Dublin delight for van Gerwen after seeing off Price

Michael van Gerwen won his first Cazoo Premier League night of 2023 in Dublin, defeating Gerwyn Price in the Night Four final at the 3Arena on Thursday.

Van Gerwen had seen Chris Dobey, David Price, and Michael Smith win in the first three weeks of the Premier League, but the Dutchman opened his account on the Emerald Isle to claim the £10,000 bonus.

The reigning Premier League champion began Thursday’s action with a 6-3 victory over Dobey, avenging his Night One defeat to the Bedlington thrower.

The Dutchman then held off a spirited rally from Jonny Clayton to win the semi-finals by the same 6-3 scoreline, setting up a thrilling showdown against Night Two winner Price in the evening’s main event.

Van Gerwen took the early lead, leading 2-1, but Price responded with a 12-dart leveller, courtesy of a brilliant tops-tops 100 finish.

This sparked a four-leg winning streak from the Welshman, who took advantage of Van Gerwen’s missed doubles to establish a 5-2 lead and move to the brink of victory.

However, the three-time World Champion fought back to cut the deficit to 5-4 before firing in a 14-dart hold to force a shoot-out after Price missed two darts at double 15 for victory.

Price had the advantage of throw in the decider but was unable to seal the victory, squandering five more match darts in a dramatic finish as Van Gerwen pinned the double to move to the top of the Premier League table.

“Gezzy was phenomenal in the first two matches, and I was struggling all day,” conceded Van Gerwen, who has topped the league phase in eight of his previous ten Premier League campaigns.

“I had to keep fighting and the most important thing is I won the night, which gives you confidence.

“You are playing against world-class players every week, but you need to believe in your own ability. I worked hard for this and to win in front of this crowd in Dublin, it feels amazing.

“I am not playing my top game at the moment. I know I can do a lot better, but to win and be top of the table without producing your best performance, that is a good thing.

“There is so much pressure on my shoulders, but I’m happy with the five points. I love what I do, and I just want to keep on winning.”

Price was vying for his second Cazoo Premier League night of 2023 after winning Night Two in Cardiff, and he continued his strong start to this year’s roadshow by claiming three valuable points.

The 2021 World Champion dominated Night Three runner-up Dimitri Van den Bergh in his quarter-final match, averaging 104 and landing five 180s to claim a 6-4 victory.

Price then averaged 102 in his semi-final victory over Night Three winner Smith, defeating the World Champion 6-1.

Earlier in the evening, Smith had come back from 4-2 down to end Peter Wright’s winless streak in this year’s competition, winning in a dramatic last-leg shoot-out.

 

2023 Cazoo Premier League

Night Four – Thursday February 23

3Arena, Dublin

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