THE WRIGHT REBUILD
World Number 2 Peter Wright claimed his first points of the Premier League last week in Liverpool, as the Scotsman looks to kick start a fightback into the 2023 PDC season after a mixed start to the year.
Snakebite returned to winning ways in the middle of January after claiming glory in the second World Series event of the year: The Nordic Darts Masters. The former Matchplay champion used darts similar to a set used by former UK Open finalist and Welsh star Barrie Bates, going on to use the same arrows in the opening two Premier League nights.
The 53-year-old beat the remainder of the World’s top 4 on the PDC Order of Merit to win in Copenhagen, clinching a last leg decider against Michael van Gerwen in the Quarter Finals, before claiming glory in the Final against World Number 4 Gerwyn Price.
Peter Wright is always looking for that special feeling when on the oche. After using the same darts that he won the Nordic Darts Masters with, Peter found no success at the start of the Premier League. Wright then picked up a dart that he had complete faith in - his PC20’s.
The PC20’s were first seen when Snakebite went on to win the Players Championship Finals in 2021, before picking his Second World title a month later at the Alexandra Palace, causing the darts scene to erupt.
Wright has started the Premier League in different fashion to how he started last year’s competition, where he averaged over 113 to win the opening night in Cardiff, beating the eventual league phase winner Jonny Clayton 6-1 in the Final.
The former two-time World Champion so far in this year’s darting roadshow has thrown a tournament average higher than Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price and 3rd placed Nathan Aspinall, as he sits 3 points behind 7th place Chris Dobey in the table.
The World Number 2 used a set of darts very similar to arrows used by Phil Taylor last week in Liverpool: The Green Delta’s torpedo style, with Winmau Stealth flights which Peter adapted for his own use. The 53-year-old went on to beat Gerwyn Price in a last leg decider at the M&S Bank Arena, including a 180 and a 98 finish in 2 darts.
The colourful Scot missed out on the Players Championship Finals last year, after wife Jo was rushed into hospital due to a complication from a gallbladder removal operation, with everyone’s thoughts at the time with Jo as she fought to return to full strength.
Wright returned a month later for his defence of the Sid Waddell trophy, beating Micky Mansell on the opening night 3-0 in sets before losing in the Last 32 to Belgian international, Kim Huybrechts.
The focus for Peter will switch to Nottingham as he sits 6 points of the Play Off positions, with 9 weeks still to play in the league format before the Finals night line-up is confirmed. Snakebite will face a difficult test in league leader Michael van Gerwen who comes into Night 7 on the back of 3 straight Premier League night wins.
This weekend also sees the Players Championship competitions return to Hildesheim for Events 7 and 8, with Dirk van Duijvenbode the only multiple Pro Tour winner so far in 2023.
By Harry Masterson