Michael Smith has finally ended his wait to win a weekly Premier League night by prevailing in Newcastle on Thursday evening.
Smith went into Week 16 unable to qualify for the playoffs, but the World Championship runner-up was able to come through matches against Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton.
The world number four stormed into a 4-0 lead against Clayton in the final and although the league winner got back to 4-3, Smith held his nerve to win 6-3 with a 112 checkout.
Smith ends the campaign in sixth place, but the most noteworthy contest of the evening came in the second quarter-final with Joe Cullen and Peter Wright involved in a match which would decide the final playoff spot.
The solitary break of throw came in the 10th and final leg as Cullen came through by a 6-4 scoreline, the Bradford thrower remarkably hitting six out of six attempts at double 16.
In the semi-finals in Berlin on June 13, Cullen will square off against Clayton, with Van Gerwen taking on James Wade.
Darren Plant
