Premier League Darts: Michael van Gerwen moves four points clear at the top

Michael van Gerwen has won the darts Premier League for the last two years in a row

Michael van Gerwen moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League with a thumping 7-1 win over Simon Whitlock in Sheffield.

World champion Rob Cross beat second-placed Michael Smith 7-5 to go level on points with Smith.

Gary Anderson climbed into the top four with victory over Peter Wright, who returned to beat Raymond van Barneveld.

That was one of two defeats for the Dutchman, who was also defeated 7-3 by Daryl Gurney.

Anderson, Gurney and Whitlock are separated by only one point in what is shaping up to be an extremely close race for the fourth play-off position.

Wright, the 2017 runner-up, narrowly avoided elimination after nine rounds and defeat by Van Barneveld would likely have ended his top-four hopes.

However, the 48-year-old produced one of his best performances of the tournament to win 7-2 and he is now only three points behind fellow Scot Anderson.

Before the action started, players and fans held a minute's applause as a tribute to five-times world champion Eric Bristow, who died of a heart attack aged 60 on 5 April.

Round 10 results

Raymond van Barneveld 3-7 Daryl Gurney

Gary Anderson 7-2 Peter Wright

Simon Whitlock 1-7 Michael van Gerwen

Michael Smith 5-7 Rob Cross

Raymond van Barneveld 2-7 Peter Wright