Unibet Premier League Darts - Night 15, Sheffield - Cross and van Gerwen qualify for O2 as Price and Gurney come to blows

Rob Cross booked his place at the O2 with a win, and edges close to topping the league, while Gerwyn Price's draw with Daryl Gurney ended in an unsavoury manner. 

Photo from BBC Sport

James Wade missed the chance to all but guarantee his place at finals night as Michael Smith took the last two legs to clinch a draw.
A superb 161 checkout put the Machine 7-5 ahead and looked on course to seal the win against an opponent who was only playing for pride.
The Aldershot man failed to get to a finish as the Bully Boy won the final two legs in 13 and 17 darts for a consolation point.
Wade averaged a disappointing 92.80 - compared to 95.77 from Smith - and his finishing was far inferior to that of his tournament average, hitting just 33% of his darts at double.
After the first four legs had gone with throw, the former world youth champion took the next two legs in 11 and 12 darts - with finishes of 94 and 128 respectively.
Following that, several missed darts at double - hitting just seven of 26 in the match - allowed the European and World Series champion to catch up and take the lead before the St Helens man salvaged a draw.

Rob Cross bagged his place at finals night with an 8-4 win over Mensur Suljovic, while tightening his grip on top of the league.
A win next week against James Wade would see Voltage become only the third man to top the table at the end of the league stage, after Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.
It would be the first time that van Gerwen hasn't topped the table after six years of dominating the league.
It would be an incredible achievement in only his second Premier League campaign.
Against the Austrian, Cross hit his 10th 100+ average of the tournament with 102.66, but began at 120 with a rapid start, winning the first three legs in 15, 11 and 13 darts.
The Gentle cut the deficit to 4-2 before Cross took out 126 on the bull and took the next leg for a 6-2 lead.
At 7-3, Suljovic took out 124 on the bull to keep his hopes of a draw alive, but the Englishman hit a 15-dart leg including back-to-back 180s taking his tally for the match to seven.
Cross hit eight of his 17 attempts at doubles and although Suljovic, who hit two 180s and averaged 98.59, spurned only three of his seven, his scoring power just couldn't keep with the relentless Voltage.

Photo from sportinglife.com

Security had to separate Daryl Gurney and Gerwyn Price after their close-fought draw in the battle for a play-off place.

Price needed to avoid defeat to keep his hopes of qualification alive, but let a 6-3 lead slip to 6-6 before a double-double 96 finish under pressure guaranteed the Iceman a point.
The drama continued as the Northern Irishman nicked the final leg for a draw, prompting him to let his feelings known about his opponent.
Heated words were exchanged before the pair were kept apart to prevent the situation escalating - afterwards the Welshman claimed he thought some players were trying to get him banned.
He is still on a three-month suspended ban for his behaviour in the Grand Slam final last year, so any further violation of the rules would see that ban enforced.

Michael van Gerwen remains just a point behind leader Rob Cross thanks to a devastating 8-1 triumph over Peter Wright.
The Dutchman is looking to win the title for a fourth year in a row, and averaged nearly 111 without hitting a single 180, hitting eight of 11 darts at double.
The world champion started with an 11-dart leg, followed by two 100+ checkouts of 102 and 105, to go 3-0 up in the blink of an eye.
Wright hit an 11-darter of his own, with an 81 finish, but that would be his only leg.
He hit four 180s and averaged 102.29, but only had three attempts at doubles - not suprising at the Green Machine was 100% for finishing in the eighth leg.
MvG had a chance to finish the match with perfect finishing, but spurned three match darts before planting double 10 in the next visit to complete the demolition.

FIXTURES & RESULTS
Night One Results 

7 February, Newcastle
James Wade 7-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Gerwyn Price 7-4 Daryl Gurney
Chris Dobey 6-6 Mensur Suljovic
Michael van Gerwen 7-5 Michael Smith
Peter Wright 6-6 Rob Cross

Night Two Results
14 February, Glasgow
Peter Wright 6-6 Michael Smith
Rob Cross 7-4 James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld 6-6 Gerwyn Price
Daryl Gurney 7-3 Glen Durrant
Mensur Suljovic 3-7 Michael van Gerwen

Night Three Results
21 February, Dublin
Gerwyn Price 6-6 James Wade
Steve Lennon 5-7 Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen 7-2 Rob Cross
Michael Smith 5-7 Daryl Gurney
Mensur Suljovic 6-6 Raymond van Barneveld

Night Four Results
28 February, Exeter
Luke Humphries 6-6 Gerwyn Price
Daryl Gurney 1-7 Rob Cross
Mensur Suljovic 7-4 Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen 3-7 James Wade
Michael Smith 7-4 Raymond van Barneveld

Night Five Results
7 March, Aberdeen
Michael Smith 3-7 Rob Cross
Daryl Gurney 0-7 James Wade
Mensur Suljovic 3-7 Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright 7-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen 6-6 John Henderson

Night Six Results 
14 March, Nottingham
Nathan Aspinall 2-7 Michael Smith
James Wade 3-7 Mensur Suljovic
Rob Cross 7-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Gerwyn Price 2-7 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 6-6 Daryl Gurney

Night Seven Results
21 March, Berlin

Gerwyn Price 4-7 Rob Cross

James Wade 6-6 Peter Wright

Michael van Gerwen 5-7 Daryl Gurney

Michael Smith 2-7 Mensur Suljovic

Max Hopp 3-7 Raymond van Barneveld

Night Eight Results 
27 March, Rotterdam
Gerwyn Price 5-7 Michael Smith
James Wade 6-6 Dimitri van den Bergh
Rob Cross 5-7 Mensur Suljovic
Peter Wright 1-7 Michael van Gerwen
Raymond van Barneveld 1-7 Daryl Gurney

Night Nine Results 
28 March, Rotterdam (Judgement Night)
Daryl Gurney 7-3 Mensur Suljovic
Peter Wright 5-7 Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross 7-4 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Raymond van Barneveld 1-7 Michael van Gerwen
James Wade 7-4 Michael Smith

Night 10 Results
4 April, Belfast
Mensur Suljovic 8-6 James Wade
Michael Smith 7-7 Peter Wright
Rob Cross 8-4 Daryl Gurney
Michael van Gerwen 7-7 Gerwyn Price

Night 11 Results
11 April, Liverpool
Rob Cross 8-5 Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price 8-5 Mensur Suljovic
James Wade 7-7 Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith 3-8 Michael van Gerwen

Night 12 Results
18 April, Cardiff
Mensur Suljovic 8-5 Daryl Gurney
Rob Cross 2-8 Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith 5-8 Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright 2-8 James Wade

Night 13 Results
25 April, Birmingham
Mensur Suljovic 7-7 Michael Smith
Rob Cross 7-7 Gerwyn Price
Daryl Gurney 8-4 Peter Wright
James Wade 7-7 Michael van Gerwen

Night 14 Results
2 May, Manchester
Rob Cross 8-1 Michael Smith
Peter Wright 6-8 Mensur Suljovic
Daryl Gurney 8-5 Michael van Gerwen
James Wade 8-4 Gerwyn Price

Night 15 Results
9 May, Sheffield
Michael Smith 7-7 James Wade
Mensur Suljovic 4-8 Rob Cross
Daryl Gurney 7-7 Gerwyn Price
Michael van Gerwen 8-1 Peter Wright

Night 16 Fixtures
16 May, Leeds
Gerwyn Price v Peter Wright
Daryl Gurney v Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen v Mensur Suljovic
James Wade v Rob Cross

Night 17 Fixtures
23 May, London
Semi-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
Two matches TBC

Finals (Best of 21 legs)
One match TBC

 Current Standings

#	Competitor	P	W	D	L	LD	Pts
Q	Rob Cross (ENG)	15	10	2	3	+28	22
Q	Michael van Gerwen (NED)	15	9	3	3	+37	21
3	James Wade (ENG)	15	6	6	3	+18	18
4	Mensur Suljovic (AUT)	15	7	3	5	+2	17
5	Daryl Gurney (NIR)	15	7	3	5	+2	17
6	Gerwyn Price (WAL)	15	5	6	4	+1	16
7	Michael Smith (ENG)	15	3	4	8	-21	10
8	Peter Wright (SCO)	15	2	5	8	-27	9
R	Raymond van Barneveld (NED)	9	1	2	6	-22	4

Tie-breakers:
1) Points
2) Leg difference
3) Legs won against throw
4) Tournament average  

Follow me on Twitter
Check out my YouTube channel