Jonny Clayton made it back-to-back victories in the Cazoo Premier League after defeating Peter Wright in a last-leg decider to claim the spoils on Night Ten in Birmingham on Thursday.
Fresh from his brilliant Berlin victory last week, Clayton extended his winning run in the Premier League to six games as he catapulted himself up to third in the table.
The affable Welshman claimed the spoils in Birmingham 12 months ago, and he repeated the feat in the West Midlands to strengthen his push for Play-Off qualification.
Clayton began Thursday’s action with a crucial 6-4 victory over Nathan Aspinall, repeating his Night Four success over the Stockport star to move to within a point of the top four places.
The 2021 champion then sealed his place in Thursday’s showpiece by dumping out Michael van Gerwen for a second straight week, as the Dutch superstar paid the price for a profligate display.
This set up an intriguing showdown against 2017 runner-up Wright, who returned to form to reach his first nightly final of this year’s Premier League.
The opening four legs went with throw, before Wright struck the first blow, pinning double eight to break throw after Clayton wired the bull for a 122 combination.
The Welshman capitalised on two missed darts at double from Wright to restore parity, and the sequence of breaks continued until Clayton moved to the brink of victory at 5-4.
Wright forced a decider after surviving a match dart at the bull, but the roles were reversed in the last leg, as the Scot missed the same target for victory, and Clayton capitalised to seal the deal via tops.
“It feels fantastic. Two weeks ago I was seventh, and now I’m third!” reflected Clayton, who averaged 95 to claim the £10,000 winner’s bonus at the Utilita Arena.
“I think Birmingham brings the best version of the Ferret out! I love playing in these massive arenas with brilliant crowds, and I’ve got a big smile on my face right now.
“I’m confident I can make the Play-Offs, but it will still be a hard task. I think I’m good enough to be there, but there are eight players chasing the same dream.
“The game against Nathan was massive. That put me a point behind him so it was really important to close the gap, and now I’ve won the night. It’s brilliant.”
Night 10, April 6
Utilita Arena, Birmingham
TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
QUARTER-FINALS
- Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Chris Dobey
- Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Jonny Clayton
- Dimitri Van den Bergh 5-6 Gerwyn Price
- Peter Wright 6-1 Michael Smith
SEMI-FINALS
- Michael van Gerwen 3-6 Jonny Clayton
- Gerwyn Price 5-6 Peter Wright
FINAL
- Jonny Clayton 6-5 Peter Wright
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