Premier League Darts 2022 Night Eight | Birmingham Preview and Order of Play
Premier League Darts heads to Birmingham for Night Eight of competition on Thursday as the league phase nears the halfway stage.
The new-look ‘knock-out’ format has produced six different winners in seven nights so far, and more darting excitement is to be expected as the roadshow reaches the Midlands.
Michael van Gerwen continues to lead the way at the top of the table as the only player to have won more than one weekly title so far, and the five-time champion kicks off the evening’s action against 2009 winner James Wade.
Van Gerwen, winner of Nights Four and Five, has 17 points to his name and is already eight points clear of fifth spot as he bids to take another step closer to securing a play-off place.
The world number three has enjoyed an impressive purple patch over the past month, picking up a European Tour and Players Championship title and boasts the highest tournament average of the field (99.26).
The Dutchman edged past Wade 6-5 in their previous encounter in this year’s Premier League back in Week Five on his way to the £10,000 top prize in Brighton.
Wade is looking to end a run of three consecutive Quarter-Final exits which have left him bottom of the table on legs difference with seven points to his name.
The ten-time major champion finished runner-up on Night Three and is one of only two players yet to have won a league night in the new format.
The second Quarter-Final sees world number two Gerwyn Price take on last week’s winner – Joe Cullen.
Price has vowed to continue playing through the pain barrier after X-rays recently revealed he has a fractured bone in his throwing hand.
The three-time Grand Slam champion won Night Three with two nine-dart finishes along the way, and since sustaining the injury, he has managed to pick up a ProTour title last weekend and defeat MVG with a 102.7 average in Nottingham a fortnight ago.
The Welshman was due to face Cullen in Brighton on Night Five but withdrew due to injury, though Cullen prevailed 6-5 when they met in the Semi-Finals in Liverpool on Night Two.
Premier League debutant Cullen added his name to the weekly Roll of Honour on his first outing in Rotterdam seven days ago, a triumph which launched him off the foot of the table and into the top four.
The reigning Masters champion produced a number of clutch finishes under pressure and is also now the leading 180 hitter of the pack with 44.
An unmissable tartan tear-up sees two-time World Champions Peter Wright and Gary Anderson go head-to-head for the fourth time in this year’s Premier League.
Wright won their opening two encounters before Anderson gained his revenge in Nottingham a fortnight ago en route to clinching the title.
World number one Wright is three points adrift of MVG and is vying for his first weekly title since the opening night in Cardiff, having since finished runner-up on Night Four and lost in three further Semi-Finals.
It has been largely feast or famine for Anderson in this year’s event so far, with five Quarter-Final defeats amongst one weekly title and an opening night Semi-Final exit.
The two-time Premier League champion squandered a 5-3 lead and three match darts in a 6-5 defeat to Cullen in last week’s Quarter-Finals, before tempers spilled over at the end of the contest.
Reigning Premier League champion Jonny Clayton then takes on former finalist Michael Smith to round off the Quarter-Final action.
The duo have shared one win apiece from their meetings in this tournament so far and are closely matches when it comes to their tournament averages and scoring stats.
Clayton, winner of Night Two, occupies third spot with 12 points, while Smith – runner-up on Night Five and Six – is in sixth position on eight points, having missed two match darts against MVG in last week’s Quarter-Finals.
Night Eight of Premier League Darts gets under way from 7pm BST, with all matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
WATCH PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS NIGHT EIGHT STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)
Premier League Darts 2022 Night Eight Schedule of Play
Thursday March 31
Quarter-Finals
7.15pm Michael van Gerwen v James Wade
7.45pm Joe Cullen v Gerwyn Price
8.15pm Peter Wright v Gary Anderson
8.45pm Jonny Clayton v Michael Smith
Semi-Finals
9.15pm Van Gerwen/Wade v Cullen/Price
9.45pm Wright/Anderson v Clayton/Smith
10.15pm Final
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