Welsh Titans In Leeds Clash

The sound of two Welsh dragons clashing will be heard in West Yorkshire on Thursday when the Cazoo Premier League roadshow rolls into Leeds’ First Direct Arena.

Gerwyn Price moved top of the 2023 Premier League Darts table for the first time after last week’s Rotterdam edition, beating World Number 1 Michael Smith and compatriot Jonny Clayton to move a single point ahead of defending champion Michael van Gerwen in 2^nd.

The Iceman is the only player in the current field to have won 4 separate nights including a success in his hometown (Cardiff) on Night 2. The Welshman has celebrated wins in Cardiff, Nottingham, Newcastle and Brighton to establish a 12-point lead over fifth-placed Michael Smith, with just four nights of league action remaining.

The Markham player takes on his Welsh World Cup partner on Night 13 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, with Clayton still working to secure his place in the Play Offs at the O2 Arena as he currently sits in 4^th place.

The Welsh pair face off in the third Quarter Final of the night in Yorkshire, with the winner to face either the player from Stockport or 6^th placed Dimitri van den Bergh in the Semi-Finals.

Clayton, the 2021 Premier League winner, was at one stage sitting only above Peter Wright in the league table having only reached a single Final from the first 8 weeks of action. Consecutive nightly wins in Berlin and Birmingham have catapulted the Ferret into the Top 4, with English duo Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall also fighting for a spot in London.

The Asp picked up his first win of the competition last week in Rotterdam after beating Price in the Final, despite a 140 finish from the Iceman in the 3^rd leg of the Final.

6-time Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen won in the First Direct Arena last year, with Leeds being one of his 3 Night successes in 2022. Mighty Mike celebrated his 34^th Birthday on Tuesday, and a 4^th success on Night 13 could yet be his biggest present.

MVG hasn’t won a night since his hat-trick in Liverpool on Night 6, beating Michael Smith to become the first player to win three consecutive nights since the new format was brought in.

Van Gerwen takes on Peter Wright in the 2^nd Quarter Final of the night, with Snakebite winning 2 of his last 3 Quarter Finals in the competition. The winner will face either 7th-placed Chris Dobey or reigning World Champion Michael Smith in the Semi-Finals in Leeds. There are just 4 weeks left to play of the league format before we know which 4 players will travel to the O2 Arena.

The action starts from 7pm on Sky Sports with the World No 1 on the oche first as he takes on defending Masters Champion Dobey at the First Direct Arena.

Premier League Night 13: Order of Play

Quarter Finals:

Michael Smith v Chris Dobey

Michael van Gerwen v Peter Wright

Gerwyn Price v Jonny Clayton

Nathan Aspinall v Dimitri van den Bergh

Semi Finals:

Smith/ Dobey v Van Gerwen/ Wright

Price/ Clayton v Aspinall/ Van den Bergh

Final:

Winner of SF1 v Winner of SF2

Premier League Darts 2023 Table: