Wayne Mardle previews Premier League Darts in Aberdeen on Thursday
Written by News on 10/05/2018
Premier League Darts returns on Thursday night, live on Sky Sports Action, featuring the clash between world No 1 Michael van Gerwen and play-off chasing Gary Anderson. Wayne Mardle looks into his crystal ball…
The final league night will see Scottish hero Anderson come up against Van Gerwen – with the pair enjoying a thrilling clash in Newcastle earlier this season.
Fellow Scot Peter Wright meets Daryl Gurney as the battle to win the final spot in the final four culminates. Raymond van Barneveld plays Michael Smith and Rob Cross takes on Simon Whitlock.
Wayne runs the rule over four titanic tungsten contests, live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm.
Michael Smith v Raymond van Barneveld
The more I watch Michael Smith, the more I’m impressed. I think he’s been superb and booking a place in the play-offs is reward for all his good play. He wasn’t particularly well at the weekend, so hopefully he’ll get over that bug and carries on where he left off in Birmingham. We saw last week, even though Barney had nothing to play for, that it didn’t stop him concentrating against Gary Anderson and playing excellent.
Peter Wright v Daryl Gurney
The way Daryl played last week against Michael Smith was superb. I know he was having a crisis of confidence after four or five weeks of the Premier League thinking that he may have blown his chances of not surviving elimination because he couldn’t get a win at the time. Now he’s on the rise and he will be one of the ones to stop over the next few months with all the big majors coming up.
Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson
One thing is certain and that is Michael van Gerwen will play well – we kind of know that. But does anyone know how Gary is going to play? I’ve got no idea and although he’s looked a million dollars some nights, other times he’s looked poor for his high standards. I’m not one of those people that thinks the venue beats the player, or the venue makes the player. I just think Michael is playing some of the best darts he’s ever thrown. He claimed his third European Tour title of the year in Germany at the weekend and had a tournament average of over 107. That’s enough for me!
Simon Whitlock v Rob Cross
Rob Cross played pretty well against Michael van Gerwen in Birmingham last week. He was just made to look really average and that’s not what he is. Out of the two, Cross is the better player, and he’s proven it again in his debut year in the Premier League.
Wayne Mardle was speaking to Sky Sports’ Raz Mirza. The 2018 Premier League is back for the final league night this Thursday as we head to Aberdeen for Week 15. Coverage gets under way from 7pm on Sky Sports Action. The tungsten will then continue through to the season’s conclusion with the Play-Offs on Thursday, May 17 at The O2 in London.
Keep up to date with the latest darts news, previews, reports, reaction and expert analysis. Get all the latest at www.skysports.com/darts and join in the conversation @SkySportsDarts– don’t forget to use #LoveTheDarts
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(c) Sky News 2018: Wayne Mardle previews Premier League Darts in Aberdeen on Thursday
