Gerwyn Price sees off Chris Dobey, Michael van Gerwen and Nathan Aspinall to win in Cardiff ; OVO Hydro, Glasgow hosts the third of 17 individual venues on Thursday, February 16 with the Play-Offs returning to The O2 in London on Thursday, May 25
Gerwyn Price made it a night to remember on his homecoming in Cardiff as the Welshman defeated Nathan Aspinall to win on Night Two of the Premier League.
Price, roared on by a sell-out crowd at the Cardiff International Arena, celebrated wins over Chris Dobey, Michael van Gerwen and Aspinall to cap off a fairy-tale return on home soil.
The 2021 world champion – sporting his national colours – avenged his Night One defeat to ‘The Asp’ to claim the maximum five league points and scoop the £10,000 bonus prize in the Welsh capital.
Price was soaking up the love from the Cardiff crowd after winning an epic night of darts
“Honestly I loved every minute of it. It’s not very often I get this. 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 per cent, but I felt better tonight, and hopefully over the next couple of weeks I will get my form back.”
The Welshman won a dramatic last-leg decider in his semi-final against Van Gerwen
Earlier in the night, Price opened his Premier League account with a battling last-leg win over Night One winner Dobey, in a contest bookended by 12-darters from the home favourite.
The Welshman then came through a scintillating semi-final tussle against Van Gerwen, surviving two match darts in a dramatic last-leg decider to progress with a 13-dart break.
Price beats Chris Dobey in a thrilling last-leg shootout in the quarter-finals
Van Gerwen averaged 110.75 in defeat – almost 14 points more than Price – but the three-time Grand Slam champion held his nerve in a thrilling finale.
Aspinall, meanwhile, kicked off his Cardiff campaign with a 6-3 success against Peter Wright, firing in seven 180s and sealing the deal with a sublime 10-darter, despite suffering a bounce-out midway through the leg.
The Stockport star then defeated Michael Smith in a thrilling last four tussle, defying 121, 137 and 148 finishes from the world champion by wrapping up victory with a stunning 136 checkout of his own.
Michael Smith nailed this magnificent 137 finish during his semi-final defeat to Aspinall
In Thursday’s other quarter-finals, Smith posted a ton-plus average to deny Jonny Clayton a dream homecoming, while Van Gerwen toppled Dimitri Van den Bergh in a repeat of their opening night semi-final to make it eight consecutive wins over the Belgian.
Excited fans welcomed Price into a ‘cauldron of noise’ before his opening match against Dobey
Where are we heading next?
The Premier League roadshow heads to Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on Thursday, February 16 for Night Three of the league phase.
Wright headlines the action as he bids to ignite his campaign against Van den Bergh.
Elsewhere, Price takes on world champion Smith, Aspinall and six-time winner Van Gerwen collide in a repeat of October’s World Grand Prix final, while Clayton and Dobey also lock horns.
We’re back for more Premier League Darts action from the OVO Hydro, Glasgow on Thursday, February 16 – live on Sky Sports Mix from 7pm.