Michael van Gerwen steals the show in Purfleet and defeats both Ricky Evans and Nathan Aspinall

Michael van Gerwen remained unbeaten on Friday evening at an exhibition tournament at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, the venue where from 1994 through 2007 the PDC World Championship was played. Van Gerwen played two matches and won them both.

There are no PDC tournaments scheduled this weekend, which allows the top players to pick up some extra cash at exhibition events. At these shows, one or more elite darters are booked for a lucrative fee and tasked with giving the fans a great night out, often combined with a meet & greet with attendees.

Van Gerwen was not the only big name present in Purfleet, where he himself never competed at a World Championship. “Mighty Mike” played his first PDC Worlds in 2008, the first year the event was staged at Alexandra Palace. Alongside Van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Ricky Evans, and Richie Howson were also on the bill.

In the first match of the evening, Van Gerwen beat Evans 3-1 thanks to a 130 checkout. Aspinall then posted the same scoreline against Howson. Bunting took a 3-0 win over Evans in the third tie, before the night’s finale was handled by Van Gerwen and Aspinall. It was the Dutchman who won that match 5-2, powered by five 180s and a 101 average.