Leg-by-leg report, highlights and reaction from the Betfred World Matchplay final in Blackpool, where Rob Cross beat Michael Smith 18-13 to win the Phil Taylor Trophy.
2115: It's an incredible achievement for Rob Cross to become just the fourth player to have won both the World Championship and World Matchplay so soon in his career.
He's still only in his third year as a professional which means he's achieved this special double quicker than both Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson while Phil Taylor did it just one season quicker.
Seasons taken for the elite group of four players to win both the World Championship & World Matchplay since their debut in either.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) July 28, 2019
Phil Taylor - 2nd season
Rob Cross - 3rd
Michael van Gerwen - 8th
Gary Anderson - 10th
Good going @RobCross180!https://t.co/7at9bRmWsN
2110: "Everything about this tournament is brilliant!" Let's now here from the champion just before we sign off from what's been such a memorable week at the Winter Gardens.
⚡️🏆 Rob Cross is on cloud nine as he wins his first (of many) World Matchplay title.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 28, 2019
👏 @RobCross180 pic.twitter.com/z28M5NGrG8
2105: Michael Smith was understandably gutted with his finishing, especially in those opening nine legs but there's no doubt he'll soon get that first major trophy if he keeps knocking on the door like he has over the past couple of seasons. He's too good not to win one sooner than later.
For a player of such natural talent and dedication to practice as Michael Smith, the floodgates of majors will open once he bags the first. No doubt about it. pic.twitter.com/JSyMAFjWCz
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) July 28, 2019
2100: Rob Cross gets his hands on the Phil Taylor Trophy - just the ninth different player to do so - and will also pocket a cool £150,000, with Smith taking home a chunky consolation package of £70,000.
🏆🎯 Rob Cross is just the ninth man to get his hands on the World Matchplay trophy since the tournament began in 1994!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 28, 2019
Taylor: 16
Van Gerwen: 2
Harrington: 2@RobCross180: 1
Gary Anderson: 1
Larry Butler: 1
Peter Evison: 1
Colin Lloyd: 1
James Wade: 1pic.twitter.com/WTrOahkyzh
2055: It may not have been a vintage final in terms of stats and the standard of player we were expecting but Michael Smith's courageous comeback from that disastrous start - and he probably wanted the oche to swallow him up at 9-0 down - did at least create some drama to cap of a superb World Matchplay. Here are the final stats...
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🏆🎯 Rob Cross overcomes Michael Smith's gutsy comeback to become World Matchplay champion!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 28, 2019
👏 The 2018 World champion has now won the two biggest prizes in the sport!pic.twitter.com/aqXgaJTxP2
DARTING DRAMA!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 28, 2019
Cross led by nine legs and now he leads by only two! Smith punishes a handful of missed darts by pegging tops to now be within two! pic.twitter.com/dhk5wjQwNL
FIFTH INTERVAL: Smith 11-14 Cross
Sky Bet latest odds: Rob Cross remains favourite but now he's 1/5 from 1/66 at the end of the last interval while Michael Smith can be backed at 7/2 to complete this amazing turnaround. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.
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HOW MUCH DOES HE LOVE DOUBLE 18??
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 28, 2019
That is huge from the former World Champion who takes out 110 on his favoured D18 to regain an element of control in this match pic.twitter.com/l6gNDUjQ76
WE HAVE A GAME ON OUR HANDS!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 28, 2019
Smith breaks throw with an 11-darter and now only trails 13-10!
GAME ON pic.twitter.com/6hWLjmx000
FOURTH INTERVAL: Smith 7-13 Cross
Sky Bet latest odds: Rob Cross remains 1/66 favourite like he was at the end of the third interval while Michael Smith can be backed at 16/1. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.
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🙌 If Michael Smith can produce darts like this for virtually all of the remainder of this final, we could see a second miracle comeback in as many days...pic.twitter.com/XTiLlZ5P0W
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 28, 2019
How important could that last dart in hand be?
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 28, 2019
With a Smith resurgence rising, Cross takes out 50 on D16 to enter the break the 13-7 leader pic.twitter.com/BI1zluoeQY
THIRD INTERVAL: Smith 4-11 Cross
Sky Bet latest odds: Rob Cross is now 1/66 favourite while a Michael Smith comeback is 16/1. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.
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⚡️👌 Rob Cross is seven legs away from World Matchplay glory as he halts the Michael Smith revival with a 115 checkout! pic.twitter.com/Vvif34bM3I
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 28, 2019
SECOND INTERVAL: Smith 1-9 Cross
Sky Bet latest odds: Rob Cross is now 1/50 favourite while a Michael Smith miracle is 14/1. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.
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🎯👏 Huge cheers from the crowd as Michael Smith finally gets a leg on the board in this one-sided World Matchplay final!pic.twitter.com/PJUgYPJwpS
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 28, 2019
FIRST INTERVAL: Smith 0-5 Cross
Sky Bet latest odds: Rob Cross is 1/7 favourite but if you fancy Michael Smith to turn it around then he's priced at 9/2. Click here now for all the Sky Bet live darts markets including most 180s & highest checkout.
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Highest Checkouts
It's just not happening for Smith!
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) July 28, 2019
He misses 2 darts at double 10 before Cross moves 5-0 up!
Watch live on Sky Sports Action now or follow: https://t.co/NAPV9p3EDW pic.twitter.com/AxdYNRX9TS
Four straight legs for Cross!
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) July 28, 2019
He misses the bull for a 73 checkout but Smith cannot capitalise, missing three clear darts at double to open his account!
Watch live on Sky Sports Action now or follow: https://t.co/NAPV9p3EDW pic.twitter.com/XndhLyHel9
32 PLAYERS. 30 GAMES. 597 LEGS. 317 180’s.
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 28, 2019
JUST ONE GAME REMAINS…
It’s Rob Cross v Michael Smith!
WHO WINS??#BetfredDarts pic.twitter.com/Vw3svNZtE8
IT’S TIME FOR THE FINAL OF THE 2019 BETFRED WORLD MATCHPLAY!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 28, 2019
The crowd is electric tonight and “Bully Boy” Michael Smith enters the stage in the hopes of getting his hands on The Phil Taylor Trophy
📺 LIVE now on Sky Sports Action#BetfredDarts pic.twitter.com/HqNSl0xA7w
1910: The players will be coming out shortly so it's now time to get on the edge of your seat and prepare to be jumping off it many times tonight because darts will be the winner for the ninth night in a row!
1900: In terms of what the bookies think, Rob Cross is the marginal favourite at 8/11 with Sky Bet to claim what would be the second third of career Triple Crown in a PDC career that's still only in its third season! And had he won the Premier League final against MVG earlier this year, he'd be trying to complete it tonight.
Michael Smith is 11/10 outsider but I'm going to side with him like I have all the way through the tournament and hopefully he'll turn that 25/1 each-way tip into a winner for any of our readers that followed my pre-tournament preview! But don't cry for me if Bully Boy loses, we've already had plenty of profit thanks to Glen Durrant's 11/1 run to the semi-finals and the each-way part of the Smith bet.
I do have a couple of predictions and suggestions for tonight - as outlined and explained fully in my final preview which you can click here to read - and they are Smith to win, hit over 7.5 180s and checkout of over 112.5 at 2/1 and match to have over 31.5 legs, checkout of over 141.5 and more than 18.5 180s at 4/1.
1845: Now let's take a look at those 'all important' head-to-head records that I personally don't tend to read too much into...
Obviously Cross boasts the superior record here although his last victory against his World Cup of Darts team-mate came when he last won a title, which was on TV, in the Shanghai Masters final of 2018.
1835: Here's the top level tournament stats from both players so far and, as you can see, there hardly anything between them. On a basic level you show Cross has a slight edge but on their last performance, Smith raised his game with his first 100+ average of the week whereas Voltage was sloppy and misfiring for a large proportion of his semi-final with Gurney before embarking on that stunning comeback from 14-7 down. That late burst will fill him feel like he has just won a match 10-1 but to be honest he was let off the hook by a crumbling opponent.
(Smith stats on the left)
1825: Now here's Rob Cross' route to the Blackpool showpiece. Again, just click on the round if you want to find out how each match unfolded...
Unlike Smith, Rob Cross cruised through the opening two rounds before a brilliant display from underdog Stephen Bunting pushed him almost to the brink in his first ever Blackpool quarter-final. He was then down and out against Daryl Gurney but had the character to take 10 of the last 11 legs played to pull off one of the greatest ever darting comebacks.
🎯 Rob Cross trailed Daryl Gurney 14-7 in his World Matchplay semi-final.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 28, 2019
😲👏 But @RobCross180 sensationally won 10 of the next 11 legs to pull off one of the greatest ever darting comebacks!
🙌 That atmosphere!pic.twitter.com/HG7dLKvTQR
1820: Let's take a look at how both players got here, starting with Michael Smith. Just click on the round if you want to read a report from the night to refresh your mind on what happened...
Bully Boy had to hit the ground running with such a tough opening fixture against one of the fastest climbing stars of the PDC in Jamie Hughes while he was given a real test against a fellow World Youth champion in Max Hopp. Then a much older challenger in Mervyn King - the conqueror of Gary Anderson - pushed him hard until a late burst of brilliance towards the end but he was always in control against Glen Durrant as he ended one of the great storylines of the week.
🙌 Simply brilliant stuff from @BullyBoy180 to book his spot in the #WorldMatchPlay final v Rob Cross
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 27, 2019
🏆 Who'll take home the Phil Taylor trophy??pic.twitter.com/KxfFkWpilD
1815: Good evening and welcome to our live blog from the climax of what has been a truly special World Matchplay, where there will be a new name on the Phil Taylor Trophy.
Michael Smith is of course bidding for his maiden major title in his fourth final at this level while Rob Cross is chasing his second having obviously beaten the man tonight's trophy is named after to win the biggest of them all around 18 months ago.
Over the course of the next hour I'll run through the story of how both men got this far, complete with some highlights, as well as their respective tournament stats, head-to-head records and my predictions.
Regular followers of our darts pages will know we're kind of hoping Smith will triumph after I tipped him at 25/1 each-way in my pre-tournament preview but with profits already secured, including Glen Durrant winning his quarter at 11/1, we can at least relax and enjoy what should be a fitting climax to a brilliant week in Blackpool.
It could have been better, however, had my other 25/1 each-way tip Daryl Gurney managed to win three of the last 10 legs of 'that' semi-final with Cross instead of just one!
Can't quite believe that happened. Can anyone? Don't think even Rob Cross can. pic.twitter.com/An42BPKQrm
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) July 27, 2019