Darts results: Nathan Aspinall wins his first Premier League night as Gerwyn Price's hot streak comes to an end

The Asp had already silenced the sell-out 11,000 home crowd at the Ahoy earlier in the night when holding his nerve in a deciding leg to defeat Michael van Gerwen 6-5 before overcoming Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 to reach his second final of the campaign.

Price was hot favourite to pick up his fifth five-point haul having taken his run of 100+ successive averages in the competition to seven with impressive victories over Michael Smith (6-3) and Jonny Clayton (6-1) but he ran out of steam during a 6-4 defeat.

Aspinall drew first blood with a superb 124 combination, but Price responded in typically defiant style, taking out a 140 checkout in leg three to seize the initiative.

However, Aspinall replied with a brilliant three-leg burst to establish a 4-2 cushion, reeling off consecutive legs in 13, 13 and 12 darts to move two legs away from the £10,000 winner's bonus.

Price reduced the arrears with a comfortable hold in leg seven, but Aspinall was undeterred, moving to the brink of victory with another 13-dart hold, before sealing the deal with a 71 checkout in leg 10.

The Iceman averaged just 88.52 compared to Aspinall's 97 but his three points on the night allowed him to leapfrog MVG at the top of the standings.

“Last week really hurt me, so to bounce back like I have tonight, I’m really proud,” claimed Aspinall, the sixth different nightly winner in this year’s Premier League.

“I have worked so hard. I’ve changed something to try and find what I needed to find to keep me calm in situations, and it’s all come together tonight.

“That first game against Michael – I have never experienced an atmosphere like that before! I’m just really happy to finally get a nightly win and put myself back in the top four.

“I’ve always got the belief that I can win tournaments and nights in the Premier League, but after last week I didn’t think I would be able to walk back on the stage. That’s how bad I felt.

“I spent some great time with the family at the weekend. I took a little break away from darts, refocused myself, came here with a new attitude and I’ve won. I’m so proud of myself.”

Price kicked off his Rotterdam campaign with a comeback win against World Champion Michael Smith, reeling off five consecutive legs from 3-1 down to triumph with a 102 average.

Price then produced another ton-topping average to dispatch his World Cup partner Jonny Clayton in the semi-finals, firing in six 180s en route to an emphatic 6-1 success.

Semi-finalists Van den Bergh and Clayton departed Rotterdam with two points apiece, courtesy of quarter-final wins against Peter Wright and Chris Dobey respectively.

Van den Bergh ended a run of four consecutive quarter-final defeats with a 6-3 success against Wright, which saw him leapfrog Dobey and move into sixth spot.

Masters champion Dobey succumbed 6-4 to a clinical Clayton in the evening’s opener, with the Welshman landing three ton-plus finishes and averaging almost 101 to cap off a quality display.

The Cazoo Premier League roadshow heads to Leeds’ First Direct Arena next Thursday, as league leader Price takes on Clayton in an all-Welsh affair on Night 13.

Van Gerwen will begin his bid for a fourth nightly win of 2023 against Wright, Aspinall takes on Van den Bergh, while Smith and Dobey lock horns in the evening’s opener.

Premier League Darts 2023: Night 12 results

Night 12, April 20
Rotterdam
TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)

QUARTER-FINALS

• Jonny Clayton 6-4 Chris Dobey
• Gerwyn Price 6-3 Michael Smith
• Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 Peter Wright
• Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Michael van Gerwen

SEMI-FINALS

• Gerwyn Price 6-1 Jonny Clayton
• Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh

FINAL

• Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Gerwyn Price

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