Gerwyn Price produced a trio of stunning displays to win Night 11 of the Cazoo Premier League in Brighton on Thursday, becoming the first player to claim four nightly triumphs in this year’s tournament.
Price overcame Michael Smith 6-3 in the final at The Brighton Centre, having defeated Chris Dobey and Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively earlier in the evening.
Statistically the sport’s form player over the last month, Price continued his incredible standard of play with a further three averages over 100.
The former World Champion produced a 115.97 average – the ninth-highest in Premier League history and the highest since 2017 – in a 6-2 win over Dobey in his opener.
Price followed that up with a 108.08 average in seeing off Van Gerwen 6-5, with the Dutchman missing a dart at double 12 for a nine-dart finish and a dart at double 16 to win the deciding leg.
The Welshman then averaged 100.08 in his final win over Smith to close the gap on Van Gerwen at the summit and further boost his chances of a first Play-Off appearance.
“It was a great night for me, I thought I played really well, especially in the first two games,” Price reflected.
“I go home with another five league points and £10,000 winner’s prize so it’s a great feeling to win again.
“I’m probably playing the best I ever have on a TV stage; I’ve played to this standard before in ProTour events and in practice, but this is the place to do it with the eyes of the world on you.
”I think there’s a lot more to come from me, I’m still a relative novice in the sport.
“I’m looking forward to Rotterdam next week now, I’ll be wearing a special orange shirt which hopefully will go down well with the Dutch fans.
‘I need to keep playing well and make sure I get in the Play-Offs for the first time, but I’m also chasing Michael [van Gerwen] now for top spot.”
Smith’s three league points earned in victories over Jonny Clayton and Peter Wright see him leapfrog his quarter-final victim to move back into third place in the league table.
Semi-finalists Wright and Van Gerwen left Brighton with two points apiece thanks to quarter-final wins over Nathan Aspinall and Dimitri Van den Bergh respectively.
Wright had produced a gutsy fightback from 4-0 down before eventually edging out Aspinall in a deciding leg in their tie, while Van Gerwen averaged 104 in his opening game win.
The Cazoo Premier League roadshow heads to Rotterdam Ahoy on Thursday April 20 for Night 12 of the league phase, as Dutch legend Van Gerwen takes on Aspinall in his quarter-final in front of a packed home crowd.
Price and Smith meet in a repeat of the Night 11 final, while Dobey takes on Clayton and Van den Bergh plays Wright.
2023 Cazoo Premier League
Night 11 – Thursday April 13
The Brighton Centre
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Chris Dobey
Peter Wright 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Michael Smith 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Semi-Finals
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith 6-5 Peter Wright
Final
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Michael Smith
—–ENDS—–
Images: Kieran Cleeves/PDC
