CHISNALL CONTINUES SUPERB DARTS FORM
DAVE CHISNALL claimed a second victory on the PDC Darts ProTour in the space of six days after overcoming Peter Wright 6-5 in a dramatic Players Championship final at the Barnsley Metrodome.
The St Helens ace, who claimed his first title of the year at the German Darts Championship last weekend and turned 33 on Thursday, continued his excellent form in Barnsley, culminating in victory over Wright to take the £10,000 first prize.
Chisnall^s road to the final began with a 6-3 triumph over Mick Todd before overcoming the challenges of Gino Vos and Justin Pipe with tight 6-5 wins.
In the last 16, Chisnall saw off Wayne Jones 6-3 and defeated Mervyn King by the same margin to book his place in the last four against Simon Whitlock.
There, the world number seven produced a superb performance to dispose of the Australian 6-1 with the aid of a 103 average, before continuing that form in the early stages of the final where he led 3-1.
From two legs down Wright turned the tide as he landed an excellent 89 finish on the bullseye to win the fifth leg before taking the next two to leave his opponent trailing 4-3.
Chisnall hit back to take the eighth leg and draw level at four apiece before Wright edged ahead again by landing double 16 to move a leg away from victory.
However, Chisnall hit his sixth 180 of the game in the process of forcing a deciding leg, which he won in superb style against the darts thanks to a 124 checkout.
The ever consistent Wright began his day with a trio of 6-2 victories over Magnus Caris, Dennis Smith and Joe Cullen to reach the last 16 stage of the tournament.
The 43-year-old Scottish World Cup representative then ended the hopes of John Bowles with a 6-4 win before defeating Stoke^s Ian White by the same scoreline to move through to the semi-finals.
In the last four, Wright produced a 100 average to defeat Dutchman Michael van Gerwen by a 6-2 margin, which included checkouts of 108 and 103.
That fine victory saw Wright gain an opportunity at revenge over Chisnall, following his defeat in Germany last weekend, but he had to settle for the runners-up cheque for a second weekend running, despite holding a 5-4 lead in the final.
Whitlock claimed a cheque for £2,500 for reaching the last four in Barnsley along with the ever impressive van Gerwen, although the Australian^s day could have been over in the first round when his opponent Nigel Heydon missed three opportunities at double top to claim a famous scalp.
The Australian put that narrow escape behind as he went on to defeat the likes of Michael Smith, Dean Winstanley and Paul Nicholson to reach the semi-final stage before falling victim to Chisnall.
Van Gerwen looked good for another win in a ProTour event in 2013 after thumping five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 in their quarter-final clash, only to lose 6-2 to Wright in the semi-finals.
Van Barneveld, who had suffered two surprise first round exits in Australia and Germany over the last fortnight, regained some confidence at the Barnsley Metrodome as he reached the last eight stage, which included a fine 6-1 victory in the third round over two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis.
Nicholson reached the quarter-finals of a ProTour event for first time since May and he was joined by King and White, who all took away £1,500 for their efforts.
Grand Slam of Darts semi-finalist Winstanley showed signs of a return to form as he reached the last 16 stage, where he was joined by former major finalists Wayne Jones and Mark Dudbridge, who have also endured barren spells over the last 12 months.
Three-time World Champion John Part suffered a first round exit along with former major winners Robert Thornton, Kevin Painter and Colin Lloyd, and top ten star Wes Newton was also a first round casualty at the hands of Vincent van der Voort.
Ted Hankey withdrew on the morning of the event after suffering minor injuries in a car accident on Friday evening, and though he will also miss Sunday^s Players Championship the two-time Lakeside Champion is expected to be able to compete in next week^s European Tour event in Sindelfingen.
The weekend at the Barnsley Metrodome concludes on Sunday where a further Players Championship event with £50,000 on offer is scheduled to take place as qualification for the partypoker.com World Grand Prix and Championship League of Darts intensifies.
Players Championship 7
Barnsley Metrodome, Saturday September 14
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Ryan Harrington 6-2 Jake Patchett
Scott Rand (32) 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Alan Tabern 6-3 Martyn Turner
Stuart Kellett (16) 6-3 Colin Fowler
Mark Jones 6-3 Richie Burnett
Adam Hunt 6-5 Brendan Dolan (17)
Alex Roy 6-4 Joey Palfreyman
Prakash Jiwa 6-4 John Part (8)
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Sean Ryan
Raymond van Barneveld (25) 6-2 William O^Connor
Leon de Geus 6-3 Reece Robinson
Adrian Lewis (9) 6-2 Dennis Priestley
Vernon Sheppard 6-2 Stephen Hardy
Terry Jenkins (24) 6-1 Campbell Jackson
James Richardson 6-2 Dan Russell
Jamie Caven (5) 6-2 Tomas Seyler
James Hubbard 6-1 Mark Cox
Mark Webster (28) 6-3 Darren Johnson
John Henderson 6-4 Michael Barnard
Ian White (12) 6-0 Steve Hine
David Dodds 6-2 Michael Mansell
Connie Finnan 6-2 Kevin Painter (21)
Terry Temple 6-2 Jon Jukes
Peter Wright (4) 6-2 Magnus Caris
Dennis Smith 6-4 Kevin McDine
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Mark Walsh (29)
Joe Cullen 6-0 Jyhan Artut
Andy Hamilton (13) 6-4 Matt Clark
John Bowles 6-3 Ian Moss
Ross Smith 6-3 Colin Lloyd (20)
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Darron Brown
Simon Whitlock (2) 6-5 Nigel Heydon
Mark Frost 6-5 Antonio Alcinas
Michael Smith 6-1 Colin Osborne (31)
Steve Farmer 6-2 Ronny Huybrechts
Gary Anderson (15) 6-1 Matthew Dicken
Paul Barham 6-5 Ricky Sudale
Ronnie Baxter (18) 6-5 Darren Webster
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Jim Walker
David Pallett 6-4 Kim Huybrechts (7)
Keegan Brown 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Arron Monk (26) 6-2 Steve Grubb
Mark Hylton 6-5 Peter Hudson
Paul Nicholson (10) 6-1 Keith Rooney
Shaun Griffiths 6-1 Keith Stephen
Andy Smith (23) 6-2 David Copley
Steve West 6-4 Andy Jenkins
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Wes Newton (6)
Richie Howson 6-5 Co Stompe
Wayne Jones (27) 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Ian Walters 6-2 Johnny Haines
Dave Chisnall (11) 6-3 Mick Todd
Gino Vos 6-1 Gaz Cousins
Justin Pipe (22) 6-3 Paul Amos
Joe Murnan 6-5 Mark Lawrence
Kevin Dowling 6-4 Robert Thornton (3)
Mark Dudbridge 6-0 Adrian Gray
Jamie Lewis (30) 6-4 Andy Parsons
Roland Scholten 6-5 Bernd Roith
Mervyn King (14) 6-3 Ricky Evans
Steve Brown 6-1 Matthew Edgar
Steve Beaton (19) 6-0 John Scott
Josh Payne 6-4 Marc Dewsbury
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Ryan Harrington
Alan Tabern 6-4 Scott Rand
Mark Jones 6-4 Stuart Kellett
Alex Roy 6-2 Adam Hunt
Prakash Jiwa 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Leon de Geus
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Vernon Sheppard
Terry Jenkins 6-4 James Richardson
James Hubbard 6-4 Jamie Caven
John Henderson 6-5 Mark Webster
Ian White 6-4 David Dodds
Connie Finnan 6-5 Terry Temple
Peter Wright 6-2 Dennis Smith
Joe Cullen 6-4 Chris Aubrey
John Bowles 6-0 Andy Hamilton
Ross Smith 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Mark Frost
Michael Smith 6-3 Steve Farmer
Gary Anderson 6-1 Paul Barham
Dean Winstanley 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
David Pallett 6-2 Keegan Brown
Arron Monk 6-0 Mark Hylton
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Shaun Griffiths
Steve West 6-4 Andy Smith
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Richie Howson
Wayne Jones 6-3 Ian Walters
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Gino Vos
Justin Pipe 6-2 Joe Murnan
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Kevin Dowling
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Roland Scholten
Mervyn King 6-1 Steve Brown
Steve Beaton 6-5 Josh Payne
Losers £250
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Alan Tabern
Alex Roy 6-5 Mark Jones
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Terry Jenkins
John Henderson 6-0 James Hubbard
Ian White 6-5 Connie Finnan
Peter Wright 6-2 Joe Cullen
John Bowles 6-1 Ross Smith
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Michael Smith
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Gary Anderson
Arron Monk 6-4 David Pallett
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Steve West
Wayne Jones 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Justin Pipe
Mark Dudbridge 6-3 Jamie Lewis
Mervyn King 6-3 Steve Beaton
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Alex Roy
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Adrian Lewis
Ian White 6-3 John Henderson
Peter Wright 6-4 John Bowles
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Dean Winstanley
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Arron Monk
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Wayne Jones
Mervyn King 6-3 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Peter Wright 6-4 Ian White
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Paul Nicholson
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Mervyn King
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Peter Wright 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Simon Whitlock
Losers £2,500
Final
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Peter Wright
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-by-Leg
Peter Wright v Dave Chisnall
1-0 - Wright holds throw by converting a 95 finish.
1-1 - Chisnall draws level by landing double four after hitting the first 180 of the game.
1-2 - Chisnall lands a maximum for the second leg running and goes on to hit double 16 to break throw.
1-3 - The St Helens man wins a third leg in a row with the aid of two 140 scores.
2-3 - Chisnall leaves just 40 after 12 darts thrown only for Wright to take out a crucial 89, on the bullsyeye, to stay in the hunt.
3-3 - Wright lands double ten to draw level, with Chisnall waiting on double 18.
4-3 - Wright takes out 56 in two darts to complete a 14-darter and lead the match for the first time since the opening leg.
4-4 - Chisnall draws level by converting a 66 finish to set up a tense finale.
5-4 - Both players record 180s before Wright goes on to hold throw by taking out 48 on double 16.
5-5 - Chisnall hits his sixth maximum of the game before claiming the leg to send the match to a deciding leg.
5-6 - Wright holds advantage of throw but Chisnall takes charge as he hits back-to-back 140s followed by a superb 124 checkout to win the title in superb style.
ENDS
WHITE CLAIMS MAIDEN TITLE
IAN WHITE secured his maiden title on PDC circuit after defeating Premier League star Simon Whitlock 6-3 in the final of Players Championship 8 at the Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday.
The 43-year-old from Stoke had come out second best in the five previous finals he had played on the PDC ProTour, but claimed the £10,000 first prize at the sixth time of asking with an average of 100.97 to defeat the Australian number one.
White^s memorable day began with wins over Steve Hine and Adrian Gray - both by 6-4 margins - before destroying two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis with a 6-1 win in the third round.
White maintained that form as he whitewashed former UK Open finalist Mark Walsh before dropping just a total of three legs against Joe Cullen and Wayne Jones to seal his place in the final against Whitlock.
The Australian started the better of the two players in the decider as he took the opening leg with a 76 finish on double top before White hit back to win the next two and establish a 2-1 lead.
Whitlock levelled by claiming the fourth leg with a 70 finish before White landed double 16 to regain the lead, which was increased to 4-2 in the next when he hit double 14 after Whitlock wasted three chances at double 11.
White landed double eight for the second time in the game to lead 5-2 and move a leg away from victory before Whitlock kept the game alive by converting a 90 finish to win the eigth leg.
The Stoke man had the throw in the ninth and he made it count as he confirmed victory by landing an excellent 100 checkout on double top to close out the game and end Whitlock^s hopes of a second ProTour victory in 2013.
Whitlock, who reached the last four of Saturday^s Players Championship, produced some scintillating darts on Sunday as he defeated Colin Osborne in the second round with a 105 average, hitting seven 180s in the game, before dismissing five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 in the next round, averaging over 111.
Whitlock then edged out Germany^s Jyhan Artut in a dramatic deciding leg encounter, which he won thanks to a fantastic 164 checkout, to reach the last 16 of the competition.
The world number four overcame Mervyn King 6-3 before whitewashing Scott Rand 6-0 to remain on course for claiming the first prize, but ran out of steam in the decider as White came out on top.
Coventry^s Rand run to the last four included a sparkling 6-2 victory over Dutch sensation Michael van Gerwen, and the former Players Championship Finals semi-finalist went on to defeat Dean Winstanley and Paul Nicholson before falling to Whitlock in their semi-final clash.
Wolverhampton^s Jones was the other semi-finalist on Sunday, having shown signs of a return to form after reaching the last 16 in Saturday^s Players Championship after a run of indifferent results.
The 2010 European Championship finalist produced his best performance in PDC competition since making the last four of the Dutch Darts Masters last October, recording wins over Stuart Kellett and Darren Webster to reach the semi-finals before finding White too strong an obstacle to pass.
Paul Nicholson and Mervyn King lost at the last eight stage at the Barnsley Metrodome for the second day running alongside Bradford youngster Cullen, who reached his third quarter-final of 2013, and Darren Webster, who enjoyed his best PDC ProTour result since reaching the semi-finals in Killarney last October.
St Helens ace Dave Chisnall, who won Saturday^s Players Championship for back-to-back triumphs, fell back down to earth with a bump as he narrowly lost out to Steve Grubb 6-5 in his opening game of the day, having had one dart at double 18 to progress.
Saturday^s runner-up Peter Wright was also an early casualty as he exited the competition in the second round after losing out to London^s Paul Amos by a 6-4 margin.
Major champions Robert Thornton, Colin Lloyd and Gary Anderson were a number of notable first round casualties on a day of surprises in Barnsley.
The PDC ProTour will head to Germany next weekend for the year^s seventh European Tour event, the German Darts Masters at the Glaspalast in Sindelfingen. For tickets, visit www.pdc-europe.net.
Players Championship 8
Barnsley Metrodome, Sunday September 15
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Scott Rand 6-5 Chris Aubrey
Adam Hunt 6-4 Jamie Lewis (32)
Connie Finnan 6-2 Ronny Huybrechts
Dean Winstanley 6-1 Steve Beaton (16)
Marc Dewsbury 6-5 Andy Pearce
Mick Todd 6-4 Ronnie Baxter (17)
Roland Scholten 6-3 Nick Fullwell
John Part (8) 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Darren Johnson 6-4 Ricky Sudale
Peter Hudson 6-5 Terry Jenkins (25)
Keith Stephen 6-3 Steve Farmer
Paul Nicholson (9) 6-1 Matthew Dicken
Reece Robinson 6-0 Leon de Geus
Michael Smith 6-2 Arron Monk (24)
Colin Fowler 6-5 Keith Rooney
Michael Barnard 6-4 Robert Thornton (5)
Ian Walters 6-5 Steve West
Stephen Hardy 6-1 Jelle Klaasen (28)
John Henderson 6-5 Mark Hylton
Mervyn King (12) 6-1 Magnus Caris
Keegan Brown 6-4 Ryan Harrington
Dan Russell 6-4 Justin Pipe (21)
Mark Lawrence 6-5 Kevin McDine
Simon Whitlock (4) 6-3 Campbell Jackson
Colin Osborne 6-1 Sean Ryan
Raymond van Barneveld (29) 6-0 Andrew Gilding
Martyn Turner 6-4 Mark Jones
Terry Temple 6-5 Gary Anderson (13)
James Hubbard 6-5 Shaun Griffiths
Kevin Painter (20) 6-1 Ricky Evans
Jyhan Artut 6-4 Richie Howson
Dave Chisnall (2) Bye
Steve Grubb 6-2 David Copley
Mark Walsh (31) 6-4 Antonio Alcinas
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Co Stompe
Ian White (15) 6-4 Steve Hine
Adrian Gray 6-4 James Richardson
Adrian Lewis (18) 6-2 John Scott
Darron Brown 6-1 Matt Clark
Wes Newton (7) 6-3 Mark Dudbridge
Dennis Priestley 6-1 Jon Jukes
Steve Brown 6-2 Mark Webster (26)
Joe Cullen 6-3 Nigel Heydon
Kim Huybrechts (10) 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Dennis Smith 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Ian Moss 6-1 Colin Lloyd (23)
Joe Murnan 6-5 Paul Barham
Jamie Caven (6) 6-4 Josh Payne
Darren Webster 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Richie Burnett (27) 6-3 Alex Roy
Mark Frost 6-4 David Dodds
Andy Hamilton (11) 6-4 Ross Smith
Mark Cox 6-3 Michael Mansell
Andy Smith (22) 6-5 Kevin Dowling
Alan Tabern 6-3 John Bowles
Peter Wright (3) 6-1 Prakash Jiwa
Paul Amos 6-2 Vernon Sheppard
Wayne Jones (30) 6-3 Johnny Haines
David Pallett 6-1 Bernd Roith
Stuart Kellett (14) 6-3 Gino Vos
Joey Palfreyman 6-2 Tomas Seyler
Brendan Dolan (19) 6-5 William O^Connor
Gaz Cousins 6-4 Jim Walker
Second Round
Scott Rand 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Connie Finnan 6-2 Adam Hunt
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Marc Dewsbury
Roland Scholten 6-5 Mick Todd
Darren Johnson 6-3 John Part
Peter Hudson 6-2 Keith Stephen
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Reece Robinson
Colin Fowler 6-2 Michael Smith
Michael Barnard 6-2 Ian Walters
John Henderson 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Mervyn King 6-4 Keegan Brown
Mark Lawrence 6-2 Dan Russell
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Colin Osborne
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Martyn Turner
Terry Temple 6-2 James Hubbard
Jyhan Artut 6-5 Kevin Painter
Steve Grubb 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Mark Walsh 6-2 Matthew Edgar
Ian White 6-4 Adrian Gray
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Darron Brown
Wes Newton 6-4 Dennis Priestley
Joe Cullen 6-5 Steve Brown
Dennis Smith 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Ian Moss 6-4 Joe Murnan
Darren Webster 6-5 Jamie Caven
Mark Frost 6-4 Richie Burnett
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Mark Cox
Andy Smith 6-2 Alan Tabern
Paul Amos 6-4 Peter Wright
Wayne Jones 6-5 David Pallett
Stuart Kellett 6-1 Joey Palfreyman
Gaz Cousins 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Losers £250
Third Round
Scott Rand 6-2 Connie Finnan
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Roland Scholten
Peter Hudson 6-4 Darren Johnson
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Colin Fowler
John Henderson 6-5 Michael Barnard
Mervyn King 6-4 Mark Lawrence
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Jyhan Artut 6-5 Terry Temple
Mark Walsh 6-5 Steve Grubb
Ian White 6-1 Adrian Lewis
Joe Cullen 6-2 Wes Newton
Dennis Smith 6-5 Ian Moss
Darren Webster 6-1 Mark Frost
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Andy Smith
Wayne Jones 6-4 Paul Amos
Stuart Kellett 6-3 Gaz Cousins
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Scott Rand 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Peter Hudson
Mervyn King 6-2 John Henderson
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Jyhan Artut
Ian White 6-0 Mark Walsh
Joe Cullen 6-2 Dennis Smith
Darren Webster 6-0 Andy Hamilton
Wayne Jones 6-5 Stuart Kellett
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Scott Rand 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Mervyn King
Ian White 6-2 Joe Cullen
Wayne Jones 6-3 Darren Webster
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Scott Rand
Ian White 6-1 Wayne Jones
Losers £2,500
Final
Ian White 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-by-Leg
Simon Whitlock v Ian White
1-0 - Whitlock starts the final confidently as he breaks at the first of time asking thanks to a 76 finish on tops.
1-1 - White hits back straight away as he takes out 65 to level the game.
1-2 - The Stoke thrower lands double eight to hold throw and lead the match for the first time.
2-2 - Whitlock converts a 70 finish to level after White missed a dart at bullseye for a two-leg advantage.
2-3 - White records the first 180 of the game and goes on to hit double 16 to regain the lead.
2-4 - Whitlock fires in a 171 score, but three missed attempts at double 11 prove crucial as White lands double 14 successfully.
2-5 - White hits two 140s and lands double eight to move one leg away from victory.
3-5 - Whitlock hits a 90 checkout to keep his hopes alive.
3-6 - Whitlock leaves 95 after 12 darts, but White takes out 100 to win the match and claim his maiden title on the PDC circuit.
The St Helens ace, who claimed his first title of the year at the German Darts Championship last weekend and turned 33 on Thursday, continued his excellent form in Barnsley, culminating in victory over Wright to take the £10,000 first prize.
Chisnall^s road to the final began with a 6-3 triumph over Mick Todd before overcoming the challenges of Gino Vos and Justin Pipe with tight 6-5 wins.
In the last 16, Chisnall saw off Wayne Jones 6-3 and defeated Mervyn King by the same margin to book his place in the last four against Simon Whitlock.
There, the world number seven produced a superb performance to dispose of the Australian 6-1 with the aid of a 103 average, before continuing that form in the early stages of the final where he led 3-1.
From two legs down Wright turned the tide as he landed an excellent 89 finish on the bullseye to win the fifth leg before taking the next two to leave his opponent trailing 4-3.
Chisnall hit back to take the eighth leg and draw level at four apiece before Wright edged ahead again by landing double 16 to move a leg away from victory.
However, Chisnall hit his sixth 180 of the game in the process of forcing a deciding leg, which he won in superb style against the darts thanks to a 124 checkout.
The ever consistent Wright began his day with a trio of 6-2 victories over Magnus Caris, Dennis Smith and Joe Cullen to reach the last 16 stage of the tournament.
The 43-year-old Scottish World Cup representative then ended the hopes of John Bowles with a 6-4 win before defeating Stoke^s Ian White by the same scoreline to move through to the semi-finals.
In the last four, Wright produced a 100 average to defeat Dutchman Michael van Gerwen by a 6-2 margin, which included checkouts of 108 and 103.
That fine victory saw Wright gain an opportunity at revenge over Chisnall, following his defeat in Germany last weekend, but he had to settle for the runners-up cheque for a second weekend running, despite holding a 5-4 lead in the final.
Whitlock claimed a cheque for £2,500 for reaching the last four in Barnsley along with the ever impressive van Gerwen, although the Australian^s day could have been over in the first round when his opponent Nigel Heydon missed three opportunities at double top to claim a famous scalp.
The Australian put that narrow escape behind as he went on to defeat the likes of Michael Smith, Dean Winstanley and Paul Nicholson to reach the semi-final stage before falling victim to Chisnall.
Van Gerwen looked good for another win in a ProTour event in 2013 after thumping five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 in their quarter-final clash, only to lose 6-2 to Wright in the semi-finals.
Van Barneveld, who had suffered two surprise first round exits in Australia and Germany over the last fortnight, regained some confidence at the Barnsley Metrodome as he reached the last eight stage, which included a fine 6-1 victory in the third round over two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis.
Nicholson reached the quarter-finals of a ProTour event for first time since May and he was joined by King and White, who all took away £1,500 for their efforts.
Grand Slam of Darts semi-finalist Winstanley showed signs of a return to form as he reached the last 16 stage, where he was joined by former major finalists Wayne Jones and Mark Dudbridge, who have also endured barren spells over the last 12 months.
Three-time World Champion John Part suffered a first round exit along with former major winners Robert Thornton, Kevin Painter and Colin Lloyd, and top ten star Wes Newton was also a first round casualty at the hands of Vincent van der Voort.
Ted Hankey withdrew on the morning of the event after suffering minor injuries in a car accident on Friday evening, and though he will also miss Sunday^s Players Championship the two-time Lakeside Champion is expected to be able to compete in next week^s European Tour event in Sindelfingen.
The weekend at the Barnsley Metrodome concludes on Sunday where a further Players Championship event with £50,000 on offer is scheduled to take place as qualification for the partypoker.com World Grand Prix and Championship League of Darts intensifies.
Players Championship 7
Barnsley Metrodome, Saturday September 14
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Ryan Harrington 6-2 Jake Patchett
Scott Rand (32) 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Alan Tabern 6-3 Martyn Turner
Stuart Kellett (16) 6-3 Colin Fowler
Mark Jones 6-3 Richie Burnett
Adam Hunt 6-5 Brendan Dolan (17)
Alex Roy 6-4 Joey Palfreyman
Prakash Jiwa 6-4 John Part (8)
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Sean Ryan
Raymond van Barneveld (25) 6-2 William O^Connor
Leon de Geus 6-3 Reece Robinson
Adrian Lewis (9) 6-2 Dennis Priestley
Vernon Sheppard 6-2 Stephen Hardy
Terry Jenkins (24) 6-1 Campbell Jackson
James Richardson 6-2 Dan Russell
Jamie Caven (5) 6-2 Tomas Seyler
James Hubbard 6-1 Mark Cox
Mark Webster (28) 6-3 Darren Johnson
John Henderson 6-4 Michael Barnard
Ian White (12) 6-0 Steve Hine
David Dodds 6-2 Michael Mansell
Connie Finnan 6-2 Kevin Painter (21)
Terry Temple 6-2 Jon Jukes
Peter Wright (4) 6-2 Magnus Caris
Dennis Smith 6-4 Kevin McDine
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Mark Walsh (29)
Joe Cullen 6-0 Jyhan Artut
Andy Hamilton (13) 6-4 Matt Clark
John Bowles 6-3 Ian Moss
Ross Smith 6-3 Colin Lloyd (20)
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Darron Brown
Simon Whitlock (2) 6-5 Nigel Heydon
Mark Frost 6-5 Antonio Alcinas
Michael Smith 6-1 Colin Osborne (31)
Steve Farmer 6-2 Ronny Huybrechts
Gary Anderson (15) 6-1 Matthew Dicken
Paul Barham 6-5 Ricky Sudale
Ronnie Baxter (18) 6-5 Darren Webster
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Jim Walker
David Pallett 6-4 Kim Huybrechts (7)
Keegan Brown 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Arron Monk (26) 6-2 Steve Grubb
Mark Hylton 6-5 Peter Hudson
Paul Nicholson (10) 6-1 Keith Rooney
Shaun Griffiths 6-1 Keith Stephen
Andy Smith (23) 6-2 David Copley
Steve West 6-4 Andy Jenkins
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Wes Newton (6)
Richie Howson 6-5 Co Stompe
Wayne Jones (27) 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Ian Walters 6-2 Johnny Haines
Dave Chisnall (11) 6-3 Mick Todd
Gino Vos 6-1 Gaz Cousins
Justin Pipe (22) 6-3 Paul Amos
Joe Murnan 6-5 Mark Lawrence
Kevin Dowling 6-4 Robert Thornton (3)
Mark Dudbridge 6-0 Adrian Gray
Jamie Lewis (30) 6-4 Andy Parsons
Roland Scholten 6-5 Bernd Roith
Mervyn King (14) 6-3 Ricky Evans
Steve Brown 6-1 Matthew Edgar
Steve Beaton (19) 6-0 John Scott
Josh Payne 6-4 Marc Dewsbury
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Ryan Harrington
Alan Tabern 6-4 Scott Rand
Mark Jones 6-4 Stuart Kellett
Alex Roy 6-2 Adam Hunt
Prakash Jiwa 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Leon de Geus
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Vernon Sheppard
Terry Jenkins 6-4 James Richardson
James Hubbard 6-4 Jamie Caven
John Henderson 6-5 Mark Webster
Ian White 6-4 David Dodds
Connie Finnan 6-5 Terry Temple
Peter Wright 6-2 Dennis Smith
Joe Cullen 6-4 Chris Aubrey
John Bowles 6-0 Andy Hamilton
Ross Smith 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Mark Frost
Michael Smith 6-3 Steve Farmer
Gary Anderson 6-1 Paul Barham
Dean Winstanley 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
David Pallett 6-2 Keegan Brown
Arron Monk 6-0 Mark Hylton
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Shaun Griffiths
Steve West 6-4 Andy Smith
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Richie Howson
Wayne Jones 6-3 Ian Walters
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Gino Vos
Justin Pipe 6-2 Joe Murnan
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Kevin Dowling
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Roland Scholten
Mervyn King 6-1 Steve Brown
Steve Beaton 6-5 Josh Payne
Losers £250
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Alan Tabern
Alex Roy 6-5 Mark Jones
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Terry Jenkins
John Henderson 6-0 James Hubbard
Ian White 6-5 Connie Finnan
Peter Wright 6-2 Joe Cullen
John Bowles 6-1 Ross Smith
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Michael Smith
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Gary Anderson
Arron Monk 6-4 David Pallett
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Steve West
Wayne Jones 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Justin Pipe
Mark Dudbridge 6-3 Jamie Lewis
Mervyn King 6-3 Steve Beaton
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Alex Roy
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Adrian Lewis
Ian White 6-3 John Henderson
Peter Wright 6-4 John Bowles
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Dean Winstanley
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Arron Monk
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Wayne Jones
Mervyn King 6-3 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Peter Wright 6-4 Ian White
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Paul Nicholson
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Mervyn King
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Peter Wright 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Simon Whitlock
Losers £2,500
Final
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Peter Wright
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-by-Leg
Peter Wright v Dave Chisnall
1-0 - Wright holds throw by converting a 95 finish.
1-1 - Chisnall draws level by landing double four after hitting the first 180 of the game.
1-2 - Chisnall lands a maximum for the second leg running and goes on to hit double 16 to break throw.
1-3 - The St Helens man wins a third leg in a row with the aid of two 140 scores.
2-3 - Chisnall leaves just 40 after 12 darts thrown only for Wright to take out a crucial 89, on the bullsyeye, to stay in the hunt.
3-3 - Wright lands double ten to draw level, with Chisnall waiting on double 18.
4-3 - Wright takes out 56 in two darts to complete a 14-darter and lead the match for the first time since the opening leg.
4-4 - Chisnall draws level by converting a 66 finish to set up a tense finale.
5-4 - Both players record 180s before Wright goes on to hold throw by taking out 48 on double 16.
5-5 - Chisnall hits his sixth maximum of the game before claiming the leg to send the match to a deciding leg.
5-6 - Wright holds advantage of throw but Chisnall takes charge as he hits back-to-back 140s followed by a superb 124 checkout to win the title in superb style.
ENDS
WHITE CLAIMS MAIDEN TITLE
IAN WHITE secured his maiden title on PDC circuit after defeating Premier League star Simon Whitlock 6-3 in the final of Players Championship 8 at the Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday.
The 43-year-old from Stoke had come out second best in the five previous finals he had played on the PDC ProTour, but claimed the £10,000 first prize at the sixth time of asking with an average of 100.97 to defeat the Australian number one.
White^s memorable day began with wins over Steve Hine and Adrian Gray - both by 6-4 margins - before destroying two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis with a 6-1 win in the third round.
White maintained that form as he whitewashed former UK Open finalist Mark Walsh before dropping just a total of three legs against Joe Cullen and Wayne Jones to seal his place in the final against Whitlock.
The Australian started the better of the two players in the decider as he took the opening leg with a 76 finish on double top before White hit back to win the next two and establish a 2-1 lead.
Whitlock levelled by claiming the fourth leg with a 70 finish before White landed double 16 to regain the lead, which was increased to 4-2 in the next when he hit double 14 after Whitlock wasted three chances at double 11.
White landed double eight for the second time in the game to lead 5-2 and move a leg away from victory before Whitlock kept the game alive by converting a 90 finish to win the eigth leg.
The Stoke man had the throw in the ninth and he made it count as he confirmed victory by landing an excellent 100 checkout on double top to close out the game and end Whitlock^s hopes of a second ProTour victory in 2013.
Whitlock, who reached the last four of Saturday^s Players Championship, produced some scintillating darts on Sunday as he defeated Colin Osborne in the second round with a 105 average, hitting seven 180s in the game, before dismissing five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 in the next round, averaging over 111.
Whitlock then edged out Germany^s Jyhan Artut in a dramatic deciding leg encounter, which he won thanks to a fantastic 164 checkout, to reach the last 16 of the competition.
The world number four overcame Mervyn King 6-3 before whitewashing Scott Rand 6-0 to remain on course for claiming the first prize, but ran out of steam in the decider as White came out on top.
Coventry^s Rand run to the last four included a sparkling 6-2 victory over Dutch sensation Michael van Gerwen, and the former Players Championship Finals semi-finalist went on to defeat Dean Winstanley and Paul Nicholson before falling to Whitlock in their semi-final clash.
Wolverhampton^s Jones was the other semi-finalist on Sunday, having shown signs of a return to form after reaching the last 16 in Saturday^s Players Championship after a run of indifferent results.
The 2010 European Championship finalist produced his best performance in PDC competition since making the last four of the Dutch Darts Masters last October, recording wins over Stuart Kellett and Darren Webster to reach the semi-finals before finding White too strong an obstacle to pass.
Paul Nicholson and Mervyn King lost at the last eight stage at the Barnsley Metrodome for the second day running alongside Bradford youngster Cullen, who reached his third quarter-final of 2013, and Darren Webster, who enjoyed his best PDC ProTour result since reaching the semi-finals in Killarney last October.
St Helens ace Dave Chisnall, who won Saturday^s Players Championship for back-to-back triumphs, fell back down to earth with a bump as he narrowly lost out to Steve Grubb 6-5 in his opening game of the day, having had one dart at double 18 to progress.
Saturday^s runner-up Peter Wright was also an early casualty as he exited the competition in the second round after losing out to London^s Paul Amos by a 6-4 margin.
Major champions Robert Thornton, Colin Lloyd and Gary Anderson were a number of notable first round casualties on a day of surprises in Barnsley.
The PDC ProTour will head to Germany next weekend for the year^s seventh European Tour event, the German Darts Masters at the Glaspalast in Sindelfingen. For tickets, visit www.pdc-europe.net.
Players Championship 8
Barnsley Metrodome, Sunday September 15
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Scott Rand 6-5 Chris Aubrey
Adam Hunt 6-4 Jamie Lewis (32)
Connie Finnan 6-2 Ronny Huybrechts
Dean Winstanley 6-1 Steve Beaton (16)
Marc Dewsbury 6-5 Andy Pearce
Mick Todd 6-4 Ronnie Baxter (17)
Roland Scholten 6-3 Nick Fullwell
John Part (8) 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Darren Johnson 6-4 Ricky Sudale
Peter Hudson 6-5 Terry Jenkins (25)
Keith Stephen 6-3 Steve Farmer
Paul Nicholson (9) 6-1 Matthew Dicken
Reece Robinson 6-0 Leon de Geus
Michael Smith 6-2 Arron Monk (24)
Colin Fowler 6-5 Keith Rooney
Michael Barnard 6-4 Robert Thornton (5)
Ian Walters 6-5 Steve West
Stephen Hardy 6-1 Jelle Klaasen (28)
John Henderson 6-5 Mark Hylton
Mervyn King (12) 6-1 Magnus Caris
Keegan Brown 6-4 Ryan Harrington
Dan Russell 6-4 Justin Pipe (21)
Mark Lawrence 6-5 Kevin McDine
Simon Whitlock (4) 6-3 Campbell Jackson
Colin Osborne 6-1 Sean Ryan
Raymond van Barneveld (29) 6-0 Andrew Gilding
Martyn Turner 6-4 Mark Jones
Terry Temple 6-5 Gary Anderson (13)
James Hubbard 6-5 Shaun Griffiths
Kevin Painter (20) 6-1 Ricky Evans
Jyhan Artut 6-4 Richie Howson
Dave Chisnall (2) Bye
Steve Grubb 6-2 David Copley
Mark Walsh (31) 6-4 Antonio Alcinas
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Co Stompe
Ian White (15) 6-4 Steve Hine
Adrian Gray 6-4 James Richardson
Adrian Lewis (18) 6-2 John Scott
Darron Brown 6-1 Matt Clark
Wes Newton (7) 6-3 Mark Dudbridge
Dennis Priestley 6-1 Jon Jukes
Steve Brown 6-2 Mark Webster (26)
Joe Cullen 6-3 Nigel Heydon
Kim Huybrechts (10) 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Dennis Smith 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Ian Moss 6-1 Colin Lloyd (23)
Joe Murnan 6-5 Paul Barham
Jamie Caven (6) 6-4 Josh Payne
Darren Webster 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Richie Burnett (27) 6-3 Alex Roy
Mark Frost 6-4 David Dodds
Andy Hamilton (11) 6-4 Ross Smith
Mark Cox 6-3 Michael Mansell
Andy Smith (22) 6-5 Kevin Dowling
Alan Tabern 6-3 John Bowles
Peter Wright (3) 6-1 Prakash Jiwa
Paul Amos 6-2 Vernon Sheppard
Wayne Jones (30) 6-3 Johnny Haines
David Pallett 6-1 Bernd Roith
Stuart Kellett (14) 6-3 Gino Vos
Joey Palfreyman 6-2 Tomas Seyler
Brendan Dolan (19) 6-5 William O^Connor
Gaz Cousins 6-4 Jim Walker
Second Round
Scott Rand 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Connie Finnan 6-2 Adam Hunt
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Marc Dewsbury
Roland Scholten 6-5 Mick Todd
Darren Johnson 6-3 John Part
Peter Hudson 6-2 Keith Stephen
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Reece Robinson
Colin Fowler 6-2 Michael Smith
Michael Barnard 6-2 Ian Walters
John Henderson 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Mervyn King 6-4 Keegan Brown
Mark Lawrence 6-2 Dan Russell
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Colin Osborne
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Martyn Turner
Terry Temple 6-2 James Hubbard
Jyhan Artut 6-5 Kevin Painter
Steve Grubb 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Mark Walsh 6-2 Matthew Edgar
Ian White 6-4 Adrian Gray
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Darron Brown
Wes Newton 6-4 Dennis Priestley
Joe Cullen 6-5 Steve Brown
Dennis Smith 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Ian Moss 6-4 Joe Murnan
Darren Webster 6-5 Jamie Caven
Mark Frost 6-4 Richie Burnett
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Mark Cox
Andy Smith 6-2 Alan Tabern
Paul Amos 6-4 Peter Wright
Wayne Jones 6-5 David Pallett
Stuart Kellett 6-1 Joey Palfreyman
Gaz Cousins 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Losers £250
Third Round
Scott Rand 6-2 Connie Finnan
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Roland Scholten
Peter Hudson 6-4 Darren Johnson
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Colin Fowler
John Henderson 6-5 Michael Barnard
Mervyn King 6-4 Mark Lawrence
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Jyhan Artut 6-5 Terry Temple
Mark Walsh 6-5 Steve Grubb
Ian White 6-1 Adrian Lewis
Joe Cullen 6-2 Wes Newton
Dennis Smith 6-5 Ian Moss
Darren Webster 6-1 Mark Frost
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Andy Smith
Wayne Jones 6-4 Paul Amos
Stuart Kellett 6-3 Gaz Cousins
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Scott Rand 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Peter Hudson
Mervyn King 6-2 John Henderson
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Jyhan Artut
Ian White 6-0 Mark Walsh
Joe Cullen 6-2 Dennis Smith
Darren Webster 6-0 Andy Hamilton
Wayne Jones 6-5 Stuart Kellett
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Scott Rand 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Mervyn King
Ian White 6-2 Joe Cullen
Wayne Jones 6-3 Darren Webster
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Scott Rand
Ian White 6-1 Wayne Jones
Losers £2,500
Final
Ian White 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-by-Leg
Simon Whitlock v Ian White
1-0 - Whitlock starts the final confidently as he breaks at the first of time asking thanks to a 76 finish on tops.
1-1 - White hits back straight away as he takes out 65 to level the game.
1-2 - The Stoke thrower lands double eight to hold throw and lead the match for the first time.
2-2 - Whitlock converts a 70 finish to level after White missed a dart at bullseye for a two-leg advantage.
2-3 - White records the first 180 of the game and goes on to hit double 16 to regain the lead.
2-4 - Whitlock fires in a 171 score, but three missed attempts at double 11 prove crucial as White lands double 14 successfully.
2-5 - White hits two 140s and lands double eight to move one leg away from victory.
3-5 - Whitlock hits a 90 checkout to keep his hopes alive.
3-6 - Whitlock leaves 95 after 12 darts, but White takes out 100 to win the match and claim his maiden title on the PDC circuit.