At a febrile Alexandra Palace, Michael van Gerwen has taken the first set against Michael Smith with ominous authority. The three-times world champion holds his throw to start the next but Smith, in his third final after heartbreak at the last in 2019 and 2022, hits back with an 11-dart leg to set the stage for perhaps the most remarkable 18 darts and 61 seconds in the history of the world championship …
Van Gerwen, visit one The opening exchanges have been frantic and the pace frenetic as the two players, both rapid-fire rhythm throwers, warm to their task in their second world championship final meeting. The Dutchman, as ever glaring at the board as if its mere presence is an affront to the senses, rattles in three treble-20s in trademark rat-a-tat style, the sixth 180 already in a ferociously high-scoring opening to the final.
Smith, visit one As Smith’s first dart thunks into the treble-20 bed, the Ally Pally crowd begins to stir. By the time his third slams into the same spot – barely a second or so later – the sense of anticipation is palpable. Van Gerwen’s scoring has threatened to blow his opponent away but here is a sign that Smith – looking smooth and relaxed in his throw – is not going to be cowed.
Van Gerwen, visit two There’s no time to draw breath – barely has Smith plucked his darts from the board than Van Gerwen is toe to the oche, drawing his arm back to throw. The Where’s Wallies and Minions and jockeys and Power Rangers and Father Christmases in the crowd are still on their feet as dart one finds its mark. The second inevitably follows and Van Gerwen changes down to 19s with his last. Again he’s on target. “They may both be on nines …” murmurs Wayne Mardle in the commentary box, realisation that something special might be happening beginning to dawn.
Smith, visit two If Smith is feeling the heat of this relentless MVG assault he isn’t showing it. Nor is the increasingly throbbing volume in the arena taking any toll. In the commentary box, though, hearts are pounding. Thunk! Dart one slams into the treble. “They’re both on nines!” yelps Mardle again, the electricity rising. Thunk! Dart two follows it home. “They’re both on nines!” No changedown for Smith, who stays at the top of the board. Thunk! Dart three joining its tungsten brethren in the treble bed. “This is insane!” roars Mardle, just audible over the deafening noise in the crowd. “Come on now!”
Van Gerwen, visit three Ally Pally is rocking and no wonder. Van Gerwen has 144 remaining for the second nine-darter in world championship final history and three darts in which to do it – all three have to be perfect. And they so nearly are. The first two find treble 20 again, the decibel level increasing with each throw. That leaves double 12 … but he’s a few millimetres outside the wire.
Smith, visit three For the first time in the leg, if not the match, there’s the briefest of pauses. As Van Gerwen purses his lips and heads back to his table, Smith offers a fist-bump – part congratulation, part commiseration – before taking a deep breath to compose himself. The moment of respite, though, sends the crackle in the air into another level of fever pitch. “I’ve never seen the like,” roars Mardle, sending himself hoarse before Smith has even thrown.
Having gone the traditional 20s route he needs 141. There’s a couple of ways to approach it but treble 20 is always the start – and Smith whistles his first dart into the middle of the middle of the bed. Treble 19 is next and this time the dart creeps in, perilously close to treble three. Despite the excitement, the roar at that shot dies back to a split-second of near-silence as Smith draws back to take aim, just as Van Gerwen had done seconds earlier, at double 12 … and with that same smooth, relaxed action finds the heart of the bed for a nine-dart finish.
Cue pandemonium. “That is the most amazing leg of darts you will ever see in your life,” screams Mardle, before channelling the great Castleford commentator Mick Morgan: “I can’t spake! I can’t spake!” Mardle wasn’t lying – the pundit was nursing a sore throat and eventually had to hand the microphone over to John Part.
On the Guardian’s leg-by-leg live blog, Rob Smyth is equally enthralled:
THEY’RE BOTH ON A NINE-DARTER AFTER SIX DARTS! I can’t keep up with this, it’s ridiculous. MvG misses D12 for a nine – and then Smith takes out T20, T19 and finally, gloriously, D12. What a leg! What a sport! What a pair of geniuses!
Smith, as a wild Alexandra Palace comes apart at the seams around him, looks the calmest man in the building: a raise of the fist, a nod and smile towards his family, darts plucked from the board and a sip of water before getting back to business, going on to win the match by seven sets to four.
Later, the new world champion and world No 1 summed up the moment in typically understated style: “I thought I’d give the crowd what they deserved and they got one, the magical nine.” Smith followed up with a tweet on Wednesday: “I’ve watched that nine [darter] about a million times. It wouldn’t have even been that good without Wayne Mardle commentating on it.”
