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Peter Wright beat Ryan Searle

Darts results: Peter Wright beats Ryan Searle in epic climax of the Players Championship Finals in Minehead

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Mon November 29, 2021 · 3y ago

Peter Wright labelled Ryan Searle the 'future of darts' after defeating him 11-10 in an epic conclusion to the Players Championship Finals in Minehead.

The 51-year-old won the penultimate major of the season for the first time in his illustrious career but he was taken to the wire after a breathtaking late rally from the hometown hero, who was playing in his maiden TV final, and an inexplicable busting of a 129 checkout attempt when leading 10-8.

Wright had earlier brushed aside Michael van Gerwen 10-6 and Jonny Clayton 11-6 to go further in this event than ever before and was a fairly warm favourite to pick up his second major of the season and seventh title overall in 2021.

That was, without doubt, one of the best major finals you'll see.

Drama throughout, a comeback from a home hero inspired by an incredible atmosphere...but the final finish from an experienced legend.

👏 Peter Wright and Ryan Searle pic.twitter.com/GDzPCp33dG
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) November 28, 2021

However, this year's World Matchplay champion and World Cup winner, who was also runner-up at last weekend's Grand Slam of Darts, struggled to shake off Searle in a match where neither player was ever more than one leg ahead until Snakebite produced a fantastic 141 checkout to break in the 14th leg for an 8-6 lead.

Roared on by a ‘home crowd’ in Minehead just 30 miles from his Somerset home, ‘Heavy Metal’ defied the pressure of the occasion to hit back by taking the next two legs, but his efforts looked in vain when he missed four darts at a double when trailing 9-8 as Wright capitalised to move one leg from glory.

High drama followed in the next leg when the former world champion looked poised to clinch victory when he came to the oche needing 129, with Searle back on 226.

After pinning treble 19 and treble 20 to leave double six for a stylish finish, his final dart dropped into double 10 to bust his score. Searle then left himself 103, which he came back to take out and send the crowd wild after Wright's second attempt to take out 129 again failed on double six.

𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝟭𝟬𝟯 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁!

What a mad leg that was!

Peter Wright busts a 129 finish 🤯 and then can't sweep up on his return.

Searle eventually takes out 103 to break and go within one at 10-9! pic.twitter.com/h8bVMOE9po
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 28, 2021

Searle was riding the crest of a wave of momentum and held his nerve to force a deciding leg when Wright missed the bullseye for a 132 checkout.

Snakebite opened it up with an eighth 180 of the match and ended it with a nerveless checkout of 62 with his last dart in hand after Searle had applied pressure with a visit of 177 to leave himself 24.

Wright branded Searle the "future of darts" during the trophy presentation and it's hard to argue with such a verdict given the way the Somerset thrower has climbed up the ranks over the past couple of seasons.

"He's an awesome player and it's as if he doesn't try! That's the hardest part about playing him. He's the future of darts, he's lovely to watch and plays nice and quick. It was a pleasure to be on stage with him."

"It’s the only final I’ve never played in, I enjoyed it," said Wright, who picks up a cheque for £100,000. "I knew it was going to be a tough game against Ryan; it’s taken a little while for him to settle and show what he can do on TV. He’s an immense player.

"In the second half of the match I was going at Ryan’s pace and I was thinking 'I'm running out of energy here'. I took a breather and lucky enough I got through.

"The guys who normally do well in this tournament do okay in the next one so it’s nice to do well in this one.

"Obviously I’ve got to back my big mouth up because when I said I’ll win the Matchplay I was going to win the Worlds so I’ve got to get back on the practise boards and make sure I’m sharp and back it up. Yes, I’ll be World Champion come January the 3rd."

Searle, who practices closely with Gary Anderson, beat Wright to claim his second Pro Tour title back in August and has also reached a further three floor finals this season.

The 34-year-old's runners-up cheque for £40,000 sees him rise up into the top 16 (15th) from 22nd on the PDC's Order of Merit for the first time in his career and he'll certainly be a name to watch out for in the World Championship draw, which takes place on Monday evening.

It’s a remarkable journey for a player with eyesight so bad – a condition called astigmatism that doesn’t even improve with glasses – he can hardly see the board and often needs the referee to tell him where the darts have landed.

The teetotaller is also known for having some of the heaviest darts in the game at 32g – around 10g more than the average - and they will continue to make a big impact in the world of darts, even if he can't see it.

"I'd have felt like I robbed that game if I'd won it at the end," said a very modest Searle. "Credit to Peter who fully deserved to win and I'll learn a lot from this experience."

Semi-Finals

Ryan Searle reached his maiden PDC major final with a commanding 11-6 victory over Brendan Dolan, who missed a double 12 for a nine-dart finish.

The Somerset thrower has enjoyed a superb season by winning a Pro Tour title and reaching a further three finals and he's finally been able to translate that form to the big stage this weekend in what is a 'home event' for him in Minehead.

Having survived a last-leg decider against Daryl Gurney in dramatic fashion earlier in the day, Searle's first major semi-final was much more comfortable as he won six out of seven legs from 5-5 to move him one win away from the title.

Searle averaged 91.98 compared to Dolan's 95.94 and hit two fewer maximums but his finishing was considerably better as he pinned 11 of his 31 attempts while Dolan missed 25 of his 31.

𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟!

Ryan Searle into his first PDC Televised final as he beats Brendan Dolan 11-6.

What a run he is having at the 2021 @Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals! pic.twitter.com/XnTdfsRbog
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 28, 2021

𝗦𝗢 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘-𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥!

Brendan Dolan misses D12 for a nine-darter 😫😫

So close to another TV nine for the History Maker, but D12 eludes him.

He sweeps it up in 10 to move level at 3-3. What an effort! pic.twitter.com/y9aI65363n
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 28, 2021

Peter Wright is into the final of this tournament for the first time in his career after cruising past Jonny Clayton 11-6.

Snakebite had reached this stage on two previous occasions but is now gunning for one of the rare major titles that have so far eluded him in his illustrious career.

The World Matchplay champion, who won the UK Open on this stage back in 2017, averaged 115 in the opening five legs as he stormed into a 4-1 lead and although those levels dropped down significantly, this merely allowed the Ferret to add a degree of respectability to the scoreline after trailing 9-2.

Wright ended up with an average of 94.97 by the end of the contest compared to Clayton's 94.33 while he hit four of the six 180s and pinned 11 of his 24 double attempts as his opponent spurned 17 of his 23.

Quarter-finals

Michael van Gerwen's proud record of winning a major title in every calendar year since 2012 is over after he lost in the quarter-finals to Peter Wright.

The six-time champion, who was bidding to reach this final for the seventh year in a row, won his first big title back at the 2012 World Grand Prix and has gone on to win a further 25 until his last at the 2020 Players Championship Finals.

Although MVG did triumph at the televised Nordic Darts Masters against Fallon Sherrock in September, that was an unranked event while his only other title so far this season was Players Championship 29 on the floor in Barnsley.

However, the standard of his improving performances will still make him a serious threat to challenge for the 2022 World Championship, which reaches its conclusion on January 3.

Indeed, the Dutchman averaged 101.64 against Snakebite, who managed 98.8, and also threw five of the 10 maximums thrown, but the key difference was the finishing as he spurned nine of his 15 attempts and his opponent pinned 10 of his 18.

Wright found the gears from 7-6 up to book his place in the semi-finals of this event for just the third time - but he's never gone on to reach the final.

𝗠𝘃𝗚'𝘀 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥!

Peter Wright KO's reigning champion Michael van Gerwen, producing a sensational performance to defeat the six-time champion 10-6!

What a win for Snakebite! pic.twitter.com/LMB8xLuO5J
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 28, 2021

He will now face Jonny Clayton, who cruised to a 10-3 victory over Vincent van der Voort despite averaging under 90. He's not been at his best form this weekend and will need to raise his game.

Earlier in the afternoon, Ryan Searle won a classic quarter-final with Daryl Gurney to reach the first major semi-final of his career.

Trailing 6-4, Heavy Metal won five legs on the trot with a sensational run of play to move within one of victory only for the former winner of this event to storm back with three of his own to force a decider.

It looked as though Gurney would go on to pinch it on Searle's throw when a timely 140 left himself double tops but before he got the opportunity, the Somerset man produced a stunning 104 checkout.

The conditions not a problem for Ryan Searle and Daryl Gurney! Both averaged over 101 in a thriller that ended in style with great sportsmanship 👏pic.twitter.com/FVzCRPISIc
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) November 28, 2021

He will now meet Gerwyn Price's conqueror Brendan Dolan, who reached his first major semi-final in nine years with a surprisingly one-sided 10-4 victory over Jose de Sousa.

The History Maker reached the last four of the Grand Slam of Darts and World Grand Prix back in 2012 - a year after his famous nine-dart finish at the latter tournament helped him reach his only major final - but has never got this far since.

However a steady mid-90s average and a fairly clinical finish display (41%) was good enough to deny de Sousa, who spurned 21 of his attempts at doubles.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗦! 🚁

It's a first televised semi-final for NINE YEARS for Brendan Dolan who defeats top seed Jose de Sousa 10-4!

Can 'The History Maker' go all the way? pic.twitter.com/x022W7mUSD
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 28, 2021