Gerwyn Price wins night two of the Premier League in Cardiff
Gerwyn Price wowed the home crowd in Cardiff by winning the second night of the Cazoo Premier League Darts season.
The Iceman, cheered on by a sold-out crowd at the Cardiff International Arena, beat both Chris Dobey and Michael van Gerwen in the final leg before beating Nathan Aspinall 6-3 in the final.
Price – in his national colors – avenged his Night One loss to Aspinall to clinch the five league point maximum and win the £10,000 bonus prize in the Welsh capital.
The 2021 World Champion punished a slow start from Aspinall to build an early lead, converting a clinical 97 kill to go 2-0 up, though Aspinall responded with a two-dart 72 combination to turn to halve the backlog.
The Welsh no. 1 was undeterred, however, rebuilding his two-leg buffer with a 12-darter before posting back-to-back 13-dart holds to move 5-2 to the brink of victory.
The 37-year-old almost sealed the deal with a spectacular 157 finish but after Aspinall sank double two to keep his hopes up, Price responded by pinning his favorite tops for a memorable win.
“Honestly, I loved every minute of it. I don’t get that often. I’m soaking it all up,” said an emotional Price, who is tied with Dobey, Van Gerwen and Aspinall on five points.
“I’m at a loss for words. I don’t get that welcome very often, so I appreciate any support. It was fantastic.
“How did I win against Michael? [van Gerwen]? Michael outplayed me, but I’ve lost games like that.
“The crowd got me over the line tonight. I’m not at my best. I was playing well before I got sick at the Masters and then I started feeling sorry for myself.
“I’m still not at 100% but I felt better tonight and hope to get my form back over the next few weeks.”
Earlier in the night, Price opened his Premier League account with a hard-fought last-leg win over Night One winner Dobey in a contest marred by 12-darters by the home favorite.
The Welshman then came through a scintillating semi-final duel against Van Gerwen, surviving two match darts in a dramatic decider in the last leg and advancing with a 13-dart break.
Van Gerwen averaged a 110.75 defeat – almost 14 points more than Price – but the three-time Grand Slam champion kept his nerve in a thrilling final.
Aspinall, on the other hand, started his Cardiff campaign with a 6-3 win over Wright, firing seven 180s and sealing the deal with a great ten-darter, despite suffering a mid-leg bounce out.
The Stockport star then defeated Smith in a thrilling last four duel, defying the World Champion’s 121, 137 and 148 finishes by ending the win with a stunning 136 checkout of his own.
In Thursday’s other quarterfinals, Smith hit an above-average average to deny Clayton a fairytale homecoming, while Van Gerwen defeated Van den Bergh in a replay of their Night One semifinal.
The Cazoo Premier League roadshow rolls into Glasgow’s OVO Hydro for the third night on Thursday February 16 as local hero Wright attempts to reignite his campaign against Van den Bergh.
Elsewhere, Price meets World Champion Smith, Aspinall and Van Gerwen collide in a repeat of October’s World Grand Prix Final, while Clayton and Dobey also compete.
Premier League Darts 2023: night two results
Night 2, Thursday February 9th
Cardiff International Arena
TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
QUARTER FINALS
- Michael Smith 6-3 Jonny Clayton
- Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Peter Wright
- Gerwyn Price 6-5 Chris Dobey
- Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
SEMIFINALS
- Michael Smith 4-6 Nathan Aspinall
- Gerwyn Price 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
FINAL
- Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Gerwyn Price