Cross to face MVG in Premier League opener

St Leonards-based Cross and reigning Premier League champion van Gerwen will lock horns in Dublin on Thursday February 1. The two men contested a classic semi-final at the recent William Hill World Darts Championship, which Cross eventually won after a nerve-shredding sudden death leg. Ten of the world’s top players will compete in the Premier League, a 16-week roadshow event to be broadcast live on Sky Sports and worldwide. The season will include Judgement Night after nine matches where the bottom two players in the table are eliminated after the players have faced each other once in the league phase. The remaining eight players will then continue their battle to secure places at May’s Play-Offs in London, where the top four from the final league table will compete for the title. The fixtures for the opening nine nights were announced this afternoon (Tuesday). The matches from week 10 onwards will be confirmed following Judgement Night. Cross, the new world number three, will face Simon Whitlock on the second night in Cardiff before another tasty encounter against second-ranked Peter Wright on night three in Newcastle. Rob Cross’s 2018 Unibet Premier League fixtures February 1: 3Arena Dublin - Michael van Gerwen February 8: Motorpoint Arena Cardiff - Simon Whitlock February 15: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle - Peter Wright February 22: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin - Raymond van Barneveld March 1: Westpoint Arena, Exeter - Gary Anderson March 8: First Direct Arena, Leeds - Michael Smith March 15: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham - Mensur Suljovic March 22: The SSE Hydro, Glasgow - Gerwyn Price March 29: The SSE Arena, Belfast - Daryl Gurney Benefit from an ongoing discount on your Observer by joining our voucher membership scheme. Once you’ve subscribed, we’ll send you dated vouchers which can be exchanged for your paper at any news outlet. To save money on your Observer, simply click here (www.localsubsplus.co.uk)