Gerwyn Price won the William Hill World Darts Championship and became world number one after defeating Gary Anderson with an electrifying display in Sunday’s final at Alexandra Palace.

Anderson missed four darts to take the opening set 3-0 and Price punished by claiming the next three legs to snatch an early advantage. The Welshman took the first leg in set two but a 180 followed by a 128 checkout sparked a three leg burst that saw Anderson level the match.

Price won the thirdd set 3-1 with 12,13 and 14-dart legs, shrugging off a 170 checkout from Anderson, before finishes of 84 and 120 helped the former professional rugby player take set four by the same margin.

Checkouts of 83, 97 and 76 saw Price continue an incredible run of finishes opened up a three set lead. He then produced the best set of darts in World Championship history when he took out 100 for an 11-dart leg, 161 for a 12-darter and double 12 to go out in ten darts, after missing it for a nine-darter – posting an astonishing set average of 136.64.

Back-to-back double top finishes saw Price take his success rate on that target to 13 landed from as many attempts, but when he finally missed it Anderson pounced to take the seventh set in a decider.

Price moved six sets to two ahead when he landed double top to win the fifth leg in set eight, before winning the following two legs to move within a leg of glory – but went on to miss nine match darts across two legs, allowing Anderson to steal the set and stay in the match.

The Scot punished Price for more missed doubles to make it five legs on the spin, but Price came from behind to win it on double five after Anderson had missed six darts to keep the tie alive.

Sunday January 3rd

THE FINAL
(100.08) Gerwyn Price 7-3 Gary Anderson (94.25)

FULL RESULTS/DRAW:

FIRST ROUND

Ryan Murray 3-1 Lourence Ilagan
Mickey Mansell 3-0 Haupai Puha
Wayne Jones 3-2 Ciaran Teehan
John Henderson 3-2 Marko Kantele
Keegan Brown 3-0 Ryan Meikle
Martijn Kleermaker/Cameron Carolissen (W)
Luke Humphries 2-3 Paul Lim
Derk Telnekes 2-3 Nick Kenny
Jason Lowe 3-1 Dmitriy Gorbunov
Steve Lennon 3-1 Daniel Larsson
Madars Razma 3-0 Toru Suzuki
Maik Kuivenhoven 0-3 Matthew Edgar
Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-2 Bradley Brooks
Adam Hunt 3-2 Lisa Ashton
Steve Beaton 0-3 Diogo Portela
Damon Heta 2-3 Danny Baggish
Steve West 3-0 Amit Gilitwala
Andy Hamilton 1-3 Nico Kurz
Ryan Joyce 3-2 Karel Sedlacek
Darius Labanauskas 3-0 Chengan Liu
Callan Rydz 3-1 James Bailey
Andy Boulton 3-1 Deta Hedman
Kim Huybrechts 3-0 Di Zhuang
Ryan Searle 3-2 Danny Lauby
Luke Woodhouse 2-3 Jamie Lewis
Mike De Decker 0-3 Edward Foulkes
Ross Smith 3-0 David Evans
Max Hopp 3-0 Gordon Mathers
Scott Waites 3-2 Matt Campbell
Ron Meulenkamp 3-1 Boris Krcmar
William O’Connor 3-0 Niels Zonneveld
Jeff Smith 3-1 Keane Barry

SECOND ROUND

Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Ryan Murray
Ricky Evans 3-1 Mickey Mansell
Joe Cullen 3-0 Wayne Jones
Jonny Clayton 3-1 John Henderson
Dave Chisnall 3-1 Keegan Brown
Danny Noppert 3-1 Cameron Carolissen
Dimitri Van den Bergh 3-0 Paul Lim
Jermaine Wattimena 3-1 Nick Kenny
Michael Smith 1-3 Jason Lowe
Devon Petersen 3-1 Steve Lennon
Gary Anderson 3-1 Madars Razma
Mensur Suljovic 3-1 Matthew Edgar
Rob Cross 2-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Jamie Hughes 0-3 Adam Hunt
Glen Durrant 3-0 Diogo Portela
Adrian Lewis 1-3 Danny Baggish
Peter Wright 3-1 Steve West
Gabriel Clemens 3-1 Nico Kurz
Krzysztof Ratajski 3-0 Ryan Joyce
Simon Whitlock 3-1 Darius Labanauskas
James Wade 3-0 Callan Rydz
Stephen Bunting 3-2 Andy Boulton
Ian White 1-3 Kim Huybrechts
Jeffrey de Zwaan 0-3 Ryan Searle
Gerwyn Price 3-2 Jamie Lewis
Brendan Dolan 3-1 Edward Foulkes
Jose de Sousa 3-1 Ross Smith
Mervyn King 3-1 Max Hopp
Nathan Aspinall 3-2 Scott Waites
Vincent van der Voort 3-2 Ron Meulenkamp
Daryl Gurney 3-2 William O’Connor
Chris Dobey 3-2 Jeff Smith

THIRD ROUND

Michael van Gerwen 4-0 Ricky Evans
Joe Cullen 4-3 Jonny Clayton
Dave Chisnall 4-2 Danny Noppert
Dimitri Van den Bergh 4-0 Jermaine Wattimena
Jason Lowe 0-4 Devon Petersen
Gary Anderson 4-3 Mensur Suljovic
Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-0 Adam Hunt
Glen Durrant 4-2 Danny Baggish
Peter Wright 3-4 Gabriel Clemens
Krzysztof Ratajski 4-0 Simon Whitlock
James Wade 2-4 Stephen Bunting
Kim Huybrechts 2-4 Ryan Searle
Gerwyn Price 4-3 Brendan Dolan
Jose de Sousa 0-4 Mervyn King
Nathan Aspinall 2-4 Vincent van der Voort
Daryl Gurney 4-1 Chris Dobey

FOURTH ROUND

Michael van Gerwen 4-3 Joe Cullen
Dave Chisnall 4-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Devon Petersen 0-4 Gary Anderson
Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-3 Glen Durrant
Gabriel Clemens 3-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Stephen Bunting 4-3 Ryan Searle
Gerwyn Price 4-1 Mervyn King
Vincent van der Voort 2-4 Daryl Gurney

QUARTER FINALS

Michael van Gerwen 0-5 Dave Chisnall
Gary Anderson 5-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Krzysztof Ratajski 3-5 Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price 5-4 Daryl Gurney

SEMI FINALS

Dave Chisnall 3-6 Gary Anderson
Stephen Bunting 4-6 Gerwyn Price

PRIZE FUND

Winner – £500,000
Runner-Up – £200,000
Semi-Finalists – £100,000
Quarter-Finalists – £50,000
Fourth Round – £35,000
Third Round – £25,000
Second Round – £15,000
First Round – £7,500