With the 2020 Premier League Darts season currently suspended until July, fans of the sport are now able to reflect upon the opening six rounds of this year's tournament.
Despite the competition still being in its embryonic stages, we've already seen plenty of shocks with Michael Van Gerwen's defeat to newcomer Nathan Aspinall undoubtedly one of the more unpredictable moments of the opening few weeks. We take a look at which players can be satisfied with their performances so far and who will be desperate to put things right when the event recommences in the autumn.
Winners
Glen Durrant
The Teessider was one of two debutants this season, and although he was generally tipped to struggle, the 49-year old currently
sits top of the table after
beating Daryl Gurney in Liverpool on March 12th. He produced a 127 checkout in Merseyside and hit 64% on his doubles to help secure his fourth victory on the season. Durrant has also seen off Michael Smith, Gary Anderson and Gerwyn Price since the tournament got underway. His pinpoint finishing has been the key to his early success in the 2020 Premier League, and although the enforced break isn't ideal for the upwardly-mobile thrower, he should be able to regain his momentum once the season gets back underway.
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Fallon Sherrock
It's been a ground-breaking twelve months for the 25-year old, and Fallon Sherrock looked set to continue her trailblazing run with a famous victory at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham in mid-February. Despite only making a cameo appearance as week two's challenger, Sherrock
became just one of two players to take points off early pacesetter Glen Durrant, although she wasn't able to hold out and secure a famous victory. The table-topper was forced to mount a comeback after finding himself 6-4 down to the World Championship-star, later admitting that it was probably the toughest game of his career.
Losers
Gerwyn Price
At the beginning of 2020, the Welshman was being tipped up as one of the dark horses in this year's Premier League, however, he's failed to live up to those expectations so far. With just a single win on the board, he sits third-bottom in the standings and has overwhelmingly failed to recapture his 2019 form so far.
The 35-year old drew each his opening three matches, and although he's failed to justify his odds-on price on numerous occasions, his failure to complete the job may have been good news for those who have backed his games to end all-square on a weekly basis. Placing three or more draws into a multiple bet has been an approach that has already paid out on several occasions this season. Multi betting on the Premier League is an extremely popular approach and as explained by Mr Green's guide to
online betting, it allows darts fans the possibility to turn a small stake into a big win. Although this is a good option for those looking to bet on each of the five matches, it's strongly advised to start with a small betting bank. In-play betting has also been a good way of being involved across all the action and tends to be an extremely popular way of wagering on a Thursday night.
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Rob Cross
The former electrician has also failed to live up to his pre-tournament expectations, and the former world champion will have been extremely disappointed with his early-season displays in this year's Premier League. Cross currently has the second-lowest average in the competition, and his highest checkout of 128 is nothing to write home about either. After seeing off Nathan Aspinall in Nottingham, many expected Voltage to start climbing the table, but he has failed to build upon that victory and produced a below-par performance against challenger Stephen Bunting on week six. He has plenty of work to do when the tournament gets back underway later this year.
There are still plenty of darts to be thrown in the 2020 Premier League, and many more twists and turns are expected. There is ample competition for play-off spots and that should help ensure that the event continues to deliver on entertainment during the final few weeks. It looks set to be a fascinating climax in Newcastle on October 1st and darts fans cannot wait for the competition to recommence later this year.