World Matchplay: Michael van Gerwen beats James Wade in final

Michael van Gerwen is number one in the PDC'S Order of Merit

World number one Michael van Gerwen beat James Wade 18-12 to win his first World Matchplay title in Blackpool.

Van Gerwen won five straight legs to move 10-6 ahead in the final and held on to clinch the £100,000 first prize.

"It means a lot to me because, after the World Championship, this is the biggest ranking event," said the 26-year-old Dutch thrower.

Wade had ended Phil Taylor's 38-match winning run at the World Matchplay in the semi-finals.

Before Saturday's defeat, 16-time world champion Taylor had claimed seven successive Matchplay titles and had not been beaten at the event since a semi-final loss to Terry Jenkins in 2007.

"It's an honour to be in the final but I let myself down a little bit," said Aldershot's Wade, the 2007 champion. "From start to finish I struggled, and I wasn't good enough."

The 32-year-old added: "I'm happy to be in the final and to mix it with the best players in the world again, but I'm not happy with how I played.

"It's almost as if someone cut my arm off, and the most simple shots became hard work."