Gerwyn Price lands brace of nine-darters in Premier League Night Three triumph
Gerwyn Price produced two sensational nine-dart finishes en route to claiming the Premier League Night Three title in Belfast on Thursday.
An unforgettable night at the SSE Arena in Belfast saw the world number one strike perfection twice and land a 170 checkout on his way to sealing the £10,000 weekly bonus.
Price registered three averages in excess of 105, as well as 12 maximums and four ton-plus finishes in a blistering trio of displays.
“Tonight I felt like I couldn’t miss,” Price reflected. “I feel on top of the world right now.
“I’m back to almost my best… well I think I might be there!”
“I told James in the practice room [before the final] I was going to hit another one, I just fancied it tonight.
“But, as well as I played tonight, I could’ve possibly lost in two games which shows how high the standard is at the moment.
“That’s how well I’ve been playing recently, I’m feeling good in myself.
“I put it down to being been back in the gym and looking after myself. The last two-and-a-half weeks I’ve been putting some hard work in at the gym.”
The Welshman began the night with a 6-3 victory over Michael Smith in the Quarter-Finals, averaging 108.5 and closing out the win with a show-stopping 170 checkout.
He then edged out Michael van Gerwen in a pulsating last-leg Semi-Final with a 109 average to the Dutchman’s 106.5.
After the pair had exchanged the first four legs, Price kicked off leg five with a 177, before following up with an unorthodox 180 in which he dropped his third dart before planting it in the treble 20.
He then sent the packed Belfast crowd into raptures by taking out 144 for the perfect leg – his first in the Premier League.
Van Gerwen rallied back to force a deciding leg at five-all, but only for Price to start the decider with back-to-back 180s and a treble 19 as he threatened perfection again before narrowly missing the eighth dart.
Nonetheless, he duly closed out victory and a place in the final with tops for an 11-darter.
The reigning Grand Slam champion came up against a defiant James Wade in the final and needed to be at his brilliant best to deny the left-hander glory.
Wade took out 76 for the opening leg but missed three darts at doubles in the second as Price drew level.
Price then landed his second nine-darter of the night in leg three via the conventional route of 180, 180, 141 out as he became only the second player in Premier League history, behind Phil Taylor, to achieve the feat of two perfect legs in one evening.
Wade, though, shrugged it off to move 4-3 ahead, but a 105 checkout in leg nine from ‘The Ice Man’ saw him wrestle back the upper-hand at 5-4.
After Wade had squandered three darts at doubles to force a decider, Price sealed the deal with an 82 checkout to move up to second in the table on seven points.
The world’s top four featured in the Semi-Finals, as 2009 Premier League champion Wade defied a 105.2 average from Wright to reach his first final of the campaign and pick up three points.
Losing semi-finalists Van Gerwen and Wright leave Belfast with two points each thanks to their respective Quarter-Final victories over Joe Cullen and Gary Anderson.
The Premier League roadshow returns to The Westpoint in Exeter on Thursday March 3 for Night Four of the league phase.
GET 50 FREE SPINS (NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED) WHEN YOU REGISTER HERE (18+ | T&Cs Apply)
Premier League Darts Night Three Results
Thursday February 17
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith 3-6 Gerwyn Price
Joe Cullen 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson 4-6 Peter Wright
James Wade 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Semi-Finals
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Michael van Gerwen – *Price hits a nine-darter*
Peter Wright 4-6 James Wade
Final
Gerwyn Price 6-4 James Wade – *Price hits a nine-darter*
𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧 9️⃣
Gerwyn Price produces a sensational nine-darter despite dropping a dart mid-visit! 🤯👏🏻#PremierLeagueDarts pic.twitter.com/VSDbe3lfga
— Live Darts (@livedarts) February 17, 2022
𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘-𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧! 🤯
Gerwyn Price lands his second perfect leg of the evening in Belfast against James Wade in the final! 🔥9️⃣#PremierLeagueDarts pic.twitter.com/hGu7vDuyAU
— Live Darts (@livedarts) February 17, 2022
