Here at SportsCasting, we have compiled a list of the Top 5 greatest performances in World Darts Championship Final history. We have been treated to some incredible finals over the years, including the 2007 final between Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld, not to mention the 2023 classic between Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith.
So with out further ado, here are the five best World Darts Championship Final wins in the history of darts.
Top 5 World Darts Championship Final Victories
Without further ado, here are five of the best World Darts Championship Finals at Ally Pally in the history of darts counting down from five to one…
5. Peter Wright 7-3 Michael van Gerwen – 2020
Kicking of our list of the five best World Darts Championship Final performances is Peter Wright’s maiden world title victory back in 2020. ‘Snakebite’ beat Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in what was a clinical performance and one that is worthy of making it onto this list.
What makes this win so incredible from Scotland’s two-time world champion is the level that both he and his Dutch counterpart played at. Both men averaged over 102, and it was van Gerwen in fact who had the slightly higher average. That being said, Wright hit the important checkouts and threw the perfect darts at exactly the right times.
Averaging over 100 in a World Darts Championship Final is a feat in itself. Wright did that, as well as beating the best player in the world at the time and a man who had been dominating the sport for the best part of five years prior to this final.
Wright would of course go on to win a second Sid Waddell Trophy in 2022, but his first win in the World Darts Championship Final at Alexandra Palace was a remarkable performance and one that will live long in the memory for ‘Snakebite’.
4. Adrian Lewis 7-5 Gary Anderson – 2011
In at number four on our list of the best wins in the history of World Darts Championship Finals is Adrian Lewis’ victory against Gary Anderson in the 2011 final. This was Lewis’ first world title victory and he did it in style in a quite epic encounter with one of the pre-tournament favourites, Gary Anderson.
What makes this performance even more remarkable is the fact that ‘Jackpot’ hit a perfect nine-dart finish during the game. This was the first time in the history of the World Darts Championship that there had been a perfect leg of nine darts achieved by any player in the Final of the biggest darts tournament in the world.
Lewis hit his nine-darter in just the third leg of the match in the opening set. The Englishman was just 25-years-old at the time and was in his first ever final. He could smell victory when he was 5-3 up in sets, but ‘The Flying Scotsman’ fought back well to make it 6-5 and give fans an ending to remember.
However, Lewis was not to be denied as he held on and won the 12th set, winning his first World Darts Championship in quite emphatic fashion 7-5. Lewis went on to defend his title 12 months later, becoming only the second man to successfully defend his world crown along with the greatest darts player to ever live, Phil Taylor.
3. Gary Anderson 7-6 Phil Taylor – 2015
Kicking of our Top 3 of the best World Darts Championship Final wins is Gary Anderson’s crowning night at the 2015 event when he beat the great Phil Taylor 7-6 to win his first ever World Darts Championship.
Four years on from his heart-breaking loss to Adrian Lewis in the 2011 final, Anderson won his maiden title and did it in the most remarkable fashion, beating the 16-time winner. At 4-4, Anderson saw a 180 fall on the floor with all three darts seemingly in the treble 20 segment, before falling out meaning he scored no points.
‘The Flying Scotsman’ didn’t let that get to him as he began to assert himself in pursuit of his first World Darts Championship title. Taylor’s doubles were deserting him a bit, and Anderson too full advantage on the night. With the scores at 6-6 in sets, Anderson came on strong in the final set, winning it 3-0.
Anderson became the first Scotsman to win the World Darts Championship. Despite averaging three points less than Taylor, Anderson hit the right shots at the right moments and fully deserved the win on the night. He would of course go on to defend the title 12 months later and become just the third man to achieve this feat.
2. Raymond van Barneveld 7-6 Phil Taylor – 2007
In at number two and incredibly unlucky not to claim top spot is of course the epic battle in the 2007 World Darts Championship Final between Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor. ‘Barney’ won his first title in remarkable fashion, beating ‘The Power’ in a deciding set.
The Dutchman had previously won four world titles over in the Lakeside, but had never won a PDC World Championships. Taylor was aiming to win his 14th world title, but it wasn’t to be. Not only is this one of the best performances in a World Darts Championship Final, but it is one of the greatest matches there has ever been in the history of darts.
A truly gripping encounter in the cauldron-like atmosphere of the Circus Tavern saw van Barneveld trail Taylor 3-0 in the early stages, before an incredible comeback from the Dutchman saw him level it up at 5-5 before a 6-5 lead. In typical Phil Taylor fashion, he made it 6-6 in sets which meant the final would be decided in one set of darts.
The thrilling final went all the way, with van Barneveld winning a crucial bull-up to throw first in the deciding leg. He held his nerve and hit double 20 to win one of the greatest matches in televised history.
1. Michael Smith 7-4 Michael van Gerwen – 2023 World Darts Championship
In at number one on our list of the Top 5 best World Darts Championship Final triumphs was of course Michael Smith‘s remarkable 2023 victory against Michael van Gerwen. Smith ran out a 7-4 winner to win his first World Darts Championship, getting revenge over ‘MVG’ from their 2019 final in which the Dutchman won 7-3.
The game had everything. Over 30 180s between the two, which included over 20 for Smith, high checkouts, huge pressure moments and of course above all else a perfect nine-dart finish. This wasn’t just any normal nine dart leg. This was the most incredible nine-darter there has ever been in the history of the sport and there will ever be in the future.
Michael van Gerwen himself missed double 12 for a perfect leg, before ‘Bully Boy’ was on hand to checkout 141 himself and send Ally Pally into raptures. Eight perfect darts for van Gerwen, followed by nine perfect darts from the newly crowned World Champion and world number one.
THE BEST LEG OF ALL TIME! 🤯🔥
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN MISSES D12 FOR A NINE-DARTER, AND THEN SMITH PINS A PERFECT LEG HIMSELF!
ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS YOU'LL EVER SEE IN SPORT. pic.twitter.com/WyKWFcxq5V
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 3, 2023
That leg alone epitomised the game as a whole. It was an incredible encounter between two of the best arrow smiths in the world. Of course, ‘MVG’ massively played his part too in this epic final, but it wasn’t to be for the three-time Sid Waddell Trophy winner.
The only reason this match landed top spot over the van Barneveld vs Taylor epic is because of that incredible leg in the second set. It wasn’t just any old nine-dart finish, it was the single best leg of darts there will ever be played in the sport.
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