Daryl Gurney defeated Michael van Gerwen (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

Premier League darts results: Daryl Gurney does the double over Michael van Gerwen as Rob Cross goes top

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Fri May 03, 2019 · 6y ago

Results, review and highlights from Premier League Darts night 14 in Manchester, as Daryl Gurney completed the double over Michael van Gerwen as Rob Cross went top of the table.

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Gurney stuns MVG yet again

Daryl Gurney became only the second player ever to complete a Premier League double over Michael van Gerwen as an impressive 8-5 victory boosted his play-off hopes.

It's also the Northern Irishman's third successive triumph over the world number one, having first done so in that epic climax to the Players Championship Finals back in November before stunning him 7-5 in this tournament in Berlin on March 21.

For Gurney, who emulates Peter Wright's 'MVG double' feat of 2018, this result gives his hopes of reaching the Play-Offs another tremendous boost while the Dutchman is now in real danger of failing to top the regular season table for the first time in his seven appearances.

He's now one points behind Rob Cross, who defeated Michael Smith at the start of the night and he's still not mathematically guaranteed a spot at Finals Night.

Interestingly, Gurney didn't even need to be at his best as an off-colour MVG fell well short of firing on all cylinders, especially in the early stages when falling 4-0 down before a 127 checkout completed a 12-darter that gave him a little momentum.

By this point his opponent had managed a 12-darter and a 105 checkout of his own and although his lead was reduced to 4-2, Gurney was in no mood to fade away and won the next two legs to restore his commanding advantage.

Van Gerwen was able to produce a match high finish from 130 - his third from 100+ in the match - but it proved in vain as Gurney went on to claim a surprisingly comfortable triumph.

The world number three averaged 95.58 compared to MVG's 95.22 and hit two more 180s with three while he pinned eight of his 19 attempts at doubles as his opponent spurned five of his 10.

"Michael's the best player in the world so it means a lot to me to beat him again," said Gurney. "To beat him twice in one season is a nice record to have.

"I don't panic any more against him now, where I maybe tried too hard to beat him in recent years. I needed to get something out of the game and luckily I came away with the two points.

"If I can go into my next two games with the same temperament I could win them, and if I can get into the top four I will be very happy."

Hot Cross burns Bully Boy

Rob Cross secured his place in the Premier League Darts Play-Offs for the second successive year and also ended the night in top spot thanks to a thumping 8-1 victory over the eliminated Michael Smith in Manchester.

Voltage, who reached the semi-finals in his debut campaign in 2018, put last year's runner-up to the sword with a ruthless performance as he averaged of 102.54, hit five 180s and pinned eight of his 14 attempts at doubles.

Cross was particularly lethal in closing out seven of the eight legs he won in no more than six darts from the 200+ range and in each of the last three he followed up 180s with checkouts in the 40s to complete 11-darters.

Cross set the tone with a match high 101 checkout in the opening leg and after Smith finally got on the board to reduce the alarming deficit to 5-1, the 2018 world champion reeled off the next three in 33 darts to put Bully Boy out of his misery.

In truth, Smith didn't actually play too badly with an average of 97.65 but in keeping with the rest of his disappointing season, the St Helens man was sloppy when he did have chances and missed four of his five attempts at doubles.

Cross told www.pdc.tv: "I'm really pleased with my performance. I scored well in placed and my finishing was the catalyst to get me an early lead.

"It was important for me at 5-0 too to maintain my concentration, and when I lost a leg I got a good reaction from myself. Once I started to spread my wings at 5-1 I started to score like I can.

"It's the tightest Premier League we've ever had and I want to keep my momentum going in the last two games ahead of the Play-Offs. It's crunch time now."

Wade overcomes frosty Price

James Wade strengthened his play-off bid with a comfortable 8-4 victory over Gerwyn Price but the result was overshadowed by the Welshman's refusal to shake his hand after the match.

The Machine wasn't made to work too hard in a fairly one-sided contest and ends the night in third, two points behind MVG but also only two ahead of fifth-placed Daryl Gurney in this absorbing race to reach Finals Night in three weeks' time.

Price looked like he meant business as he made his way out to the oche but suddenly found himself 3-0 down before getting on the board with an impressive 11-darter.

The European and World Series champion, who has enjoyed a superb season by winning three PDC titles, kept his opponent at arm's length and landed a killer blow with a clinical checkout from 122 on the bullseye to go 6-3 up.

The Grand Slam of Darts champion, bidding to reach the play-offs for the first time, managed to pull another leg back before Wade finished it off with 12 and 14 dart legs.

A fuming Price is now two points behind fourth-placed Mensur Suljovic and after the game he stormed off the stage and straight past Wade's outstretched arm.

"Gerwyn is one of the top four players in the world at the moment so it's a really good win," said Wade. "I think I can do better than I did tonight, but I can move forward from here.

"I want to make sure I get in the top four. This is the top players in the world but I will play anyone."

Wade also had no idea why Price snubbed his handshake, as you'll hear in this video.

Suljovic scraps past Wright

Mensur Suljovic almost threw away a big lead against Peter Wright but a brilliant 12-darter in the final leg sealed a priceless victory in the race to reach the play-offs.

The Austrian opened up with a stunning 144 checkout before taking full advantage of a poor early show from Snakebite, who was playing merely for pride, and only needed to win one of the opening six legs in fewer than 15 darts to surge into a 5-1 lead.

Wright was averaging in the low 80s at this point, with his 130 checkout on the bullseye in the fourth leg being his one and only highlight, but he came to life out of nowhere by taking the next three, including a finish from 100.

Even when he trailed 7-5 he had the character to punish Suljovic for two missed match darts to take out 110 and force a deciding leg, which he followed up an opening 140 with his second 180 to threaten a point.

However, three successive visits of 140 and a checkout of 81 completed a match-winning 12-darter as he moved onto 17 points with just two matches remaining.

The Gentle averaged 93.91 compared to Wright's 89.49 and hit one more maximum with three although he did miss 14 darts at doubles, with Snakebite pinning six of his 12.

As Suljovic chases his first ever appearance at Finals Night in his second Premier League season, Wright must now lick his wounds after a sixth defeat in his last nine games in which he hasn't won any of. He's also averaged in the 80s four times during this woeful run of form.

"It's a brilliant win for me," said Suljovic, who moves onto 17 league points to move into the top four. "It's a good feeling to Peter Wright because at 5-1 he came back, so I'm happy to win.

"The Premier League is brilliant and I've nothing to lose. I will do my best and I hope I can get into the semi-finals."