Chris Dobey won his second ranking title and doubled his tally for 2021 with victory over Ryan Searle in Tuesday’s Players Championship 28 in Barnsley.
The Bedlington thrower had won his maiden ProTour event in July, and added a second £10,000 title in the first of three events this week to conclude the year’s Players Championships.
The 31-year-old recorded his first 110 average on the circuit during a sensational 7-4 semi-final defeat of Rob Cross – who averaged 112.95 to his conqueror’s 111.73.
Dobey also averaged over a ton against Maik Kuivenhoven, Darren Webster and Jose de Sousa, and saw off World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks and Gavin Carlin during the event.
His form continued into the final, breaking Searle’s throw immediately and then doubling his lead, before responding to a 14-darter from the Somerset ace with legs of 12 and 14 darts to move 4-1 up.
Searle landed an 11-darter as he took the next two to cut the gap to one leg, only to see Dobey pull out to 6-3 with a 121 bull finish for a 12-dart leg.
Searle then missed double 12 for a nine-darter in leg ten, taking the leg in 11 darts and then firing in tops as he moved within touching distance at 6-5.
Crucially, though, he missed a dart at double ten to level in leg 12, and though Searle landed tops to stay in the game at 7-6, Dobey closed out victory on double ten.
Searle was also in outstanding form during the event, averaging 110.52 in his third round win over Jamie Hughes and defeating both Chas Barstow and Gabriel Clemens in deciding legs.
He also overcame Dave Chisnall 7-4 in the semi-finals, but was denied a third ranking title – and a second Players Championship success of 2021 – by Dobey in the decider.
Cross – the PC 26 winner last month – produced some outstanding darts in his run to the semi-finals, including a 109 average in a 6-5 defeat over Stephen Bunting in one of three matches he won in a deciding leg.
Chisnall had been bidding to claim his maiden 2021 title, and he overcame Michael van Gerwen with a 102 average in the quarter-finals to follow up earlier defeats of Max Hopp, Ritchie Edhouse, Alan Tabern and Danny Noppert.
Gabriel Clemens landed a nine-darter in the deciding leg of his third round win over Ross Smith during his run to the quarter-finals, where he lost out to Searle.
Alan Soutar knocked out former World Champions Peter Wright and Raymond van Barneveld as well as Krzysztof Ratajski as he reached the last eight alongside Clemens, Van Gerwen and Jose de Sousa.
Scott Waites posted Tuesday’s other nine-darter during his first round clash with Daryl Gurney, although it was the Northern Irish ace who took victory in the contest.
Former Premier League champion Glen Durrant withdrew during his first round tie with Davy Proosten, and has opted not to compete in Wednesday and Thursday’s final Players Championship events.
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