2018 Players Championship 3 

Saturday 10th March 2018

Metrodome, Barnsley

Rob Cross started Players Championship 3 at the Metrodome in Barnsley with 6-3 wins against Matthew Edgar, Dimitri van den Bergh and Mario Robbe. At the last sixteen stage Gary Anderson was in top form as he blitzed Cross 6-0.

Last 128 (vs Matthew Edgar)

In the opening round Cross took on in-form Matthew Edgar. In a tightly contested match the opening six legs all went with throw. Cross winning legs in 14, 15 and 16 darts, taking out finishes of 58, 70 and 8, Edgar winning his in 13, 15 and 13 darts with finishes of 40, 32 and 32. Cross then hit an 11 darter with scores of 180, 140 and 149 and a finish of 32 with Edgar left waiting on 161 after nine darts thrown.'Prime Time' missed two darts at doubles to level at 4-4 as Cross took advantage by taking out double eight for a 16 darter and a 5-3 lead. Cross then held throw in the next to seal the 6-3 victory, another 16 darter this time with a double nineteen finish. Both players hit four 180s.Cross averaged 105.02. Edgar averaged 99.91  

Last 64 (vs Dimitri van den Bergh)

Dimitri van den Bergh advanced to the last 64 with a 6-2 win over Ross Smith, taking out finishes of 150 and 103, hitting six 180s and averaging 98.41

The opening two legs of the match between Cross and Van den Bergh both went against the throw. The Belgian winning the opener in 15 darts by taking out a 112 finish, then Cross levelling in 16 darts by taking out double eleven. Cross took a 2-1 lead with an 18 dart leg and a 40 finish then Van den Bergh drew level with a 12 darter, scoring 100, 180, 180 and taking out 41. Cross replied with three 12 dart winning legs to lead 5-2. The fifth leg was won with scores of 180, 98, 180 and a 43 finish. The next with scores of 96, 180, 134 and a 91 finish. The seventh leg was won with scores of 140, 100, 140 and a 121 finish. Cross missed four chances at doubles in the next leg as Van den Bergh finished off nine in a 17 dart leg. Cross held throw in the ninth leg by taking out twelve for a 14 darter to win 6-3. Cross hit eight maximums in this match and averaged 105.83. Van den Bergh averaged 100.03 

Last 32 (vs Mario Robbe)

Mario Robbe made it through to the last 32 with wins against Paul Rowley 6-1 and Tytus Kanik 6-4, averaging 90.39 and 86.98

Robbe had only hit three maximums in his opening two matches but doubled that tally in the first three legs of the match against Cross. Robbe took the first leg against throw by taking out double ten for a 13 darter. Cross replied by taking out double twelve in a 13 darter of his own and then went 2-1 up with an 11 dart leg, scoring 180, 140, 123 and finishing off 58. Missed chances in the next from the world champ allowed Robbe back into the game as he levelled at 2-2 with an 80 finish for a 21 darter, having only struck one three figure score in the leg. This seemed to spur Robbe on as he took the next in 13 darts by hitting double top for a 3-2 lead. Cross hit double sixteen in the next as he made it 3-3 in 16 darts. He then held throw in 14 darts with a 58 finish, had an eleven dart leg, scoring 100, 180, 140 and checking out on 81 and held throw again in 14 darts, this time with a 36 finish for a 6-3 victory. Cross hit four 180's and averaged 102.31. Robbe hit three 180s and averaged 92.47

Last 16 (vs Gary Anderson) 

Gary Anderson came from 5-1 down in his opening match to beat Terry Jenkins 6-5, hitting four 180s and averaging 101.30. He then beat Gary Eastwood 6-4, hitting six 180s, averaging 94.07 and Simon Stevenson 6-4, hitting just the one 180, averaging 102.53

In the opening leg of the match between Cross and Anderson both players missed a dart at bull, Anderson for a 161 finish and Cross for an 81 finish after hitting back-to-back 180s. Anderson took the leg in 14 darts and then went on to take the next two in 15 and 12 darts with finishes of 104 and 170. A missed dart at double five gave Anderson the opportunity to make it 4-0 and he did with a 90 finish and followed up with an eleven finish for a 15 darter to make it 5-0. Scores of 180, 180, 60 and an 81 finish for a twelve darter sealed the 6-0 win. Cross didn't do a lot wrong in the match, hitting three 180s and averaging 102.56. Anderson though was in top form, three bull finishes including a 'big fish', just the two 180s and an average of 108.65

Anderson still remains the only player in the top 20 of the Order of Merit that Cross has yet to beat.

Anderson went on to beat Steve Hine 6-3 in the quarter-finals, Jamie Lewis 6-3 in the semi-finals and Peter Wright 6-0 in the final.