Gerwyn Price beats Rob Cross to win the Nordic Darts Masters

In the semi-final he beat Michael Smith. The tournament is part of the World Series of Darts and is the fourth Masters tournament this year.

Catch up on all the action in our blog:

Final

Gerwyn Price 8-5 Rob Cross

A 180 gave Price a chance for the break in the first leg from 130, but he missed bullseye. He was allowed to come back for it and still made it 1-0. The break was cashed in as Price threw out double 10. And the Welshman was doing well as he also threw 180 in the first turn. But Cross had the first chances, only he missed double 16 twice. Price did throw out double 10 and got a double break ahead: 3-0. Cross continued to miss as 72 also failed to go out and so it became 4-0 as Price threw out double 18. Cross then finally picked up a leg and did so handsomely, as the Big Fish (170) went out. Cross threw 180 in the sixth leg, but did lose it. Price threw out 88 to make it 5-1.

Cross comes close

After the break, Cross had chances to make it 5-2, but the doubles fell very hard. Price had darts on the break, but he too missed. Cross then did throw double 3 to make it 5-2. Cross opened with 180 in Price's leg. He eventually left tops and threw that too. This created a break and made it 5-3. Cross got one arrow on the bullseye from 89 for the 5-4, but missed and so Price was able to take the rebreak via 61. But Price got sloppier and missed. Cross threw out double 9 to make it 5-4. Price opened with 180 and threw out his leg in 12 darts. Double 12 made it 6-4. Price failed to make it 7-4 as tops missed. Cross hit double 12 to make it 6-5. Price kept the difference of two legs and reached 7-5 via two tops. Price eventually won the match via double 2 to make it 8-5.

Semi-finals

Rob Cross 7-4 Luke Humphries

Cross started the match well as he made it 1-0 via tops. Humphries threw the first 180 of the match in the second leg, leaving 81. That eventually became 25, but instead of 9 double 8 he threw the double 9. He got one arrow on double 2, but missed. He got three more chances, but missed again. Cross took advantage and threw out 54 via double 10, making the break and thus 2-0. Humphries grabbed the rebreak on clever. Cross was on 40, but 130 went out via bullseye: 2-1. Cross also threw his first leg 180 in the fourth leg. Cross then threw 180 again and left 112. That didn't go out, but double 16 then did for the break, making it 3-1. In the fifth leg, Humphries threw 180 and took the advantage in Cross' leg. Voltage still got the first chance to make it 4-1 and he took it. Double 10 went out for 4-1. Humphries opened with another 180. Humphries needed to throw out 113 in his own leg to avoid taking more damage, but failed. He came back for it, as Cross missed double 1. Double 10 made it 4-2.

Cross does not give it away again

After the break, Humphries reached 4-3 and thus took the break by throwing double 6. In the eighth leg, Cross threw 180 and took the rebreak via double 18: 5-3. Cross also threw 180 in the eighth leg, his fourth in total. Cross cashed in on that break by throwing out 60 to make it 6-3. Humphries threw 180 in the tenth leg. He left tops and threw that out to make it 6-4. Cross was then allowed to throw for the match and got two matchdarts on 50. He missed two on double 16, but Humphries failed to get 137 out. Cross won the match 7-4 by throwing double 8.

Gerwyn Price 7-3 Michael Smith

Smith scored well at the start, but did immediately miss three darts on the double. He was allowed to come back for it, but double 3 also failed to hit. He was allowed to come back for it again, but again 6 did not go out. Price took the break as double 10 went out and so it was 1-0. It looked like pub darts in the first two legs, as both men missed huge numbers of doubles. Price was only out after 22 arrows. Things improved in the third leg as both men threw 180. Smith did throw 89 from double 8 to make it 2-1. Smith had one chance to break on 68, but missed tops. Price did throw out tops to make it 3-1. Pub darts continued in the fifth as throwing out remained a major problem. Price needed seven darts to hit the double and Smith smashed 90. Price eventually won the leg to make it 4-1.

Price also better than Smith after the break

Price threw 180 in the sixth leg and eventually left 84. Smith missed another chance at the break as double 8 went awry. Price took advantage by throwing double 2 to make it 5-1. After the break, Smith threw 180 and left 50. That also went out and so it was 5-2. Price had no trouble in his own leg and reached 6-2 via tops. In the ninth leg, Smith threw 180 twice and left 50. That went out in two darts and so it became 6-3. Price was allowed to throw for the match and won by throwing out 113 via tops. Thus he was the first finalist.

Quarter-finals

Gerwyn Price 6-1 Dimitri van den Bergh

The match had to get going at the start, but Price was out after six innings. 58 went out in two darts via tops and so the first dart on a double went straight in, much to Price's delight. In the second leg, Price threw the first 180 of the match, but Van den Bergh also threw it. The Belgian left 64, but missed an arrow on double 16. Price faced 40 and grabbed the break by throwing double 10: 2-0. The Welshman almost made it 3-0 by throwing out 136, but double 8 went wrong. Van den Bergh grabbed the break as 164 went out for the Belgian. Price was unimpressed, as he threw his second 180 in Van den Bergh's leg, and eventually grabbed the break too by throwing out 84 in two darts. This made it 3-1 via double 12. Also in the fifth leg, Price threw 180 and left 67. That went out in three darts and so he threw a 12 darter to make it 4-1.

Price plays ironclad

He also opened with a 180 in the sixth leg, his fourth of the match. He then almost hit 140, but missed double 10. He was allowed to come back for it, but missed three darts. So did Van den Bergh and so Price made it 5-1 by throwing double 5. Price also threw 180 in the seventh leg and came close to victory. Via double 4 he won the match 6-1 with an average of almost 105.

Michael Smith 6-3 Nathan Aspinall

The second match also got off to a somewhat slow start, but Smith kept his own leg in six innings. Via double 8 it became 1-0. He opened with a 180 in Aspinall's leg. Aspinall needed to throw out 106 to make it 1-1, but missed double 16. Smith had 41 left and took the break via double 10. Smith opened badly in his leg, but a 180 left him with 76 and that went out in two darts: 3-0. Aspinall replied in his leg with a 180, eventually leaving 88 and throwing that out via triple 16 and tops. Smith was back on top after that and opened with a 180 in his leg. 138 went just short, but he was allowed to come back for it on double 12. That one went in and so it was 4-1.

One break is enough

Aspinall did not throw well in the fifth leg, but Smith even less so. 150 didn't go out, but 18 did via double 9 and so it was 4-2. Smith threw 180 at the right time and took the advantage in his leg. 78 went out via tops to put him on match point: 5-2. Aspinall had a chance to make it 5-3 on 8, but missed three darts on the double. He came back for it to make it 5-3. Smith also eventually won the match. Aspinall threw another 180 while he had 182 left and missed double 1 three times. Smith threw out double 10 and won 6-3.

Rob Cross 6-2 Stephen Bunting

Cross started the match well, as double 16 went out after 13 darts to make it 1-0. In the second leg, Bunting equalised through a great finish. He threw out 124 via double 11 to make it 1-1. Bunting threw the first 180 in the third leg and left 121. That didn't go out as double 18 went awry. Cross had 84 left and had to throw that out and did so in two darts. Cross grabbed the break in the fourth leg and made it 3-1 via double 16. Cross cashed in on the break as 114 went out via tops. And that was handsome, as Bunting was waiting for the rebreak on 85.

Cross solidly past Bunting

Bunting did something back. Through three times triple 18 he took the advantage in his leg and it eventually went out via tops: 4-2. However, Cross continued to throw well in his own leg and reached 94 through a 180. Bunting did get a chance at the break via 170, but missed the bullseye. Cross had 40 left, but that didn't go out. And so on 25, Bunting got two darts on the break, but he too missed. Cross then from 10, which succeeded. Via double 1, it was 5-2. Cross eventually won the match as 72 went out to make it 6-2.

Luke Humphries 6-1 Johan Engstrom

Humphries threw 180 right away in the first leg and had a chance for the break via 72, but missed. Engstrom did not get 19 out and so the Englishman still grabbed the break via double 10: 1-0. Humphries threw 180 for the second time, but missed many darts on the double. Engstrom had two chances at the break via 93, but missed double 18 twice. Double 5 made it 2-0 and Humphries cashed in on the break. In the third leg, Humphries again opened with a 180, leaving 47 and throwing it out via double 8: 3-0. Humphries continued to score superbly and threw his fourth 180 in the fourth leg. He again left 47 and threw that out again via double 16: 4-0. Engstrom got on the board as he threw out double 18 to make it 4-1.

Humphries makes no mistake

The Englishman made it 5-1 as Engstrom was sloppy from 96. Via 12 double 16 made it 5-1. Humphries threw 180 to leave 81, but missed the bullseye. Engstrom left 80 but missed tops and so Humphries won by throwing out 25. Humphries took the match 6-1.