Van Gerwen triumphs in Brighton to make it back-to-back Premier League weekly titles
Michael van Gerwen moved to the top of the Premier League Darts table after a second successive league phase victory in Brighton.
Van Gerwen became the first player to win back-to-back nights in this year’s Premier League, defeating Michael Smith 6-4 in a thrilling final at the Brighton Centre to follow up last week’s success in Exeter.
Both players averaged above 100 in a pulsating final, but after Van Gerwen opened up a 4-1 lead, Smith was unable to overturn the deficit.
Smith, who was looking to bounce back from the disappointment of losing last weekend’s UK Open final, pinned the bullseye for a 126 checkout to reduce the deficit to 4-3.
But after he missed tops for a level game, Van Gerwen tidied up 25 to move 5-3 up, and two legs later held throw to pocket the £10,000 top prize and five league points.
“I see myself on the top of the table, it’s been a while since I’ve been top of any rankings” Joked Van Gerwen.
“I feel good, and I feel comfortable on stage at the moment. I know what I’m capable of but sometimes you have to give yourself a bit of time to show it.
“The way I’m playing, I feel like winning a big tournament is coming soon; hopefully it will be the Premier League but there’s a long way to go.”
Van Gerwen began his run to glory with a narrow 6-5 win over James Wade, before landing a 170 checkout in a 6-1 rout of a below-par Joe Cullen – who received a bye into the Semi-Finals following Gerwyn Price’s withdrawal due to a hand injury.
Smith picks up three valuable league points after commanding wins over Gary Anderson and Jonny Clayton to lift him off the foot of the table.
Losing semi-finalists Clayton and Cullen leave Brighton with two points apiece, with Clayton having defied a ten-point gap in the averages in his 6-5 Quarter-Final victory over Peter Wright – who dropped to second in the table on his 52nd birthday.
Defending champion Clayton had taken out 121 on the bullseye in the deciding leg after surviving two match darts from the newly-crowned world number one.
The Premier League roadshow heads to Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on Thursday March 17 for Night Six of the league phase.
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Premier League Darts 2022 – Night Five Results
Thursday March 10
Quarter-Finals
Gary Anderson 1-6 Michael Smith
Peter Wright 5-6 Jonny Clayton
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 James Wade
Joe Cullen Bye (Gerwyn Price withdrawn)
Semi-Finals
Michael Smith 6-2 Jonny Clayton
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Joe Cullen
Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Michael Smith
