Premier League darts results & reports: Rob Cross goes top as Gerwyn Price draws with Michael van Gerwen in Belfast
Rob Cross moved to the top of the Premier League after Michael van Gerwen came from 5-1 down to draw with Gerwyn Price and avoid a first ever defeat to the Welshman.
Scroll down for highlights, results and the updated table
Price misses out on first MVG win
Gerwyn Price missed two match darts to grab his first ever win over Michael van Gerwen at the 16th attempt as he had to settle for an entertaining 7-7 draw in Belfast.
Price stormed out to a 5-1 lead thanks to two breaks of the Van Gerwen throw, and even after a comeback from the Dutchman Price still led 7-5 before MVG took the next to force the Welshman to throw for the match.
Price's 0-15 record did not seem to be troubling him as he threw a brilliant last leg, apart from when trying to take out 49 for the match when he missed two darts at tops, enabling Van Gerwen to take out 82 in two darts with the Bull and double 16 stunning Price.
Van Gerwen had real trouble finding the outer rim with a poor 32 percent checkout rate, the worst of any player on the night, while he throw some bizarre set-up shots that cost him a couple of legs.
In the end though, perhaps that unblemished record against Price caused the Iceman to tighten up on the milestone doubles, as he had to settle for what was a frustrating point for him.
Cross spoils Gurney party
Former world champion Rob Cross played the role of party pooper in chief in clinical fashion with an impressive 8-4 victory over hometown hero Daryl Gurney, who was desperate to give the Belfast crowd a show to celebrate his recent German Darts Championship victory.
Gurney started well and kept up with Cross in the early stages, but Cross always looked like he was operating at a higher level and he soon pulled away from the Northern Irishman.
Cross averaged almost 105 and that was too much for Gurney to live with, as was the power finishing from Voltage who took out 117,100 and a brilliant 124 in the final leg, finishing off a clinical display on the Bull.
The result took Cross top of the table, where he ended up staying after Michael van Gerwen could only scrape a draw with Gerwyn Price.
Draw specialist Wright at it again
Peter Wright has now drawn half of his Premier League matches this season with his fifth draw in ten outings coming against Michael Smith as Snakebite held his nerve in he final leg to pinch another point.
Smith averaged just over 100 - 10 points more than Wright, and looked the more fluid throughout, but once again had to settle for a draw, just as he did in their first meeting in this event this season.
The point doesn't really help either man as they both remain in the bottom two spots in the table and they'll both need to start winning, and winning quickly, to stand a chance of making the play-offs.
“I blew a lot of chances," Smith told Sky Sports. "I’m really annoyed. A point is better than getting beat, I guess. I need a win. I’ve got to win."
Suljovic continues to haunt Wade
Mensur Suljovic continued his fine recent record against James Wade with a hard-fought 8-6 victory in the opening game of the night in Belfast - with the Austrian making it three wins in a row against the Machine.
Neither man could really find their 'A' game, and that suited Suljovic's methodical style much more than Wade - who was also visibly growing frustrated by his opponent's rather deliberate method of throwing and the increasing time he took in between visits.
Wade missed chances to go two legs up early after going 2-0 in front, and it was then neck-and-neck until Suljovic broke in the 10th leg before holding to go 7-4 in front in what was the decisive move.
Wade pulled it back with a fantastic 137 outshot giving him the break and the chance to throw for a point, but Suljovic then produced his best leg of the match with seven perfect darts, narrowly missing on the eighth, before cleaning up to take the match.
Suljovic hit five 180s in the match as he moved above Wade into third place in the table, with the Englishman distinctly off colour with just an 85 average as he suffered a familiar defeat against a player who must rapidly be becoming his least favourite on tour.
Night Ten Results
The SSE Arena, Belfast
- Mensur Suljovic 8-6 James Wade
- Michael Smith 7-7 Peter Wright
- Rob Cross 8-4 Daryl Gurney
- Michael van Gerwen 7-7 Gerwyn Price
2019 Premier League Darts Table
- Cross P 10 W 7 D 1 L 2 LegD +20 Pts 15
- Van Gerwen P 10 W 6 D 2 L 2 LegD +22 Pts 14
- Suljovic P 10 W 5 D 2 L 3 LegD +4 Pts 12
- Wade P 10 W 4 D 3 L 3 LegD +8 Pts 11
- Gurney P 10 W 5 D 1 L 4 LegD -2 Pts 11
- Price P 10 W 3 D 4 L 3 LegD -1 Pts 10
- Wright P 10 W 2 D 5 L 3 LegD -5 Pts 9
- Smith P 10 W 3 D 2 L 5 LegD -6 Pts 8
- Relegated: Van Barneveld P 9 W 1 D 2 L 6 LegD -22 Pts 4
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