Premier League Darts 2020 Night 16 Wrap-Up

There were plenty of permutations still to be resolved on the final night of the Premier League Darts league phase with five players vying for three spots in the play-offs alongside league leader Glen Durrant. 

Here's how things panned out on Night 16 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. 

ANDERSON PROGRESSES DESPITE DEFEAT 

'The Flying Scotsman' Gary Anderson secured his place in the play-offs despite going down 8-3 to 'The Iceman' Gerwyn Price. 

The Welshman suffered an early setback when he missed D20 for a 142 checkout and an important 2-0 lead when Anderson took out 110 to save his throw and level affairs in the early going. A missed dart at the same double proved costly in the third leg which allowed the Scotsman to open up a 2-1 lead. Fortunately for Price, he was able to break Anderson's throw in the fourth leg and level the scores once more. 

Price punished a struggling Anderson by opening up a clear advantage, going 6-2 ahead before Anderson bit back with a stunning 170 checkout. The big finish from Anderson was ultimately to no avail as Price eventually prevailed 8-3. As things stood, Price was in the play-off positions but he faced a nervy wait to see if his last four spot would be cemented at the end of the night. 

The defeat also left Anderson's play-off spot hanging in the balance and also meant he could no longer catch Glen Durrant at the top of the table, landing 'Duzza' a cool £25,000 league leaders bonus. 

Gerwyn Price came out of his clash with Gary Anderson with the points, but would it be enough to seal his place in the play-offs. 

DOMINANT DARYL ELIMINATES OFF-COLOUR MVG 

For the first time since he became a Premier League Darts player, Michael Van Gerwen will play no part in the end of season play-offs at the o2 Arena after 'Superchin' Daryl Gurney hammered 'MVG' 8-2. 

Northern Irishman Gurney took full advantage of Van Gerwen's poor form and raced into a commanding 4-0 lead with 'Mighty Mike''s average dropping as low as 76 at one point. Gurney's lead in turn sealed one of the play-off positions as it ensured Gary Anderson of his place in the last four. Gurney soon landed the first 100+ checkout of the match to go 5-0 ahead with a 121 finish. 

Van Gerwen won his first leg of the match with a 121 of his own but any hopes of an unlikely comeback were soon extinguished as Gurney secured himself of a point to go 7-1 up. Van Gerwen took the eighth leg but it was merely a consolation as Gurney took out 104 and seal the win 8-2. 

The win for Gurney will provide a small morale boost at the end of what has been a poor Premier League season which he will end in eighth position. Van Gerwen's defeat ensures he won't be in the play-offs and that for the first time in four years there will be a new name on the trophy. 

There'll be no repeat of this scene in 2020 as Michael Van Gerwen misses out on the Premier League play-offs for the first time. 

SNAKEBITE SNATCHES SECOND PLACE IN STYLE 

World Champion Peter 'Snakebite' Wright made sure of second place in the Premier League table with an 8-5 win over 'The Bully Boy' Michael Smith. 

Results earlier in the evening ensured Wright of his place in the top four before he took to the oche which alleviated some of the pressure on the Scotsman. The result seemed to be threatened somewhat in the second leg when Smith nailed his favourite D10 to seal a spectacular 128 checkout to hold his throw and level the score. 

Both players played their part in an entertaining encounter and it was Wright who prevailed 8-5 to finish the league phase just a point behind Glen Durrant on 20 points. 

Peter 'Snakebite' Wright will have high hopes of adding the Premier League title to his World Championship when he heads to the o2 Arena for the play-offs on October 22. 

ASPINALL LEAPS INTO THE PLAY-OFFS 

In the evening's final encounter, Nathan Aspinall capped off an impressive debut Premier League season by taking the fourth and final play-off spot after defeating Glen Durrant 8-2. 

It was 'The Asp' who took the early initiative and took a 3-0 lead before 'Duzza' notched his first leg of the game in the fourth, taking out 7-2 to get on the scoreboard. It was to no avail for the man from Middlesbrough as he was powerless to stop Aspinall going 5-1 ahead with a tremendous 170 checkout, the second of the evening. 

Durrant refused to go down without a fight and took out an impressive 127 checkout to make the score 6-2 but the match belonged to Stockport native Aspinall who sealed his last four spot by taking out 124. It was clear what the result meant to Aspinall after his emotional reaction, it also spelt the end of Gerwyn Price's play-off hopes as 'The Asp' leapfrogged the Welshman into the top four. 

It was all smiles for Nathan Aspinall after he sealed his place in the play-offs at the end of his maiden Premier League Darts campaign. 

After a dramatic darting night in Milton Keynes, that brings our round-up of the action to an end. 

Thanks as ever for taking the time to read 180-Darts, we'll be back soon with hopefully our first guest interview on the page. 

Keep your eyes peeled on Editor Dan's Twitter (@BarkerGray2) for more info. 

Premier League Darts 2020 Night 14 Wrap-Up

It's that time of the evening when 180-Darts rounds up all the action from Night 14 of the 2020 Unibet Premier League Darts season from The Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. 

HONOURS EVEN BETWEEN PRICE AND GURNEY 

In the evening's opening encounter, Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney shared a point apiece in an entertaining 7-7 draw. 

Gurney opened the scoring with a superb break of throw and soon went into a 2-0 lead in the second leg. Price maintained the pressure on the Northern Irishman and took the next two legs to level the score. 'The Iceman' quickly recovered from another two leg deficit to square the tie at 4-4 and then refused to allow Gurney to open up a further lead, pegging him back to 5-5. 

Price then took the eleventh leg to go into the lead for the first time and soon took a 7-5 lead to guarantee himself a point to keep his playoff hopes alive. In the deciding leg, Gurney kept his nerve and held his throw to superbly take out 130 and earn himself a deserved share of the points. 

Gurney opens proceedings again tomorrow night when he takes on Nathan Aspinall while Price has to wait until tomorrow's final match when he goes up against Michael Smith. 

Daryl Gurney took out a superb 130 to secure himself a point from his match against Gerwyn Price. 

ANDERSON'S GR-EIGHT SHOWING SEES OFF SMITH 

Gary Anderson came up with a dominant victory over 'The Bully Boy' Michael Smith with his 8-2 win further cementing his position as a genuine challenger for this year's Premier League title. 

After a frantic start that saw both players turning out 100+ averages and sharing the legs at 2-2, Anderson pulled clear of Smith in tremendous fashion, taking a 3-2 lead with an outstanding 154 checkout and eventually ending on a 102.25 average, claiming the next five legs unanswered over a visibly frustrated Smith. 

'The Flying Scotsman' is back in action in tomorrow's third match of the night against Michael Van Gerwen while Smith takes on Gerwyn Price in the evening's last encounter. 

WRIGHT SNAKEBITES BACK AT THE ASP IN THRILLING TURNAROUND

World Champion Peter Wright completed a stunning comeback to overcome Nathan Aspinall and record a 7-5 win that at times looked incredibly unlikely. 

'The Asp' broke Wright's throw in the first leg and quickly moved into first a 2-0 then a 3-1 lead before 'Snakebite' fired back with a 119 checkout to close the gap to one at the end of the fifth leg. Aspinall appeared to fan the flames of a Wright comeback when he re-opened a two leg lead at the end of the eighth leg to go 5-3 ahead. 

Superior finishing by Wright, who showed fantastic form on his doubling, was the key as he took the remaining five legs to surge past Aspinall not only in the match but also in the Premier League table and move into third place, three points behind second placed Gary Anderson. 

Aspinall opens the show tomorrow evening when he takes on Daryl Gurney and that match is quickly followed by Peter Wright taking on table topper Glen Durrant. 

Peter Wright's exemplary doubling statistics was the key to his comeback victory over Nathan Aspinall. 

MUCH IMPROVEMENT FROM MVG BUT DURRANT HOODOO CONTINUES 

There was a much improved performance from Michael Van Gerwen but Glen Durrant continues to be his kryptonite as 'MVG' failed to beat 'Duzza' for the fourth time. 

After trading legs in the opening stages, MVG broke Durrant's throw with an 85 checkout in the third to go 2-1 up. Van Gerwen's joy was short lived however as Durrant came up with a break of throw of his own with a 105 to tie up affairs at the end of the fourth leg at 2-2. 

Sky Sports commentators John Part and Wayne Mardle speculated that MVG's 94 outshot to go 4-2 ahead could have been important and potentially propel the Dutchman into the playoffs and his impressive 108 checkout to secure himself a point and go 7-5 ahead looked to put some credibility to the commentator's claims. Three-time Lakeside champion Durrant wasn't going down without a fight and took the final two legs, holding his nerve to seal a D1 checkout in the last, to deny MVG his first ever win over 'Duzza' at the fourth attempt. 

Van Gerwen, level on points with Nathan Aspinall in the table, faces the in-form Gary Anderson tomorrow while Durrant takes on Peter Wright in the evening's second encounter. 

That's all for tonight from 180-Darts. We'll be back tomorrow with all the action from night 15 of the Premier League. 

The Premier League Years: 2005

As we reach the business end of the 2020 Premier League Darts season, join us here at 180-Darts as we turn the clocks back fifteen years and relive the competition's inaugural season. 

The new competition sprang into life at the King's Hall on Stoke-on-Trent in January 2005. Phil Taylor, fresh from winning his tenth PDC World Championship (twelfth overall), was joined in the new competition by Colin Lloyd, Peter Manley, Roland Scholten, Wayne Mardle and wildcard Mark Dudbridge, Taylor's opponent at the Circus Tavern showpiece.

The matches were played over twelve legs with a draw a distinct possibility and two points were awarded to the match winner. The honours were shared in the event of a draw.

Taylor would open proceedings during week one in his hometown with a 7-5 win over Mardle before ending the evening with a 6-6 draw over Colin 'Jaws' Lloyd, the only time 'The Power' would drop points over the course of the league phase. John Part and Roland Scholten also played out a 6-6 draw and Mark Dudbridge was the night's other winner, prevailing 8-4 over Peter Manley.

Fresh from his run to the 2005 PDC World Darts Championship final, Mark 'Flash' Dudbridge got his Premier League campaign off to a flying start with an 8-4 win over Peter Manley. 

In Reading for week two, thrashings were the order of the day as Colin Lloyd comprehensively beat 2003 World Champion Part 9-3 before Taylor hammered Roland Scholten 10-2, recording the competition's first 100+ average in the process, recording an average of 105.81. Manley recovered from his opening day defeat to beat Wayne Mardle 8-4 while, in the first of his two outings of the evening, Scholten recorded a 7-5 victory over Dudbridge.

Dudbridge and Lloyd opened proceedings in week three with a 6-6 draw as the action moved to Taunton. John Part recorded his first win of the season, defeating Wayne Mardle 9-3 before Manley and Scholten also drew 6-6 in the penultimate match of the evening. In the eagerly anticipated World Championship final rematch there was no revenge for Mark 'Flash' Dudbridge as he went down 7-5 to Phil Taylor.

The force was strong with 'Darth Maple' as John Part recorded his first win of the 2005 season by beating Wayne Mardle 9-3 during week three in Taunton. 

Taylor topped another 100 average in the opening match of week four in Norwich on his way to recording a resounding 11-1 win over Wayne Mardle although 'Hawaii 501' was able to bounce back and take his first win of the season in the evening's final match with an 8-4 victory over Roland Scholten. Colin Lloyd, at this point the only player other than Taylor to be unbeaten, kept his undefeated streak alive with an 8-4 win over Manley while 'Darth Maple' Part overcame Dudbridge 7-5.

It was all smiles for Wayne 'Hawaii 501' Mardle as he recovered from an 11-1 defeat earlier in the evening to claim his first win of the season 8-4 over Roland Scholten during week four. 

It was a case of another week and another win for Taylor in week five at the Sands Centre in Carlisle, Peter Manley became his latest victim by way of an 8-4 scoreline. For the third time in four weeks, Taylor again tipped his average over the 100 barrier, ending on 100.20. Roland Scholten picked up just his second win of the season with a 7-5 victory over Mark Dudbridge before a pair of drawn fixtures rounded out the evening. Colin Lloyd preserved his own unbeaten record by tying with John Part which was followed by a stalemate between Manley and Wayne Mardle.

Roland Scholten was on target during week five as he recorded his second win of the season, prevailing 7-5 over Mark Dudbridge in Carlisle. 

John Part fell victim to a pair of 7-5 defeats at the Plymouth Pavilions during week six, losing to Peter Manley in the opening match of the evening before closing out proceedings with a defeat to Phil Taylor. For the second week running, both other matches on the evening ended in 6-6 draws as Mark Dudbridge and Colin Lloyd, Wayne Mardle and Roland Scholten shared the points from their respective fixtures.

In Kidderminster for week seven it was the turn of Colin Lloyd to play two matches on the evening, 'Jaws' took full advantage of his double header by recording wins over Roland Scholten in the first match of the night (7-5) and closing the evening victorious with an 8-4 win over Peter Manley. Mark Dudbridge beat Wayne Mardle 8-4 while Phil Taylor's unbeaten streak continued with a win over John Part by the same scoreline.

It was all smiles for Colin 'Jaws' Lloyd during week eight after he took maximum points from his two outings in Kidderminster during week seven. 

Just two more regular season fixtures remained as the action rolled into Widnes and Phil Taylor cemented his place as favourite to win the competition overall with two dominant wins, 9-3 and 11-1 over Mark Dudbridge and Peter Manley respectively. Colin Lloyd kept up the challenge at the top of the table with an 8-4 win over Roland Scholten while Wayne Mardle picked up just his second win of the season when he defeated John Part by the same scoreline.

There was a top of the table clash during week nine at the Doncaster Dome as Colin 'Jaws' Lloyd squared off to runaway leader Phil 'The Power' Taylor, a defeat for either man wouldn't really have been the end of the world but Taylor struck a psychological blow going into the playoffs by inflicting Lloyd's first defeat of the season by comfortably winning 10-2. Roland Scholten strengthened his claim for a playoff spot with a 7-5 win over John Part while Mark Dudbridge's own hopes of a top four finish took a blow via a 7-5 defeat at the hands of Wayne Mardle. In the evening's final contest, Peter Manley made certain of his spot in the playoffs with a 7-5 win over Scholten.

Peter Manley made sure of his spot in the playoffs with a 7-5 win over Roland Scholten in the final match of the penultimate weekly round. 

On a bumper night of action at the Charles Hall in Colchester the regular season came to an end. Despite winning the opening match of the evening 7-5 over John Part, Mark Dudbridge agonisingly missed out on the playoffs by a single point. 'Flash' failed to capitalise on Roland Scholten's 9-3 defeat to Phil Taylor by going down 7-5 to Peter Manley which allowed Dutchman Scholten into the top four. Part rounded off his maiden Premier League campaign with an 8-4 win over Colin Lloyd while Wayne Mardle signed off on a difficult first season with a pair of 7-5 defeats on the night to Manley and Lloyd.

Taylor ended the regular season atop the table by a comprehensive margin of seven points over nearest challenger Colin Lloyd. 'The Power' could boast an impressive +62 leg difference as well as a tremendous record of winning 46 legs against the throw. Lloyd took an impressive record of his own going into the playoffs, having lost just two matches during the weekly rounds and on another year might have even topped the table with his record. The top four was rounded out by Peter Manley and Roland Scholten.

The G-Mex centre in Manchester was the scene for the playoff weekend with the best of 25 leg semi-finals taking centre stage for the first evening. Taylor progressed by his smallest margin of the season by edging out fourth placed Scholten 13-11 in the first tie before Lloyd progressed through to the final via a comfortable 13-7 win over Manley.

It would be a fitting finale for the inaugural Premier League season as the campaign ended as it had started with Taylor taking on Lloyd over a distance of 31 legs. 'The Power' asserted his dominance over his nearest challenger 'Jaws' and comprehensively took home the trophy and the £50,000 top cash prize thanks to an assertive 16-4 victory.

Phil 'The Power' Taylor won the first of his six Premier League Darts titles with a 16-4 win over Colin Lloyd in Manchester. 

The Premier League was deemed a success after it's first season and it was safe to say Thursday nights would never be the same again.

That brings our historical look back at the inaugural Premier League Darts season to a close. We'll continue our look back through the competition's history on a regular basis, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I like writing them. 

We'll be back soon with reports from the remaining evenings of the 2020 Premier League here on 180-Darts. 

Until then, take care. 

At The Interval

As everyone connected to Premier League darts takes a well deserved break for the first time since the action resumed last week in Milton Keynes, 180 takes a look at the progress of each player left in the competition since the league got back underway. 

Glen Durrant: What is there to say about 'Duzza' that hasn't already been said since the action got back underway. Possibly the best finisher in the competition, Durrant keeps proving night after night that the step across the darting stratosphere from the BDO into the PDC hasn't been a bridge too far and only a catastrophic run of bad form will prevent him from sealing the top spot going into the playoffs. Dominant performances against Michael Van Gerwen and Daryl Gurney have shown he has the mettle to mix it with the best the game has to offer while his stunning 164 checkout during the win over MVG proved that he is capable of the spectacular to counteract his usual methodical approach.

Duzza Does The Business: Glen Durrant continued his impressive form after the restart, most notably claiming his third win in as many meetings over Michael Van Gerwen. 

Gary Anderson: The former World Champion has benefitted from the new continuous schedule of the Premier League as the format has allowed the Scotsman to remain focussed which has transferred into his form on the oche. As the only player other than Durrant to have not been beaten since the resumption of the competition, the rest of the field should be wary when they see his name on the fixture list. His championship credentials came to the fore when he bounced back from the draw with 'Duzza' to defeat Nathan Aspinall 8-6 on the final night before the interval.

Michael Van Gerwen: Mighty Mike has suffered inconsistent form since the restart, winning just two of his four matches and not being at his devastating best, especially after he had to eat a large slice of humble pie when beaten by Glen Durrant after his comments in the media on the morning of the game. With all this in mind, it would be unwise to bet against MVG once play restarts on Wednesday, he isn't the best player in the world for nothing and has plenty of expertise and ability to come back strongly against when he faces Peter Wright.

Gerwyn Price: 'The Iceman' has been playing the sort of darts that justifies his position as the world number three with just one defeat in his four matches, his 7-0 whitewash of challenger Jermaine Wattimena coming in the emphatic manner that we have come to expect from Price. The behind closed doors atmosphere (or lack of it perhaps) wouldn't have suited him but he's learnt to grow into it and might be a decent bet to go all the way.

Nathan Aspinall: No matter where 'The Asp' finishes this season, he can be proud of his efforts in his debut Premier League campaign with a pair of wins over Michael Smith proving to be personal highlights since the action resumed last week. Aspinall has displayed a fighting spirit that will see him lift several major honours as his career progresses but just needs to remain calm when opportunities present themselves in order to effectively close out results.

Hopes and ASPirations: Nathan Aspinall has displayed the qualities of a future champion during his debut Premier League campaign. 

Peter Wright: The world champion displayed some darting brilliance to fire off a superb nine-dart finish on Saturday night against Daryl Gurney and only a wayward shot at D12 stopped him repeating the trick 24 hours later against Gerwyn Price. Despite playing well, results aren't going the way 'Snakebite' would usually like and improvement is needed if he is to challenge for the title at the end of the season.

Michael Smith: Just one win from four during the restart is probably not how the 'Bully Boy' expected events to pan out. His position in the table says that he is just two points shy of a playoff spot but he needs to improve his stats when it comes to doubling if he is to claim an unlikely top four berth.

Daryl Gurney: Making the top four is a tall order for 'Superchin' after a string of inconsistent performances have left his playoff hopes in tatters with his only win of the restart coming in response to Peter Wright's excellent nine darter. Despite this display of resilience, performances haven't been good enough on a regular basis and his league position is indicative of this.

Chin Disarray: Daryl Gurney's restart hasn't quite gone to plan with the Northern Irishman winning just one of his four outings since the Premier League resumed. 

That's the end of our (sort of) half term report on the Premier League Darts restart. We'll be back at the end of the competition with our thoughts on the second half of the resumption after the finals night. 

Thanks for reading and welcome to 180, a new name for darts on the internet.