Eventually, the cream comes to the top. James Wade has always been possessed of commensurate class to his contemporaries but, due to a combination of bad luck and exceptionally talented opponents, he hasn’t always attained the reward his obvious abilities have merited.
It truly is amazing what one win can do for sporting competitors. The Aldershot man broke his Premier League duck in Manchester a few weeks back and has rapidly become the form player in the competition.
Tonight, he toppled Michael Van Gerwen in a thrilling opening encounter before posting a league-record average in his semi final defeat of Michael Smith.
Mind you, the St Helen’s man had, prior to that, put in a tidy performance in defeating Gary Anderson. In the current form of both players, the chances of him doing so against Wade was doubtful. Yet he did, only to encounter a Machine powered on green diesel infused by a fanatical Irish crowd.
On a topsy turvy night’s action, Wade produced that record breaking average in the semi final, yet at 5-3 down against Jonny Clayton, one wondered had he emptied himself before the big match of the night.
But no, such is the confidence the southpaw is operating with at the moment, he summoned a commendable late rally to annex his second nightly title and leave himself right in the mix for the play offs.
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