2018 Players Championship 1 

Saturday 17th February 2018

Metrodome, Barnsley

Rob Cross made it to the quarter-finals of Players Championship 1 at the Metrodome in Barnsley after a fortunate opening round win against Steve Lennon and comfortable performances against Richie Burnett, Arron Monk and Benito van de Pas. In the last eight, Cross looked nailed on to make the semi's when 5-4 up against James Wade with 36 left on the board, only for the Aldershot man to take out 148 to level and go on to win the decider against throw.

 

Last 128 (vs Steve Lennon)

Cross was fortunate to scrape through this opening round match against Steve Lennon as the Irishman missed five match darts when leading 5-4.

 

Lennon opened up with a hold of throw in the opening leg, taking out double sixteen for a 16 darter. Cross replied with a 12 dart second leg, scoring 60, 140, 180 then finishing on 121 (T20, 25, D18). The world champ then hit his second 180 of the match as he broke throw in the next leg, taking out double fourteen for a 14 darter. A hold of throw in 18 darts followed with a 72 finish (20, 20, D16) as Cross moved 3-1 up. Back came Lennon with a leg of 18 darts, hitting double ten after missing a shot at double top. Cross then missed two darts at double four to go 4-2 up as Lennon took out 61 (10, 15, D18) to draw level with a 21 darter. Lennon then won the next against throw to go 4-3 up, hitting a 180 in a 13 dart leg, taking out double sixteen. Back came Cross to make it 4-4 finishing in five darts from 264 with a 180 and an 84 checkout (T16, D18). Another break of throw followed, this time Lennon won it in 13 darts with scores of 100, 96, 140, 125 and a double top finish. Lennon continued to hit decent scores in the next leg, opening with 140, 180 and 140 to leave 41 but the five missed darts at a double followed as Cross won it with a 17 darter by taking out double five. The missed efforts seemed to get to Lennon as he failed to register a three figure score in his first five throws of the decing leg with Cross taking the match 6-5 by hitting double eight for a 16 darter. Cross hit four 180's and averaged 94.79. Lennon hit five 180's and averaged 93.33.

 

Last 64 (vs Richie Burnett) 

Cross took on the 1995 Embassy World Champion Richie Burnett in the last 64. Burnett came through his opening round match with a 6-3 win over James Richardson, hitting two 180's and averaging 91.80.

 

Cross started this one with a 14 darter, taking out double eighteen at the second attempt but then went on to miss three darts at doubles in the next two legs as Burnett took the legs with finishes of 38 (6, D16) and 51 (11, D20) in 17 and 14 darts to lead 2-1. 'Voltage' drew level with a 108 finish (19, T19, D16) for a 15 darter. Burnett missed two darts at doubles in the next as Cross took it by taking out double eighteen for a 19 darter. Cross then went 4-2 up with scores of 134, 134, 128 and a 105 finish (T19, 16, D16) and extended his lead by starting the next leg with back-to-back 180s, eventually finishing in 15 darts by taking out double four. One missed dart at double twelve for an 87 finish from Burnett allowed Cross to comlete a 6-2 win by taking out double twenty at the second attempt in a 17 dart leg. Cross hit three 180's and averaged 97.18. Burnett hit two 180s and averaged 93.00.

 

Last 32 (vs Arron Monk)  

Arron Monk made it to the last 32 with 6-4 wins against Simon Stevenson and Mario Robbe, averaging 95.57 and 86.40.

 

The former world youth champion had darts to win the opening three legs of the last 32 tie as Cross took them in 19, 15 and 18 darts. The opening leg was won with a double eight finish, the second with a double nine finish after two missed efforts at double eighteen and the third with a double three finish after two missed chances at double six. In the fourth leg Cross missed a dart at double sixteen for a 146 outshot after hitting two treble nineteens. Monk took it with a 51 finish (11, D20) for a 17 darter. Cross then restored a three leg advantage to lead 4-1 by finishing off double four in a 16 dart leg. Cross then went on to miss a shot at bull for an 86 finish in the next as Monk took it by taking out double five for a 16 darter. Cross made it 5-2 with a 15 dart leg, taking out double sixteen at the third attempt and closed out the match with a brilliant 10 dart leg, scoring 140, 180, 145 and poking home double eighteen. Cross hit four 180s and averaged 96.76. Monk averaged 89.00.

 

Last 16 (vs Benito van de Pas)

Benito van de Pas beat Gary Eastwood 6-1, Jim Brown 6-3 and Gary Anderson 6-5 to make it through to the last 16 with averages of 76.84, 82.79 and 86.30.

 

Cross scored superbly in this last sixteen encounter, failing to score anything under 85 until he was down to a finish. If attempts at doubles had gone in early he would have produced a very high average. He.made a decent start by winning the opening leg against throw in 14 darts, taking out double sixteen at the second attempt. Van de Pas broke straight back with a 14 darter himself, finishing off double eighteen at the second attempt after one missed dart from Cross at double sixteen. Back came Cross with another 14 dart leg, this time by taking out double eighteen at the second attempt. A 15 darter followed from Cross, this time he needed four goes at double four. Double two came to the rescue in the fifth leg as Cross took it in 16 darts to lead 4-1. Cross started the next with seven perfect darts after back-to-back 180s, winning it on double three for a 12 darter. The next leg was won in 15 darts, once again there were missed doubles as the Hastings man took out double four for the match, a 6-2 win. Despite the missed darts at doubles Cross still avergaged 103.69. Van de Pas averaged 91.74.

 

Quarter-Finals (vs James Wade)

James Wade made the quarter-finals with wins against Paul Rowley 6-5, Toni Alcinas 6-2, Chris Dobey 6-1 and John Henderson 6-0, averaging 93.18, 91.32, 100.24 and 111.33.

 

The quarter-final tie was nip and tuck all the way. Cross opened up by breaking throw in the opening leg with a 13 darter, finding double twelve at the first attempt. Wade broke back in 15 darts with a 79 finish (19, 20, D20) and then went 2-1 up with another 15 darter after missing a dart at bull for a 161 finish. In the next leg it was Cross' turn to miss a dart at bull for a big outshot, a 164. Cross took the leg in 15 darts, finishing on double four to make it 2-2. The next two legs were both breaks of throw and both won in 12 darts. Cross took his with scores of 180, 140, 131 and a 50 finish (18, 16, D8). Wade won his by scoring 180, 100, 100 and a 121 finish (T20, T11, D14). Breaks of throw continued, Cross won the next in 15 darts to lead 4-3, taking out 68 (20, 16, D16). Wade levelled in 18 darts by taking out double five. Wade then missed the bull for a 170 finish as Cross went 5-4 up with a 14 darter, finishing off 68 with a treble twenty and double four. In the tenth leg, Cross left 36 after 12 darts as Wade took out 148 (T20, T20, D14) to level the scores. Cross opened up the deciding leg with two below par scores which swung the match into Wade's favour, as he took out double top in a 16 dart leg to win 6-5. Cross hit five 180s and averaged 102.46. Wade hit three 180s and averaged 99.46.

 

Wade went on to reach the final by beating Ryan Joyce 6-4. Michael van Gerwen won the final 6-4, hitting five 180s and averaging 103.82.     

 

 

Last 16
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Danny Noppert
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Keegan Brown
Ian White 6-1 James Wilson
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Michael Smith
Ryan Joyce 6-5 Michael Barnard
Ron Meulenkamp 6-4 Terry Jenkins
James Wade 6-0 John Henderson
Rob Cross 6-1 Benito van de Pas
Quarter-Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Dave Chisnall
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Ian White
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Ron Meulenkamp
James Wade 6-5 Rob Cross
Semi-Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Gerwyn Price
James Wade 6-4 Ryan Joyce
Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 James Wade