Machibet APPMichael Smith 13-18 Rob Cross: Leg-by-leg report and highlights from the World Matchplay final
The moment Rob Cross won the World Matchplay final against Michael Smith (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)
The moment Rob Cross won the World Matchplay final against Michael Smith (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

Michael Smith 13-18 Rob Cross: Leg-by-leg report and highlights from the World Matchplay final

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Sun July 28, 2019 · 5y ago

Leg-by-leg report, highlights and reaction from the Betfred World Matchplay final in Blackpool, where Rob Cross beat Michael Smith 18-13 to win the Phil Taylor Trophy.

ROB CROSS IS THE WORLD MATCHPLAY CHAMPION!

2115: It's an incredible achievement for Rob Cross to become just the fourth player to have won both the World Championship and World Matchplay so soon in his career.

He's still only in his third year as a professional which means he's achieved this special double quicker than both Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson while Phil Taylor did it just one season quicker.

.

Averages

  • Smith: 97.12
  • Cross: 95.58

180s

  • Smith: 7
  • Cross: 3

Doubles

  • Smith: 11/32
  • Cross: 14/24

Ton+ Checkouts

  • Smith: 147
  • Cross: 115, 100
.

Averages

  • Smith: 95.1
  • Cross: 95.99

180s

  • Smith: 5
  • Cross: 2

Doubles

  • Smith: 7/26
  • Cross: 13/23

Highest Checkouts

  • Smith: 147
  • Cross: 115
.

Averages

  • Smith: 91.49
  • Cross: 94.41

180s

  • Smith: 3
  • Cross: 2

Doubles

  • Smith: 4/17
  • Cross: 11/20

Highest Checkouts

  • Smith: 84
  • Cross: 115
.

Averages

  • Smith: 91.53
  • Cross: 96.22

180s

  • Smith: 1
  • Cross: 2

Doubles

  • Smith: 1/10
  • Cross: 9/17

Highest Checkouts

  • Smith: 84
  • Cross: 81
.

Averages

  • Smith: 89
  • Cross: 95.13

180s

  • Smith: 1
  • Cross: 1

Doubles

  • Smith: 0/6
  • Cross: 5/9

Highest Checkouts

  • Smith: 0
  • Cross: 81

  • Leg Five
    Bully Boy finally hits a 180 in promising leg in which he later misses the bull for a 124 checkout that would have completed a confidence boosted 12-darter. After Cross misses bullseye for a showboating 125 checkout in which he already had one dart nestling in the red bit, Smith spurns two darts at double 10 and is again made to pay by the ruthless Voltage. One way traffic!
    SMITH 0-5 CROSS
  • Leg Four
    Smith finally gets shots at a double but he misses all three of them from 24 and Cross, who had missed an attempt at bullseye for a 73 checkout, punishes him for a double break of throw.
    SMITH 0-4 CROSS
  • Leg Three
    A long way to go but this is a worrying start for Smith who is averaging below 90 and yet to have a dart at a double. Cross, who isn't exactly firing on all cylinders apart from his finishing and his first maximum of the match, takes out 81 for a 12-darter and a 3-0 lead while Bully Boy was back on 266.
    SMITH 0-3 CROSS
  • Leg Two
    Still no early 180 to get the crowd off their feet but Cross fans will be more than happy to see their man get an early break of throw with a second successive 72 finish for a 15-darter - although this was a different route than the first leg, going two single 20s and a double 16.
    SMITH 0-2 CROSS
  • Leg One (Rob Cross to throw first)
    A sloppy start from both players in this race to 18 legs but it's Cross who holds throw in 18 darts with a 72 checkout as Smith waited for a chance to break on 40.
    SMITH 0-1 CROSS

1910: The players will be coming out shortly so it's now time to get on the edge of your seat and prepare to be jumping off it many times tonight because darts will be the winner for the ninth night in a row!

1900: In terms of what the bookies think, Rob Cross is the marginal favourite at 8/11 with Sky Bet to claim what would be the second third of career Triple Crown in a PDC career that's still only in its third season! And had he won the Premier League final against MVG earlier this year, he'd be trying to complete it tonight.

Michael Smith is 11/10 outsider but I'm going to side with him like I have all the way through the tournament and hopefully he'll turn that 25/1 each-way tip into a winner for any of our readers that followed my pre-tournament preview! But don't cry for me if Bully Boy loses, we've already had plenty of profit thanks to Glen Durrant's 11/1 run to the semi-finals and the each-way part of the Smith bet.

I do have a couple of predictions and suggestions for tonight - as outlined and explained fully in my final preview which you can click here to read - and they are and .

1845: Now let's take a look at those 'all important' head-to-head records that I personally don't tend to read too much into...

Obviously Cross boasts the superior record here although his last victory against his World Cup of Darts team-mate came when he last won a title, which was on TV, in the Shanghai Masters final of 2018.

1835: Here's the top level tournament stats from both players so far and, as you can see, there hardly anything between them. On a basic level you show Cross has a slight edge but on their last performance, Smith raised his game with his first 100+ average of the week whereas Voltage was sloppy and misfiring for a large proportion of his semi-final with Gurney before embarking on that stunning comeback from 14-7 down. That late burst will fill him feel like he has just won a match 10-1 but to be honest he was let off the hook by a crumbling opponent.

(Smith stats on the left)

  • Tournament Average: 98.17 - 99.19
  • Best Average: 100.77 (v Durrant) - 101.83 (v Bunting)
  • Tournament 180s: 25 - 29
  • Checkout %: 41.35% (55/133) - 43.90% (54/123)
  • High Checkout: 137 - 170
  • Ton+ Checkouts: 8 - 8

1825: Now here's Rob Cross' route to the Blackpool showpiece. Again, just click on the round if you want to find out how each match unfolded...

Unlike Smith, Rob Cross cruised through the opening two rounds before a brilliant display from underdog Stephen Bunting pushed him almost to the brink in his first ever Blackpool quarter-final. He was then down and out against Daryl Gurney but had the character to take 10 of the last 11 legs played to pull off one of the greatest ever darting comebacks.

1820: Let's take a look at how both players got here, starting with Michael Smith. Just click on the round if you want to read a report from the night to refresh your mind on what happened...

Bully Boy had to hit the ground running with such a tough opening fixture against one of the fastest climbing stars of the PDC in Jamie Hughes while he was given a real test against a fellow World Youth champion in Max Hopp. Then a much older challenger in Mervyn King - the conqueror of Gary Anderson - pushed him hard until a late burst of brilliance towards the end but he was always in control against Glen Durrant as he ended one of the great storylines of the week.

1815: Good evening and welcome to our live blog from the climax of what has been a truly special World Matchplay, where there will be a new name on the Phil Taylor Trophy.

Michael Smith is of course bidding for his maiden major title in his fourth final at this level while Rob Cross is chasing his second having obviously beaten the man tonight's trophy is named after to win the biggest of them all around 18 months ago.

Over the course of the next hour I'll run through the story of how both men got this far, complete with some highlights, as well as their respective tournament stats, head-to-head records and my predictions.

Regular followers of our darts pages will know we're kind of hoping Smith will triumph after I tipped him at 25/1 each-way in my pre-tournament preview but with profits already secured, including Glen Durrant winning his quarter at 11/1, we can at least relax and enjoy what should be a fitting climax to a brilliant week in Blackpool.

It could have been better, however, had my other 25/1 each-way tip Daryl Gurney managed to win three of the last 10 legs of 'that' semi-final with Cross instead of just one!

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