WEEK 3 of The Unibet Premier League see the PDC take their show on the road to Cardiff where locals will have not one, but two local players to cheer on.
Gerwyn Price is eyeing up a first victory against struggling Daryl Gurney while challenger Johnny Clayton is looking to make his mark against Michael Smith. Journalist and broadcaster Paul "The Asset" Nicholson has previewed both games, and also an extra one for good measure.
Week 3: Cardiff
The Banker
Even though I am a big fan of Daryl Gurney and what he has achieved in the game the past three years, you have to admit, as will he, that he is in a sticky, season commencing rut. His rhythm and release when playing against Anderson in week 1 were very questionable, but even when he rectified that so well 7 days later, he ran into the juggernaut that is MVG, who seemed to have no mercy on the fortunes of Superchin. Daryl didn’t win any games at the weekend's Pro Tour events which wouldn’t have done his confidence any good either. To make matters worse, he now has to go into the one-night Wales spectacular that The Iceman will headline against him in Cardiff.
Price is playing well, but still has some gears to find. His scrapping qualities have been evident the first couple of matches in this Premier League, and after salvaging a miraculous point against Michael Smith in Nottingham, Gezzy will feel very buoyant playing against the bottom of the table Gurney with the crowd on his side for a change, even though he doesn’t get jeered anywhere near what he used to.
For the reasons above, you have to pick Price as the overwhelming favourite to win this match, and I don’t think he will squander the chance of giving the ravenous Welsh fans what they crave. Buddugoliaeth!
Selection: Match winner – Price (3/4)
Match odds: Gurney (11/4), Draw (33/10), Price (3/4)
IT'S A DRAW!!!
Great resolve from Glen Durrant to force the draw from 6-4 down, but it's still a brilliant performance from Fallon Sherrock on her Premier League Challenger appearance!
History denied, but a great game here in Nottingham! pic.twitter.com/QH42bV5WBe
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 13, 2020
The Punt
After surveying these two competitors’ form over the past fortnight, there isn’t much between them. Durrant will be thrilled that the Sherrock game is out of the way, and even though he didn’t get the two points most people expected him to bag, the circumstances of the Fallon match will leave him pleased with any points at all.
He handled the situation as well as anyone could have, and showed once again just how clinical he can be under pressure. The 70-checkout to snare that point when her Superstar opponent was begging for a shot to win on 48 was as good a checkout as you will see in the league phase of this event. Being on neutral territory in Cardiff against a Scotsman will feel like a fresh oxygen tank to the lungs after Sherrock was suffocating him a week ago.
Anderson also came out of Nottingham without both points, but like Durrant he will feel ok about that after a monumental 6-6 battle with Snakebite. Gary didn’t play as well as week 1, but after playing a lot of darts in the last month, could we be seeing Anderson find his consistent stride now? Maybe, but this game is so close to call that I think it will be a second consecutive draw for the two, and they will both go into Dublin the week after searching for a second win of the campaign. This one is just too close to call, and the price for a draw is reasonable.
Selection: Draw (13/4)
Match odds: Durrant (2/1), Draw (13/4), Anderson (21/10)
Click here for all Premier League Darts Week 3 betting
The Longshot
Michael Smith got his campaign rolling last week and he did so by opening a can of whup-behind on Gezzy Price early on in the game, but unfortunately he didn’t close the two-point deal and will have been left wanting at the end of Nottingham. It cannot be forgotten that Smith played superbly the first half-dozen legs and would’ve beaten anyone over a slightly shorter format, but the doubts to collect both points showed themselves when he got his sixth leg.
He looked so relieved to have taken his first point of the campaign, he then forgot to stay focused to collect another. I don’t know any expert within the game that isn’t a fan of Michael as a player and a person, but questions must be asked about his self confidence and just how aggressively he wants to contend in this event. He is showing more tells on the oche to his opponents than an amateur poker player would in a World Series of Poker final table. The focus has to be ramped up and the moments of weakness have to be disguised better.
That brings me to his challenger opponent, Jonny Clayton, the deserving Ferret of West Wales who will bring the crowd to their feet before the Gezzy Express shows up two games later. Jonny is renowned for being a little hard to predict, but one thing he is never questioned on is his tenacity. The multiple PDC event winner who has also graced a major final will be approached with caution by Smith because he is very capable. He has already taken out MVG in a longer format match this year on a big stage, so this will hold no fear for Jonny.
If Bullyboy has an off night, it is entirely plausible that Clayton can go to town, and I don’t mean Caroline Street for a fight or a curry. He scores heavily when on song, can take out shots with ease and will fancy it big time if he gets a good start. It all lies in the start for me, and if Clayton gets a 2-3 leg jump on Michael, the king of the oche bet or something similar comes in to play. If he can execute that plan, he will become the first challenger to take two points away from a league phase full-timer, but it is a longshot.
Selection: King of the Oche – Clayton (10/1)
Match odds: Clayton (5/2), Draw (33/10), Smith (41/50)
