Price picks up title in Premier League’s Belgian debut

Gerwyn Price ended Michael van Gerwen’s unbeaten start to the Premier League by claiming a 6-3 victory in night two’s final in Antwerp.

Van Gerwen won the season opener in Newcastle last week and beat Luke Littler in the semis on his way to another final.

But the seven-time champion was no match for Welshman Price, who had come through two final-leg deciders before lifting the title in more comfortable fashion.

Littler had earlier opened the tournament’s first visit to Belgium by edging a final-leg decider of his own against rival Luke Humphries.

For Price it was a welcome victory to confirm the fine form he had been in of late.

“I think I’m playing some of the best stuff I’ve played, I’m just not winning tournaments,” Price told Sky Sports after his victory.

“There’s no way I can’t win a major, bigger Pro Tours, Europeans. Averages are just for show and if you play well on your darts and win matches you win tournaments. I’m going to get some.”

The night started with a bang as the two biggest darts stars in the world played out a high-quality contest that went down to a final-leg decider.

Humphries and Littler both hit seven 180s and averaged over 102 and 105 respectively, but both were surprisingly poor on the outer ring – missing 28 doubles between them.

Humphries was the better player throughout, but at 4-1 up he started missing doubles badly, 17 in all by the end of the match, as Littler engineered an escape to make it five straight wins against his big rival.

World number two Humphries has now lost 11 of his 15 Premier League meetings with Littler, with his last victory of any kind against the 19-year-old coming in the tournament’s final last May.

The past four defeats before this one came in tournament finals, and perhaps it is becoming a mental barrier now for the defending Premier League champion as his scoring was solid all game, but he could just not get over the line.

Comebacks were a theme of the opening quarter-finals with all bar Van Gerwen’s stroll against an out-of-sorts Josh Rock filled with excitement.

Stephen Bunting finished bottom of the table last year after failing to win a single match in the first eight weeks, but looked to have one sewn up when leading 4-0, only to watch Jonny Clayton reel off six straight legs to win 6-4.

Price’s second final-leg decider came against good friend and Wales World Cup team-mate Clayton in a nip-and-tuck battle.

Price had four 180s to Clayton’s three and averaged just over 100 – but was forced to win the final two legs under extreme pressure to make the final.

It was no real surprise given Price had won nine in a row against his compatriot and 15 of their past 16 meetings.

Van Gerwen did not impress in his opener but certainly did in a strange 6-4 victory over Littler where seven of the 10 legs went against the darts.

The Dutchman averaged just over 100 with an off-colour Littler down at 95 and – strangely for him – only managing a single maximum, while Van Gerwen hit four.

But it was the finishing under pressure that made the difference as the Dutchman hit six of 13 attempts at a double, including finishing off a 10-darter, in a performance that was much more like the Van Gerwen of old.

Despite incredible back-to-back finishes of 167 and 160 in the final Van Gerwen was always second best, but a win and a final after two nights is a great start considering he failed to win a single night in last season’s competition.

Thursday, 12 February – FAS Dome, Antwerp

Quarter-finals

Luke Littler 6-5 Luke Humphries

Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Josh Rock

Jonny Clayton 6-4 Stephen Bunting

Gerwyn Price 6-5 Gian van Veen

Semi-finals

Littler 4-6 Van Gerwen

Clayton 5-6 Price

Final

Premier League Darts is played across 16 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.

Each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks one to seven and 9-15, with week eight and week 16 fixtures done off the table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.

Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.

The top four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London’s O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing fourth and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.

Thursday, 19 February – OVO Hydro, Glasgow

Quarter-finals

Stephen Bunting v Gian van Veen

Luke Humphries v Josh Rock

Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler

Jonny Clayton v Gerwyn Price

Semi-finals

Bunting/Van Veen v Humphries/Rock

Van Gerwen/Littler v Clayton/Price

Final