Unibet Premier League

Thursday 14th February 2019

SSE Hydro, Glasgow

Rob Cross turned on the style from 3-1 down on night two of the 2019 Unibet Premier League as he beat his new stablemate James Wade 7-4 with a 102.58 average at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow.

The Hastings hot-shot showed relentless form midway through the match with consecutive winning legs of 13, 11 and 12 darts.

Cross hit four 180s in total as he took out finishes of 115, 85, 78 and 72. His other four winning legs were all completed with 15 darters.

The 78 finish (T18, x, D12) came in the opening leg of the match after Wade had left 40 after 12 darts with scores of 100, 84, 180 and 97.

Wade also had a poke at a 78 finish in the second leg but he missed double top after hitting a single eighteen and a single twenty. Cross then left 47 after 15 darts with Wade coming back to take out double ten at the first attempt for a 16 darter.

In the third leg of the match Cross hit his first 180 but failed to take out 48 with three darts in hand, missing two attempts at double sixteen. ‘The Machine’ missed another effort at tops and once again took out the double ten at the first attempt for a 14 darter and a break of throw.

Cross missed double eighteen for a 76 finish in the next leg as Wade held throw with a first dart at double twelve in another 16-dart leg to lead 3-1.

‘Voltage’ then took out 115 (T19, 18, D20) to win the next leg in 15 darts with Wade back on 147 having thrown twelve darts. The Sussex man then kicked off the sixth leg with a 180, followed it up with scores of 140 and 96, missed a dart at double eighteen for an 85 finish then came back to hit the same double with his next dart for a 13-dart break of throw with Wade back on 148.

The seventh leg was the best of the match. Wade left 84 after nine darts with scores of 140, 97 and 180 as Cross took it in eleven darts with scores of 180, 134, 140 and a 47 finish (15, D16) to lead 4-3.

Cross continued to fire in great scores in the next leg, 136, 140, 140, then took out 85 with three darts (19, 16, bull) with Wade left on 134 after 12 darts thrown.

Cross then held throw again in 15 darts with a 72 finish (20, 20, D16) despite a third maximum from his Aldershot opponent.

Cross then came off the boil in the next leg with three mediocre scores as Wade won it in 16 darts, again taking out double ten after a miss at double twenty for a 116 finish.

Wade missed a dart at double twelve for a 138 finish after hitting two treble nineteens in what turned out to be the last leg of the match. Cross had started it with his fourth 180 and finished off 40 in three darts with misses at double top and double ten before firing in a double five for a 7-4 victory.

Wade averaged 100.81

Following the match Cross said "I missed a few darts early, maybe there were a few nerves but I've been working hard on my game and it's paying off"

"I lost my smile last year, everything was difficult for me in my first Premier League season, it's a ruthless competition but this year I'm playing properly and I'm enjoying it."