Dream homecoming as Price wins win Cardiff

Dream homecoming as Price wins win Cardiff

On a thrilling night of Cazoo Premier League action in Cardiff on Thursday, Gerwyn Price triumphed over Nathan Aspinall 6-3 in a dream homecoming.

Price completed a fantastical comeback on home soil with victories over Chris Dobey, Michael van Gerwen, and Aspinall, cheered on by a sold-out Cardiff International Arena crowd.

In his national colours, the 2021 World Champion avenged his loss to Aspinall on Night One to win the maximum five league points and the £10,000 bonus prize in the Welsh capital.

Price took advantage of Aspinall’s slow start to take the lead early. He converted a clinical 97 kill to go up 2-0. Aspinall answered with a two-dart 72 combination to cut the deficit in half.

The Welsh number one, however, was unfazed and recovered his two-leg advantage with a 12-darter before recording back-to-back 13-dart holds to put his team 5-2 up for grabs.

The 37-year-old came close to winning with a stunning 157 finish, but Aspinall’s double two kept him in the game. Price then responded by pinning his favourite tops to secure a memorable victory.

“Honestly I loved every minute of it. I’m soaking it all up,” said an emotional Price, who is level on five points alongside Dobey, Van Gerwen and Aspinall.

“I’m lost for words. I don’t get this reception very often, so I appreciate every bit of support. It was fantastic.

“How did I win against Michael [van Gerwen]? Michael outplayed me, but I’ve lost games like that before.

“The crowd got me over the line tonight. I’m not in the best of form. I was playing well before I was ill at the Masters and then I started feeling sorry for myself.

“I’m still not 100%, but I felt better tonight, and hopefully over the next couple of weeks I will get my form back.”

Earlier In The Night

In a match that was bookended by 12-darters from the home favourite, Price opened his Premier League account earlier in the evening with a valiant last-leg victory over Night One winner Dobey.

The Welshman then advanced with a 13-dart break after defeating Van Gerwen in a thrilling semifinal match after surviving two match darts in the decisive last leg.

Despite losing by an average of 110.75 points (almost 14 points more than Price), three-time Grand Slam champion Van Gerwen maintained his composure in a nail-biting finish.

Aspinall, meanwhile, opened his Cardiff campaign with a 6-3 victory over Peter Wright. Despite suffering a bounce-out midway through the leg, he hit seven 180s and finished the match with an exquisite ten-darter.

The Stockport star then defeated Michael Smith in a nail-biting last-four match, defeating the World Champion despite his 121, 137, and 148 finishes to secure the victory with a stunning 136 checkout of his own.

In the other quarterfinal matches on Thursday, Van Gerwen defeated Dimitri Van den Bergh in a rematch of their Night One semifinal, and Smith defeated Jonny Clayton to deny him a fairytale homecoming.

2023 Cazoo Premier League

Night Two – Thursday February 9

Cardiff International Arena

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

 

Semi-Finals

Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Michael Smith

Gerwyn Price 6-5 Michael van Gerwen

 

Final

Gerwyn Price 6-3 Nathan Aspinall

 

Night Three – Thursday February 16

OVO Hydro, Glasgow

Quarter-Finals

Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen

Peter Wright v Dimitri Van den Bergh

Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith

Jonny Clayton v Chris Dobey