Gary Anderson returns to winning ways on Night Six of Premier League Darts
Gary Anderson kick-started his Premier League campaign by claiming the Night Six title in Nottingham on Thursday with victory over Michael Smith in the final.
Anderson had failed to register a win since the opening night of the competition in Cardiff last month but stopped the rot in style to move off the foot of the table.
The two-time Premier League champion produced his best display of the season so far to claim the £10,000 bonus at the Motorpoint Arena, becoming the fifth different winner from the opening six nights.
The Scot survived a missed dart at the bullseye from Jonny Clayton to win the deciding leg of their Quarter-Final clash, before seeing off World Cup-winning team-mate Peter Wright 6-3 by hitting six doubles from nine attempts.
He opened the final against Smith with a majestic ten-darter, and though the UK Open runner-up finished 105 and then moved 2-1 up, Anderson produced a blistering burst to pull clear.
Double eight levelled for Anderson, before legs of 12 and 13 darts were followed by a 74 finish as he moved 5-2 ahead.
Smith finished double eight for a 13-darter to respond in leg eight and took out 68 to pull back to just one leg behind his former mentor.
However, Anderson regained breathing space with a 177 score in the next and took out double four for the win, ending the final with a 104.2 average.
“I’m off the bottom of the table and I’m happy,” admitted Anderson. “Just to get two points would have done me, I’d have been happy.
“It was a struggle against Jonny, I played a bit better against Peter and I played well against Michael. When I got to near the winning line I was panicking a bit!
“I’m surprised, after the way I’ve been playing. It’s been an absolute nightmare. It’s soul-destroying when you turn up week-in, week-out and get beaten, and you’re hitting 89 averages.
“Once we step on that stage, even if you know you’re struggling, you still want to win.
“On the practice board, everything’s fine but when I come up [on stage] everything’s not right so that’s up to me to sort out.”
The defeat means Smith has lost out twice in Premier League finals in as many weeks, having also been the Brighton runner-up.
The two-time World Championship finalist was a clinical 6-1 winner against James Wade in the Quarter-Finals, before reeling off six straight legs in a stunning comeback win over Gerwyn Price in the Semi-Finals.
On his return to action following a hand injury which ruled him out of Night Five, Price ended Michael van Gerwen’s bid to win a third successive night with an impressive 6-4 Quarter-Final success, having trailed 3-1.
Wright also returned to action, having withdrawn midway through last weekend’s German Championship due to a back problem, and saw off a struggling Joe Cullen 6-4 in the Quarter-Finals.
The Premier League will return to the Netherlands for the first time since 2019 for Night Seven of the competition at the Rotterdam Ahoy next Thursday.
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Premier League Darts 2022 – Night Six Results
Thursday March 17
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith 6-1 James Wade
Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Gerwyn Price
Gary Anderson 6-5 Jonny Clayton
Joe Cullen 4-6 Peter Wright
Semi-Finals
Michael Smith 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Gary Anderson 6-3 Peter Wright
Final
Gary Anderson 6-4 Michael Smith
