Sporting Life
Peter Wright beat Michael Smith in the PDC World Darts Championship final
Peter Wright beat Michael Smith in the PDC World Darts Championship final

Darts results: Peter Wright wins PDC World Darts Championship after beating Michael Smith 7-5 in the Ally Pally final

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Tue January 04, 2022 · 3y ago

Peter Wright produced a stunning late blitz to beat Michael Smith 7-5 in the PDC World Darts Championship final at the Alexandra Palace.

Snakebite was up against it when Bully Boy, who was seeking to end his major drought with the biggest of the lot, led 5-4 in sets and was 2-0 up in the 10th but he showed his champion spirit to reel off nine of the next 10 legs - averaging 114 during that run - to get his hands on the Sid Waddell Trophy for the second time in a career that continues to go from strength to strength.

Two years after fulfilling his promise to win the world title before his 50th birthday, this latest success completed another bullish prediction that he made back in July when telling his fans: "I am going to win the Worlds and the World Matchplay this year, so get the double on. Put a pound on it, or 50p."

That double was about 80/1 at the time so anyone who followed his tip will be celebrating a big windfall tonight - albeit not as much as the £500,000 he's pocketed for landing the richest prize in darts.

The 51-year-old, who thrashed Dimitri Van den Bergh in the World Matchplay final during the summer, has now won seven major titles since breaking his duck at the 2017 UK Open and this is his third of season having also landed November's Players Championship Finals.

"I'm over the moon to lift this amazing trophy for a second time," said Wright, who is now just £15,250 away from Gerwyn Price's world number one spot on the PDC Order of Merit.

"It was a difficult start to the year from me away from darts but I've had a great year on the oche and this tops it off. Michael and I didn't perform how we can for a lot of the game, but it was still an entertaining final because it was so close."

It's been an incredible couple of years for a player who nearly quit the sport prior to reaching a maiden World Championship final back in 2014 and although he suffered the heartache of 19 televised final defeats since then, the floodgates have well and truly opened in the way that many hope they do for Smith in years to come.

The 31-year-old from St Helens may well be licking his wounds at a sixth major final defeat out of six, having also been runner-up in the 2018 Premier League, 2018 World Series of Darts Finals, 2019 World Darts Championship, 2019 World Matchplay and 2020 Masters but he has become a totally different player to the one that missed three match darts against Wright in the last of those.

Wright, who averaged 98.34 compared to Smith's 99.22, said: "Michael is the future of darts, I feel for him tonight because I've been in his position. But, I've got to take the chances I get and thankfully I was able to do that tonight.

"I can't explain what went wrong with my game tonight, I kept swapping darts trying to find something that worked and thankfully I had a good run at the end. Thank you to the crowd for turning out to support us all tournament, they were amazing."

Wright, who lost 11 of his first 12 majors finals before winning six of his last seven dating back to his maiden world title, opened up about his mentality change in recent years and also believes the same will happen to Bully Boy. While he also explained how he could possibly win the two biggest trophies with darts he hates so much that he hardly practices with. Click on the video below to watch his interview.

Michael Smith 5-7 Peter Wright: Match stats

  • Set scores: 1-3, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-0, 1-3, 3-2, 2-3, 0-3, 1-3
  • Averages
    Smith: 99.22
    Wright: 98.34
  • 180s
    Smith: 24
    Wright: 17
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 23/65 (35.4%)
    Wright: 27/69 (39.1%)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Smith: 167
    Wright: 148, 124, 117, 103

Smith's used his new-found mental strength to defeat both player of the season Jonny Clayton and defending champion Gerwyn Price in thrilling final-set deciders that he perhaps would have lost in previous campaigns before brushing aside James Wade to reach his second Ally Pally final.

Against Wright he fired in 24 of the 41 180s to equal the World Championship match record that Snakebite set against Gary Anderson 24 hours earlier while his tournament tally of 83 smashed the Flying Scotsman's other existing maximum record of 71.

The Scotsman ended up with 72 himself but ultimately the difference on the night was his superior finishing as he pinned 27 of his 69 attempts (39.1%) while Smith, who came into the match with a stunning tournament checkout percentage of 48%, could only convert 23 of his 65 (35.4%). That said most of the damage to those checkout stats was down in a farcical second leg when they combined to miss 21 darts at a double before Smith eventually completed a 28-darter in the madhouse. It was officially the worst leg of the tournament between the best two players.

"I got five sets in this time instead of three but losing these finals is doing my head in now," said Smith. "Tonight will be difficult but I'll be back on the practice board soon, getting ready for the next one.

"The bullseye shots for big finishes wouldn't go in, that's darts I guess."

Wright, who fired in four 100+ checkouts compared to Smith's solitary effort from 167, didn't take long to get his act together as he raced into a 2-0 lead only for Bully Boy to turn the match on its head by winning four of the next five.

Smith's barrage of maximums allowed him to keep Wright at arm's reach as he pinched the ninth set for a 5-4 lead before opening up that 2-0 lead in the 10th - in which he had the advantage of throw - that moved him to the brink of what would have been a well-deserved crowning moment.

However, Snakebite produced the kind of comeback that saw him stun Smith in the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts semi-final, when he rattled off eight legs in a row to win 16-12, and when he's in this kind of mood, nobody has the answers.

  • Scroll down for detailed leg-by-leg report with key highlights

Peter Wright's road to glory

  • R2: 3-0 v Ryan Meikle
    Set scores: 3-2, 3-1, 3-0
    Average: 92.19
    180s: 1 (0.08 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 81)
    Checkout %: 34.6% (9/26)
  • R3: 4-2 v Damon Heta
    Set scores: 1-3, 2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 3-0
    Average: 102.15
    180s: 6 (0.25 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 161)
    Checkout %: 60% (15/25)
  • R4: 4-1 v Ryan Searle
    Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 1-3, 3-0, 3-1
    Average: 98.91
    180s: 7 (0.35 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 132)
    Checkout %: 37.1% (13/35)
  • QF: 5-4 v Callan Rydz
    Set scores: 0-3, 2-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 1-3, 3-0, 4-2
    Average: 99.75
    180s: 17 (0.45 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 140)
    Checkout %: 33.3% (20/60)
  • SF: 6-4 v Gary Anderson
    Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 3-1, 1-3, 1-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-2
    Average: 104.38
    180s: 24 (0.57 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 138)
    Checkout %: 42.3% (22/52)

Peter Wright's major titles

Michael Smith v Peter Wright: Tournament stats

  • Tournament Average: 100.65 - 100.04
    100+ match averages: 3 - 2
    Highest average: 106.32 (R2) - 104.38 (SF)
    Lowest average: 97.42 (R3) - 92.19 (R2)
  • Tournament 180s (180s per leg): 83 (0.42) - 72 (0.38)
  • Doubles hit (Checkout %): 111/250 (44.4%) - 106/267 (39.7%)
  • Legs won/lost: 111/88 - 106/80
  • 100+ checkouts (per leg won): 15 (0.14) - 13 (0.12)
  • Highest checkout: 167 - 161

Michael Smith 5-7 Peter Wright: Set-by-Set report

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 5-7 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET 12 SCORE: Michael Smith 1-3 Peter Wright

  • Leg Four
    It's all over and Peter Wright is world champion for the second time in his career! He won nine of the last 10 legs from 2-0 down in the 10th set to run out a sensational winner against the brilliant Michael Smith.
    Smith 1-3 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Smith defies Wright's latest 180 to stop the rot and get a leg on the board but is it too little too late?
    Smith 1-2 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Make that eight legs in a row as another pair of back-to-back 140s helps him on his way to a 13-dart hold of throw. One more leg to become world champion yet again.
    Smith 0-2 Wright
  • Leg One (Smith to throw first)
    Wright reels off his seventh leg on the trot after he follows up three successive visits of 140 with an 81 checkout for a 12-dart break. This is bordering on unplayable at this stage of a World Championship final.
    Smith 0-1 Wright

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 5-6 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET 11 SCORE: Michael Smith 0-3 Peter Wright

  • Leg Three
    Snakebite takes the set 3-0 in just 40 darts with the help of a 16th maximum - but he had to rely on Smith missing the bullseye for a 124 checkout.
    Smith 0-3 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Wright's 15th maximum of the match puts pressure on Smith's attempt to take out 104 and it pays off as he misses tops before Snakebite returns for an 80 checkout.
    Smith 0-2 Wright
  • Leg One (Wright to throw first)
    Not for the first time in this tournament, Wright takes out 96 with a D18-D20 combo that completes a 12-dart leg that began with a 180.
    Smith 0-1 Wright

Match statistics at seventh interval

Sky Bet latest odds: It's too close to call again, with Smith 10/11 for glory and Wright 4/5. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

  • Averages
    Smith: 98.41
    Wright: 96.18
  • 180s
    Smith: 22
    Wright: 13
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 22/61 (36.1%)
    Wright: 21/62 (33.9%)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Smith: 167
    Wright: 148, 124, 117, 103

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 5-5 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET 10 SCORE: Michael Smith 2-3 Peter Wright

  • Leg Five
    Wright punishes Smith's poor visit of 58 midway through the leg with his 13th maximum and follows it up with a fine 84 checkout to brilliantly steal a set he trailed 2-0 and needed to break twice.
    Smith 2-3 Wright
  • Leg Four
    Snakebite controls the leg with a couple of 140 visits and a further ton before levelling the set in 13 darts.
    Smith 2-2 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Wright follows up a 140 with his 12th maximum to pile pressure on the Smith throw and it pays off as he stays alive in the set with a 14-darter.
    Smith 2-1 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Bully Boy kicks off the leg with his 22nd 180 - which is level with Gary Anderson's old match record which Wright broke last night with 24 - and a further couple of 100+ visits helps him break the Snakebite throw in 14 darts.
    Smith 2-0 Wright
  • Leg One (Smith to throw first)
    Smith's 21st maximum leaves him 30 and although Snakebite responds with a maximum of his own to reduce his score to 28, Bully Boy takes out double 15 at the first attempt to complete a 13-darter.
    Smith 1-0 Wright

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 5-4 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET NINE SCORE: Michael Smith 3-2 Peter Wright

  • Leg Five
    Wright looks as though he runs away with this leg thanks to three 100+ visits but after missing the bullseye for a 170 checkout he spurns a further five darts at a double as Smith pins his third attempt at double 13 across two visits to edge a tense - and highly crucial - set. It's the second time Wright has blown set darts in two of the five he's lost.
    Smith 3-2 Wright
  • Leg Four
    A steady - if unspectacular - leg from Smith is won in 16 darts although Wright did apply pressure with a visit of 171 to leave himself on 32.
    Smith 2-2 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Smith's set average is well below 90 and Wright makes the most of it thanks to visits of 134, 135 and 127 that pave the way for an easy 14-dart hold with no pressure whatsoever.
    Smith 1-2 Wright
  • Leg Two
    A fairly uneventful leg goes the way of Smith in 18 darts when he pins double 12 while Wright was back on 133.
    Smith 1-1 Wright
  • Leg One (Wright to throw first)
    Wright reels off three successive 100+ visits after a poor opening score of 58 before finishing from 103 for a 15-dart hold.
    Smith 0-1 Wright

Match statistics at sixth interval

Sky Bet latest odds: Both players can now be backed at 5/6 in this tense final that could well end up going all the way to a deciding 13th set. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

  • Averages
    Smith: 100.51
    Wright: 95.48
  • 180s
    Smith: 20
    Wright: 9
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 17/49 (34.7%)
    Wright: 16/49 (32.7%)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Smith: 167
    Wright: 148, 124, 117

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 4-4 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET EIGHT SCORE: Michael Smith 1-3 Peter Wright

  • Leg Four
    Smith has rediscovered his scoring touch with back-to-back maximums to take his tally to 20 but he fails to hit the bullseye for an 81 finish as Wright pins double nine with his last dart in hand for a set-winning 72 checkout.
    Smith 1-3 Wright
  • Leg Three
    The duo trade 180s in successive visits early on in the leg but Wright wastes the opportunity to wrap up the set 3-0 when spurning two darts at double eight having also missed an attempt at the bull.
    Smith 1-2 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Apart from firing in his 17th maximum of the match, Smith loses his scoring rhythm and then misses an attempt at bullseye for an 88 finish as Wright holds throw for a 2-0 lead.
    Smith 0-2 Wright
  • Leg One (Smith to throw first)
    Smith spurns two darts at tops in a scrappy opening leg to the eighth set and Wright punished at his first attempt at the same target for the break.
    Smith 0-1 Wright

Match statistics at fifth interval

Sky Bet latest odds: Michael Smith is now a clear favourite for the first time at 4/11 while Wright can be backed at 2/1 to become world champion for a second time. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

  • Averages
    Smith: 101.58
    Wright: 95.84
  • 180s
    Smith: 16
    Wright: 8
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 16/43 (37.2%)
    Wright: 13/41 (31.7%)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Smith: 167
    Wright: 148, 124, 117

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 4-3 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET SEVEN SCORE: Michael Smith 3-0 Peter Wright

  • Leg Three
    It's the first whitewash set of the final as Smith unleashes successive visits of 134, 140 and 134 before finishing off a brilliant 11-dart break of throw with a clinical 93 checkout.
    Smith 3-0 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Bully Boy makes the most of his break when his 16th 180 and another visit of 140 leaves him 64, which he takes out for a 15-dart hold.
    Smith 2-0 Wright
  • Leg One (Wright to throw first)
    Smith's 15th maximum gives him a fantastic opportunity to break Wright's throw and despite missing two darts at tops in his next visit after Snakebite had spurned an attempt at double 11 for a 124 checkout, he gets another chance when his opponent misses a further three at the same target. This time he takes it.
    Smith 1-0 Wright

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 3-3 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET SIX SCORE: Michael Smith 3-1 Peter Wright

  • Leg Four
    Smith hits his first 180 of the set - and 14th for the match - and follows it up with scores of 140 and 105 before sealing the set with a 13-darter as Wright waited to come back on 84.
    Smith 3-1 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Four successive visits of 100+, albeit without a 180, propels Smith to a 13-dart hold that puts him within a leg of levelling the match once more.
    Smith 2-1 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Wright contributes his eighth maximum to the match count before going on to take out 76 for a comfortable hold of his own.
    Smith 1-1 Wright
  • Leg One (Smith to throw first)
    A steady hold from Smith in 14 darts - with Wright back on 172 - thanks to visits of 134 and 140 before a 38 finish.
    Smith 1-0 Wright

Match statistics at fourth interval

Sky Bet latest odds: Wright has regained favourtism at 8/15, with Smith now out to 11/8 for his maiden world title. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

  • Averages
    Smith: 100.05
    Wright: 97.45
  • 180s
    Smith: 13
    Wright: 7
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 10/32 (31.3%)
    Wright: 12/36 (33.3%)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Smith: 167
    Wright: 148, 124, 117

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 2-3 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET FIVE SCORE: Michael Smith 2-3 Peter Wright

  • Leg Five
    Wright is let off the hook for an opening visit of 35 when Smith only manages 57 but despite a couple of 140s, he still has to survive Smith's botched checkout attempt from 106 before clinching the set.
    Smith 2-3 Wright
  • Leg Four
    No maximums in this leg but three 100+ visits from Smith help him hold throw and force Wright to serve out the set in a decider.
    Smith 2-2 Wright
  • Leg Three
    NEW RECORD! Michael Smith's 13th 180 takes his tournament tally to 72 and that's a new World Championship record, breaking the previous mark set by Gary Anderson in 2017 edition. It comes just a day after Wright's 24 broke the Flying Scotsman's record for the most in a single World Championship match from the same year (22). More importantly, Smith wins the leg with an 11-darter.
    Smith 1-2 Wright
  • Leg Two
    The duo trade 180s in another classy leg which Wright wins with an 11-dart break to double his advantage in the set.
    Smith 0-2 Wright
  • Leg One (Wright to throw first)
    Wright kicks off the fifth set with his sixth maximum of the match but it takes him a further five visits before he finally edges a scrappy leg from a scoring perspective.
    Smith 0-1 Wright

Match statistics at third interval

Sky Bet latest odds: It's hard to split either player now following Smith's comeback and he's now 10/11, with Wright priced at 4/5. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

  • Averages
    Smith: 99
    Wright: 96.9
  • 180s
    Smith: 11
    Wright: 5
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 8/30 (26.7%)
    Wright: 9/30 (30%)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Smith: 167
    Wright: 148, 124, 117

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 2-2 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET FOUR SCORE: Michael Smith 3-2 Peter Wright

  • Leg Five
    Now it's Smith's turn to benefit from Wright's outer ring woes as Snakebite fails to make the most of his pressurising 180 by spurning two attempts at double 16 and the Englishman takes advantage to level the match. Strangely though, Smith didn't manage a 180 in that leg!
    Smith 3-2 Wright
  • Leg Four
    The 31-year-old kicks off this leg with yet another 180 to extend this astonishing maximum run to seven legs in a row but Wright, who also weighed in with his fourth, holds in 13 darts to force a decider.
    Smith 2-2 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Smith has now hit 180s in each of the last six legs and his 10th so far helps him on his way to a steady 16-dart hold, with Wright waiting to come back on 51.
    Smith 2-1 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Snakebite hits back with his third maximum and although Smith brings up his ninth, he completes a brilliant 12-darter with a 117 checkout to level the set score.
    Smith 1-1 Wright
  • Leg One (Smith to throw first)
    Smith maintains this superb spell of scoring and finishing as an eighth 180 and a clinical 80 finish sees him take the opener after Wright missed the bullseye for a 170 checkout.
    Smith 1-0 Wright

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 1-2 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET THREE SCORE: Michael Smith 3-1 Peter Wright

  • Leg Four
    It looks like Bully Boy has thankfully returned to the same player that helped him reach his second World Championship, as a seventh 180 paves the way for a comfortable 13-darter that seals the set.
    Smith 3-1 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Welcome to the final Michael Smith! After firing in a sixth maximum of the match, he then brings the crowd to its feet with a brilliant checkout of 167 to break the Wright throw and move to the brink of winning his first set of the final.
    Smith 2-1 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Much better from the St Helens man, who follows up two opening visits of 140 with his fifth 180 before pinning tops for a nerve-settling 12-dart leg.
    Smith 1-1 Wright
  • Leg One (Wright to throw first)
    Three 100+ visits from Wright, including a set up shot of 170, paves the way for a clinical 11-dart hold at the start of the third set, with Smith back on 153.
    Smith 0-1 Wright

Match statistics at second interval

Sky Bet latest odds: Peter Wright is now 2/7 to win his second world title while Michael Smith has now drifted even further to 5/2. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

  • Averages
    Smith: 92.2
    Wright: 89.43
  • 180s
    Smith: 4
    Wright: 2
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 2/20 (10%)
    Wright: 6/23 (26.1%)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Smith: 0 (Highest: 40)
    Wright: 148, 124

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 0-2 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET TWO SCORE: Michael Smith 1-3 Peter Wright

  • Leg Four
    Bully Boy's excellent doubling throughout the tournament (48%) has completely deserted him right now and a further miss - this time at double 13 to complete a 106 finish - is capitalised upon by Wright, who takes out 124 on the bullseye for an early 2-0 set lead.
    Smith 1-3 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Smith's fortunes are going from bad to worse - if that's possible at the moment - as he watches Snakebite follow up a timely visit of 140 with a stunning 148 checkout to break his throw when he was waited to come back on 32
    Smith 1-2 Wright
  • Leg Two
    This time Bully Boy is not so fortunate as yet another three darts at doubles go begging before Wright punishes him with a 17-dart hold of throw.
    Smith 1-1 Wright
  • Leg One (Smith to throw first)
    More doubling issues for Smith has he spurns two more attempts at tops but after Snakebite fails to take out 122, he returns to settle the nerves at the start of the second set.
    Smith 1-0 Wright

Match statistics at first interval

Sky Bet latest odds: Peter Wright is now 1/2 favourite for glory while Michael Smith has now drifted slightly to 6/4 but it is early days. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.

  • Averages
    Smith: 82.2
    Wright: 82.15
  • 180s
    Smith: 2
    Wright: 1
  • Checkout %
    Smith: 1/13 (7.7%)
    Wright: 3/19 (15.8%)
  • Highest Checkout
    Smith: 2
    Wright: 66

MATCH SCORE: Michael Smith 0-1 Peter Wright (Best of 13 sets)
SET ONE SCORE: Michael Smith 1-3 Peter Wright

  • Leg Four
    The 2020 world champion hits his first 180 of the match before taking advantage of two more missed darts at doubles from Bully Boy to wrap up a very nervy opening set.
    Smith 1-3 Wright
  • Leg Three
    Much better from Snakebite in a totally contrasting leg to the farcical one we've just witnessed, as he fires in visits of 140, 122, 97 and 131 on route to a 14-darter as Smith waited to have a crack at double 18.
    Smith 1-2 Wright
  • Leg Two
    Incredible double troubles from both players in his second leg of this World Championship final! Michael Smith missed nine darts at a double but Peter Wright spurned 13 before Bully Boy eventually sealed a 28-darter on double one! It's the officially the worst leg of the entire tournament!
    Smith 1-1 Wright
  • Leg One (Wright to throw first)
    Michael Smith fired in back-to-back 180s mid-way through the opening leg to take an early lead in the maximum count but he missed two darts at tops for a 12-dart break of throw and Peter Wright made him pay with a 66 finish.
    Smith 0-1 Wright

2010: After plenty of build-up, the players have now made their entrances onto the stage at an electric Ally Pally! Let the drama and darting fireworks commence...

2000: Before the final gets under way at around 2015 GMT, here are my two best bets for the night and scoreline prediction, which I wrote about extensively with stats in my pre-match preview.

Despite how evenly-matched both players have been and how devastating Peter Wright can be in these pressure cooker situations, I don't think we're going the distance tonight. I really do feel it's Michael Smith's time to finally become a major champion in the grandest of fashions and wouldn't be surprised to come blasting out of the blocks and maintaining the mental strength to keep a slightly more tired opponent at arm's length. As for the much-hyped maximum count, if both these players maintain their tournament 180s per leg ratios of around 0.4 then the record for most hit in a single match of 42 will go if we get to around 55 legs and possibly a lot less if Snakebite can go at 0.57 like he did against Gary Anderson. Incidentally the Flying Scotsman holds this record with Michael van Gerwen after the pair hit 22 and 20 respectively in just 44 legs during the 2017 final and Sky Bet make it 5/1 that the record falls tonight. In terms of who will hit the most, I think that's harder to call than the actual match result and most bookies price them up at evens, I'd much rather have them working as a team to throw 33 or more which is fractionally odds against with some firms.

1945: Just so you don't have to do any number crunching from their route to the final stats below, I've done it for you. Once again, Michael Smith's figures are on the left of each category...

  • Tournament Average: 100.65 - 100.66
    100+ match averages: 3 - 2
    Highest average: 106.32 (R2) - 104.38 (SF)
    Lowest average: 97.42 (R3) - 92.19 (R2)
  • Tournament 180s (180s per leg): 59 (0.39) - 55 (0.40)
  • Doubles hit (Checkout %): 88/185 (47.57%) - 79/198 (39.90%)
  • Legs won/lost: 88/61 - 79/57
  • 100+ checkouts (per leg won): 14 (0.16) - 9 (0.11)
  • Highest checkout: 132 - 161

As you can see, virtually nothing separates their respective overall averages and although Michael Smith posted the highest of the tournament with 106.32 against Ron Meulenkamp, you'd obviously have to give more credit to Peter Wright for managing the second best of 104.38 over 10 sets against Gary Anderson.

During that performance, he fired a record-breaking 24 maximums for a single World Championship match and he's now only four behind Bully Boy's total tally of 59, with a fractionally better 180 per leg ratio of 0.40 vs 0.39.

You'd expect Smith to weigh in with at least another 13 to break Anderson's tournament record of 71 set in the 2017 edition but it's certainly feasible that Wright ends up with more!

The biggest difference between the pair is the finishing, with Smith yet to drop below 40% in any of his five matches and Wright only managing to go above 40% on two occasions, including his victory over Anderson.

1940: Peter Wright's run to the Alexandra Palace final has been equally thrilling thanks to those epic victories over Callan Rydz and Gary Anderson since the turn of the year.

  • R2: 3-0 v Ryan Meikle
    Set scores: 3-2, 3-1, 3-0
    Average: 92.19
    180s: 1 (0.08 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 81)
    Checkout %: 34.6% (9/26)
  • R3: 4-2 v Damon Heta
    Set scores: 1-3, 2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 3-0
    Average: 102.15
    180s: 6 (0.25 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 161)
    Checkout %: 60% (15/25)
  • R4: 4-1 v Ryan Searle
    Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 1-3, 3-0, 3-1
    Average: 98.91
    180s: 7 (0.35 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 132)
    Checkout %: 37.1% (13/35)
  • QF: 5-4 v Callan Rydz
    Set scores: 0-3, 2-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 1-3, 3-0, 4-2
    Average: 99.75
    180s: 17 (0.45 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 140)
    Checkout %: 33.3% (20/60)
  • SF: 6-4 v Gary Anderson
    Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 3-1, 1-3, 1-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-2
    Average: 104.38
    180s: 24 (0.57 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 138)
    Checkout %: 42.3% (22/52)

Snakebite's opening win over Ryan Meikle was forgettably easy but he had to overcome a slow down to get past Damon Heta before before a surprisingly comfortable 4-1 victory over a below-par Ryan Searle, who'd pushed him so hard in November's Players Championship Finals.

Eventually he was given a real run for his money by another star of the future in Callan Rydz and was on the brink of falling 4-2 down until he produced a stunning D18-D20 combo to complete a 96 checkout that levelled the match.

The next two sets were shared before he pinched victory 4-2 in the decider, while you could argue his semi-final battle with Gary Anderson was even more dramatic as his fellow 51-year-old legend battled back from 3-0 down to push him to the brink of an 11th set.

Wright averaged his tournament best of 104.38 - helped by a record-breaking tally of 24 180s - and he pretty much needed to produce that kind of quality considering Anderson reminded everyone of his brilliance at the end of an otherwise disappointing season. He may need those mesmerising levels to compete with Smith tonight.

1930: So how did both players get this far? Let's start with Michael Smith...

  • R2: 3-1 v Ron Meulenkamp
    Set scores: 3-0, 3-1, 3-0
    Average: 106.32
    180s: 6 (0.6 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 1 (High: 110)
    Checkout %: 75% (9/12)
  • R3: 4-2 v Willie O'Connor
    Set scores: 1-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2
    Average: 97.42
    180s: 10 (0.38 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 4 (High: 132)
    Checkout %: 40.54% (15/37)
  • R4: 4-3 v Jonny Clayton
    Set scores: 2-3, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-1, 1-3, 6-4
    Average: 99.84
    180s: 11 (0.31 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 121)
    Checkout %: 45.24% (19/42)
  • QF: 5-4 v Gerwyn Price
    Set scores: 2-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2, 3-1
    Average: 101.94
    180s: 16 (0.42 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 4 (High: 130)
    Checkout %: 51.16% (22/42)
  • SF: 6-3 v James Wade
    Set scores: 3-2, 3-1, 2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 1-3, 2-3, 3-1
    Average: 100.98
    180s: 16 (0.41 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 130)
    Checkout %: 45.1% (23/51)

Bully Boy laid down a serious marker at the very first opportunity as he thrashed Ron Meulenkamp for the loss of just one leg with a tournament high average of 106 and it says a lot that an impressive 97.42 during a hard-fought 4-2 triumph over the slower paced Willie O'Connor was his 'worst' performance so far.

Smith demonstrated this all-new mental strength to come through absolute thrillers with Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price in deciding sets that he may have lost a year ago before comfortably despatching the much fresher James Wade with a very comfortable looking 101 average.

1920: Time now to take a look at their head-to-head record, which has been bossed significantly by Peter Wright with 23 wins from 37 meetings.

  • Overall Head-to-Head: 12-23, 2 draws
    Televised Head-to-Head: 3-13, 2 draw
    World Championship H2H: 0-1 (3-4, third round 2014)
  • All Tournament Finals: 0-3 (TV: 0-2)
    10-11 - 2020 Masters
    8-11 - 2018 Melbourne Darts Masters
    5-6 - 2017 UK Open qualifier
  • 2021 Meetings: 1-2 (TV: 0-2)
    7-16 - World Matchplay QF (July)
    6-2 - Hungarian Darts Trophy QF (September)
    12-16 - Grand Slam of Darts SF (November)

Snakebite has also won 13 of the 18 televised matches, which include two Premier League draws, and two of those victories came at this year's World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts.

The latter result must have felt particularly galling for Bully Boy as he watched Snakebite reel off eight successive legs from 12-8 down to win 16-12 but in truth he did very little wrong during one of the best spells of comeback darts you're ever likely to see.

Smith's last victory over Wright on TV was during the 2018 Premier League group stages en route to finishing runner-up to Michael van Gerwen in his first major final, but he's lost nine and drawn two of the last 11 since then, with the most agonising being the 2020 Masters which we've already mentioned earlier.

However, Bully Boy is seemingly made of sterner stuff these days and I doubt he'll be thinking about the past tonight. After all, he crushed James Wade last night despite going into that with a head-to-head record of 4-17.

1910: Interestingly, Peter Wright told everyone back in June to put £1 - or 50p - on him to do the World Matchplay-World Championship double this season and at that time, you could get 88/1 on such a bet. I wonder how many people took him up on that!

1855: So just how do these two stars compare when it comes to their respective title collections?

  • Overall senior PDC titles: 14 - 42
    Televised PDC Titles/Finals: 1/9 - 11/30
    Major Titles/Finals: 0/5 - 6/20
    2021 Titles: 2 - 6 (TV: 0-2)
  • PDC World Championship appearances: 11 - 13
    PDC World Championship Best: Runner-up (2019) - Winner (2020)

Michael Smith has won plenty of tournaments away from the TV cameras, such as four on the European Tour stages in front of crowds, while his sole televised crown was the 2018 Shanghai Darts Masters.

However, he's lost his other eight TV finals including five that can be classed as majors - 2018 Premier League, 2018 World Series of Darts Finals, 2019 World Championship, 2019 World Matchplay and 2020 Masters.

Peter Wright, by contrast, has won these majors in his glittering career as well as five other unranked TV titles among his overall tally of 42. He has suffered his fair share of 14 televised final defeats, however.

1845: This tournament has pretty much had everything and more, so is it asking a bit too much for a FOURTH nine-dart finish tonight? Peter Wright has missed double 12 for a perfect leg in each of his last two matches while Michael Smith had the best view of Gerwyn Price's moment of magic on quarter-final night. That followed on from Willie Borland's historic nine-darter to win a deciding leg against Bradley Brooks before Christmas and also Darius Labanauskas' perfect leg a day later.

You can get 12/1 on either player managing it tonight with Sky Bet, 16/1 on it being Wright, 25/1 for it to be Smith and 100/1 that they both do it.

Let's just look back on the three we've seen so far while you can click here to watch every nine-darter in World Championship history...

1830: Good evening and welcome to our live blog of the PDC World Darts Championship final, as Michael Smith bids to win his first ever major with the biggest of the lot while Peter Wright eyes the sport's biggest prize for the second time in a career that goes from strength to strength.

Since Snakebite fulfilled his ambition to get his hands on the Sid Waddell Trophy before turning 50 two years ago, he's gone on to win four more major titles including this year's World Matchplay and Players Championship Finals so he heads into this eagerly-anticipated showdown as the marginal favourite to handle the immense pressure once again.

The 51-year-old has come such a long way having nearly given up darts prior to his life-changing run to the 2014 World Championship final although he still had to keep bouncing back from a catalogue of agonising televised final defeats over the following six years - mostly to Michael van Gerwen - before he developed the champion spirit of winning more than he lost.

Smith could be on the brink of going through that transformation too having suffered five major final defeats in what is still a relatively young career, including the 2018 Premier League, 2018 World Series of Darts Finals, 2019 World Championship and the 2020 Masters, where he heartbreakingly missed three match darts in a deciding leg against Wright.

That could have opened the floodgates to more glory but much has been made over the past few months about how the 31-year-old has really worked on his mental strength and in-game psychology to make him a much tougher nut to crack on the oche, and combined with his immense talent and work ethic, he's now looking like a very lethal finished article.

Both have produced breathtaking darts since the tournament began way back on December 15 and whoever wins will be a very worthy winner.

The final begins at around 2015 GMT so between now and then we'll run through the routes to the final, tournament statistics, head-to-head records and some predictions.

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

PDC World Darts Championship Finals

Final scores in sets

PDC World Darts Championship Most Titles

  • Phil Taylor - 14
  • Michael van Gerwen - 3
  • John Part - 2
  • Adrian Lewis - 2
  • Gary Anderson - 2
  • Gerwyn Price - 1
  • Peter Wright - 1
  • Rob Cross - 1
  • Dennis Priestly - 1
  • Raymond van Barneveld - 1

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2022 WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS AND AVERAGES

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