Premier League Darts goes to Wales for the only time this season as Cardiff welcomes home its most successful player of the modern era as well as hosting the latest clash between the top two in the world.
Starting the evening are two play-off chasers locked on points in everyone's favourite unorthodox Serbo-Austrian Mensur Suljovic and Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney. The Gentle struggled last week and slack finishing saw him lose, whereas Superchin averaged 104 yet somehow still didn't win his match. A draw would move both players into the playoffs, so getting to 7 legs is more important than ever.
The meeting of darting bauldtism pits league leader Rob Cross against reigning champion Michael van Gerwen in a titanic clash. Both were at the top of their game last time out, and having skipped the weekend's Players Championships, they should be well rested for what is probably the league phase decider. A Voltage win puts him 5 clear; a victory for Mighty Mike and the gap goes to a single point.
The homeland hero then graces the stage as rugger roidlet Gerwyn Price faces the almost doomed Michael Smith. The Iceman's focus has been elsewhere this week with the confirmation of his appeal against the DRA's sanctions following THAT Grand Slam final, but even a little distraction like that shouldn't see him lose against Bully Boy, who will be near-enough ruled out of the play-offs with a defeat and was AUTISM'd last week.
Ending the night are the methodical mad men of midlife crisis's Peter Wright and bipolar disorder's James Wade. Snakebite showed one of his best performances of the league last week yet still lost, whereas the Machine comes into the night on the back of double Players Championship success. As with Smith, a loss for Clownman would almost ensure he won't be going to the O2 in May.
Coverage starts at 7:00pm BST on Sky Sports Action.
>Tonight's fixtures (7:00pm start, all matches best of 14 legs) Mensur "DIE MEISTER, DIE BESTEN" Suljovic v Daryl "Sweet C4-line" Gurney Rob "BAuLDtism" Cross v MvGOAuTism Snakeshite v James "The Meds Are Back In Town" Wade Michael "Snackpot 2.0" Smith v Gerwyn "Gurning" Price
So as mentioned in the OP, another two Players Championships were held over the past weekend in Barnsley. Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross and Mensur Suljovic all skipped the events, but amazingly it was more floor success for James Wade with 14 straight victories.
Saturday's PC11 began with a meeting of roids as Arron Monk averaged 104 to smash Gerwyn Price 6-3 for the last 128's stand-out result, although the Machine recorded 110 in whitewashing Eddie Dootson. A new low was then seen in the last 64 as Peter Hudson recorded a 52 (FIFTY-TWO) average in his 6-0 hammering by Vincent van der Voort. Raymond van Barneveld also exited at this stage to lil' Darren Webster. Daryl Gurney and Peter Wright were the next big PL names to drop, going out to Steve West and Michael Smith respectively in the last 32. Simply and Bully Boy made the semis for the second Saturday in a row, which saw Wade face Ian White in the other last 4 game. It was a PC9 rematch in the final as James and Michael brushed West and White aside easily, but unlike last week Smith actually stayed in it until 4-4, winning just 2 more legs after that.
PC12 's first surprise saw Superchin average the exact same as Ron Meulenkamp (102.25) but lost 6-3. Barney also lost 6-3 to Jermaine Wattimena. Snakebite was trounced in the last 64 by the 104 average of hardstyle's Dirk van Duijvenbode, but Wade again set the standard, going at 109 in a 6-0 victory over Christian Kist. Stephen Bunting went one better in Round 3, averaging 110 to thump James Richardson. Sunday's standard was such that half of the players in the last 16 averaged 100+, including Gerwyn Price who lost with a 105 to Danny Noppert's 102. Wade-Smith repeated itself in the top half, but the bottom half produced Jeffrey de Zwaan against John Henderson; the Machine and the Black Cobra won 7-4, JdZ with a 107 average to boot. Wade's PC streak looked over as Jeffrey went 4-0 up, but a huge collapse after missed darts for 5-0 saw him win just one more leg.
Whoops, I put Wright/Wade and Smith/Price the wrong way round.
Ryder Nguyen
Why not let "homeland hero" be on last?
>I no longer have any time to do the round-ups after each session. Sorry. They will now only appear at the end of tournaments. Just your opening posts are appreciated already.
Michael Young
>Why not let "homeland hero" be on last? probably want to give the crowd an early night
Luke Russell
It's not like they have work tomorrow
Colton Ortiz
Gurney MVG draw Smith
Lucas Moore
Haven't been arsed to watch the last couple weeks of this shitshow, have I missed anything noteworthy?
In other news, I just came back from the sauna and it was very pleasant.
