2011 - Phil Taylor 18-8 James Wade
  • 2012 - Phil Taylor 18-15 James Wade
  • 2013 - Phil Taylor 18-13 Adrian Lewis
  • 2014 - Phil Taylor 18-9 Michael van Gerwen
  • 2015 - Michael van Gerwen 18-12 James Wade
  • 2016 - Michael van Gerwen 18-10 Phil Taylor
  • 2017 - Phil Taylor 18-8 Peter Wright
  • 2018 - Gary Anderson 21-19 Mensur Suljovic
  • 2019 - Rob Cross 18-13 Michael Smith
  • 2020 - Dimitri Van den Bergh 18-10 Gary Anderson
  • 2021 - Peter Wright 18-9 Dimitri Van den Bergh

World Matchplay Most Titles

  • Phil Taylor - 16
  • Michael van Gerwen - 2
  • Rod Harrington - 2
  • Peter Wright - 1
  • Dimitri Van den Bergh - 1
  • Rob Cross - 1
  • Gary Anderson - 1
  • Larry Butler - 1
  • Peter Evison - 1
  • Colin Lloyd - 1
  • James Wade - 1

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL WORLD MATCHPLAY RESULTS

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