Pusey surprises in Wellington and enters top four in ANZ Premier League

Tim Pusey has once again played himself into the spotlight by winning Night Six of the Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League. The Perth-based Australian won 5-2 over local favorite Jonny Tata in the final, moving up to fourth place in the rankings, good for a virtual spot in the playoffs.

Pusey began the evening still seventh in the standings, but after victories over Ben Robb, Simon Whitlock and finally Tata, he not only got to take home the $2,000 prize money, but also a hefty dose of confidence heading into the final night of competition, next week on the Gold Coast.

"I feel great, totally great actually, and it just made it nicer that the crowd was against me," Pusey said afterwards with a smile. "It would be great to make it to Finals Night. I was actually kind of relaxing with Joe [Comito], but now all of a sudden I'm back in the race. I've lost a lot of first rounds lately, but playing three matches in one night helps me get better as the night goes on."

The evening got off to a difficult start for Pusey, who had to win four legs in a row in his quarterfinal against Robb to still step off the stage victorious 5-3. In the semifinals, he repeated that trick against Whitlock, also 5-3. In the final against Tata, he then showed his best side: an average of 91.24, two 180s and a crucial 118 final gave him his first evening victory of the season.

A third evening victory of the season fell short for home favorite Jonny Tata. The New Zealander, who previously won in Melbourne and Adelaide lost to Pusey.

Still, Tata had another strong night. He started with a 5-3 win over Joe Comito, then narrowly beat Raymond Smith - the leader in the standings - 5-4 in the semifinals, despite the Australian missing several matchdarts.

Things remained exciting elsewhere on the night as well. Simon Whitlock settled 5-2 with James Bailey in his quarterfinal, while Smith only distanced himself from Brody Klinge (5-4) in the deciding leg.

In the standings, Smith maintains his lead with 17 points, followed by Tata on 13. Whitlock remains third with 10 points, while Pusey moves up to fourth with 9 points thanks to his win in Wellington. Behind them follow Robb, Klinge and Bailey with 7 points, while Comito is eliminated from the Play-Offs with 2 points.

The final round of regular play will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Gold Coast Convention & Entertainment Centre. The evening will conclude with a top match between Raymond Smith and Jonny Tata, a straight fight for first place.

Smith can no longer be overtaken if he wins, but both he and Tata are already guaranteed entry to Finals Night in Brisbane. The remaining matches are Ben Robb against Simon Whitlock, James Bailey against Tim Pusey, and Joe Comito against Brody Klinge - in which Comito will play one more time for honors.

Raymond Smith 5-4 Brody Klinge

Joe Comito 5-3 Jonny Tata

Simon Whitlock 5-2 James Bailey

Tim Pusey 5-3 Ben Robb

Jonny Tata 5-4 Raymond Smith

Tim Pusey 5-3 Simon Whitlock

Tim Pusey 5-2 Jonny Tata