Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen claimed his first night win of the 2023 Premier League Darts after recovering from 5-2 down, to beat Gerwyn Price 6-5 in Dublin.
The 6-time defending champion moves top of the league table with 10 points, with 6-3 wins over Chris Dobey and Jonny Clayton ensuring the rampant Dutchman his place in his second night Final.
Mighty Mike won three nights last year in the debut year of the new Premier League format, as he returns to winning ways after four weeks of action in 2023.
MVG played his best in the repeat of the Night 1 Final against Dobey, missing just five darts at double and including 2 180s, in dealing Hollywood his third consecutive quarter-final defeat. The Green Machine averaged just shy of 99 against the player from Bedlington, in front of a packed 3Arena in Dublin.
Van Gerwen continued his fantastic form on the outer ring in his Semi Final victory, recording a finishing rate off 66.67% against last year’s league phase winner Jonny Clayton, missing just three darts at double.
The global darting superstar found his highest finish to seal his place in the Final, hitting double fourteen to complete an 88 checkout in the ninth and final leg.
The reigning champion got off to a slow start in the Final, seeing Night 2 winner Gerwyn Price enter a 5-2 lead including two breaks of throw, putting Van Gerwen on the back foot.
However, the Dutchman fired back strongly, winning the remaining four legs of the Final to clinch a 6-5 victory, becoming the fourth different night winner of this year’s Premier League.
World Number 4 Price missed multiple match darts for his second night win, but can be proud of his efforts in Ireland, as he stays 3rd in the league table and 3 points clear of 5th placed Chris Dobey.
Next week sees the darting roadshow head to Exeter for Night 5, with Van Gerwen facing Price in the first Quarter Final in a repeat of this week’s Final.
By Harry Masterson
Premier League Darts: Night 4 Results
Quarter Finals:
Michael Smith 6-5 Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Dimitri van den Bergh
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Chris Dobey
Semi Finals:
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Final:
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Gerwyn Price
2023 Premier League Darts Table
- Michael van Gerwen: 10pts
- Michael Smith: 9pts
- Gerwyn Price: 8pts
- Nathan Aspinall: 7pts
- Chris Dobey: 5pts
- Dimitri van den Bergh: 5pts
- Jonny Clayton: 4pts
- Peter Wright: 0pts
