Sport can be fickle. Especially something like darts where competitors meet with the regularity some people go to the loo. Now read on…
Stuart Pyke joked with Michael Van Gerwen on Wednesday night that if his current ‘slump’ in form continued he might need a wildcard to get into next season’s Premier League. Not likely!
To give that some context, the great Dutchman is currently ranked No. 5 in the PDC Order Of Merit. The caveat being that the top four therein automatically qualify for the Premier League. Since Van Gerwen really kick started his career in 2012, I can never remember him being outside the top two.
He has, apparently, gone 16 months without winning a televised event. To most people, that would just be the rudiments of the profession. In the darting world, however, MVG is not most people.
For all the doubts and naysaying, though, last night in Brighton he clocked up his second weekly win in a row. In so doing, displaying the sort of chequered form which has epitomised what the reactionists would describe as the career slump.
Against that, mind you, somebody failing to hit top gear against the obdurate, antagonistic James Wade wouldn’t be that big of a shock. Still, he did what the best always do – found a way.
Doubters might also point to the fact that Joe Cullen’s semi final appearance was his first outing of the night having received a walkover from the seemingly injured Gerwyn Price. That would hardly make that big of a difference. These guys are professionals, Cullen was hardly partying while waiting to go on!
On the other side of the draw, Michael Smith produced a terrific effort to thrash Gary Anderson 6-1 while Jonny Clayton hit finishes of 120, 121 and 141 in ousting Peter Wright.
Smith then got past the Welshman surprisingly easily but when MVG opened up a 4-0 lead in the Final it appeared as if it was going to be further abject disappointment for the man from St Helen’s who lost his eighth major final last weekend at the UK Open.
In such a situation, moral victories are about as useful as grass tyres in a ploughed field. But on Thursday night, by making the final, he who is an avid farmer among other things, doubled his Premier League points tally. If you hammer at the door long enough the lock will eventually break.
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