DAVE Chisnall will join fellow St Helens darters Michael Smith and Stephen Bunting in the Cazoo Players Championship Finals buoyed by victory in yesterday’s 30th event of the 2023 series.
Chisnall claimed a fifth ranking title of the year as the ProTour season concluded with Players Championship 30 in Barnsley.
He has enjoyed a superb year on the circuit, winning three European Tour events and September's Players Championship 23 in a memorable campaign.
After finishing runner-up to Gerwyn Price in Wednesday’s Player Championship 29, also in Barnsley, he overcame Jim Williams 8-4 to scoop the £12,000 top prize.
Chisnall warmed up for the forthcoming Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts and Cazoo Players Championship Finals in style, with seven superb victories in event 30.
The highlight was a 111.35 average in a 6-2 quarter-final win over Scott Waites.
Chisnall also averaged over 105 in his last-16 win over Jamie Hughes, and averaged at least 92 in each of his other five wins, which included early round defeats of Jeffrey Sparidaans and Irish duo Dylan Slevin and Steve Lennon.
He followed up his super-show in the quarter-finals by overcoming Winmau World Youth Championship finalist Gian van Veen 7-4, opening up a 4-1 lead before holding out for victory.
Chisnall then proved too strong for Williams in the decider, with a devastating six-leg burst seeing him open up a 6-1 advantage over the Welshman.
Williams won two of the next three to maintain his hopes, but Chisnall followed up a 167 checkout in leg ten with a seventh 180 of the contest as he closed out victory.
"I'm playing some good darts," said Chisnall. "I think I played better on Wednesday than I did Thursday, but luckily for me I got away with a few games early on and did the job.
"I know I can play the game, I'm playing well and it shows.
"If I can keep winning these, it keeps me up the rankings. If I put some time in, I'll definitely be better - I'm alright at the moment."
Beaten semi-finalist Damon Heta saw off world champion Michael Smith in the last eight.
The top 64 from the Players Championship Order of Merit following this year's 30 events will come together for the 2023 Cazoo Players Championship Finals, which will take place at Butlin's Minehead Resort from November 24-26.
The draw for the £600,000 event has been made, with Chisnall seeded fourth, Smith 27th and Bunting 49th.
Chisnall is pitted against newcomer Lee Evans (61), Smith will collide with Richard Veenstra (38) in a quick-fire contest and Bunting will go head to head with Mickey Mansell (49).
The tournament will be broadcast live on ITV4.
2023 Cazoo Players Championship Finals draw: (1) Gerwyn Price v (64) Ricky Evans, (32) Kim Huybrechts v (33) Martin Schindler, (16) Stephen Bunting v (49) Mickey Mansell, (17) Gian van Veen v (48) Chris Landman, (8) Ross Smith v (57) Scott Williams, (25) Callan Rydz v (40) Michael van Gerwen, (9) Danny Noppert v (56) Matt Campbell, (24) Mike De Decker v (41) Mario Vandenbogaerde, (4) Dave Chisnall v (61) Lee Evans, (29) Chris Dobey v (36) Raymond van Barneveld, (13) Rob Cross v (52) Cameron Menzies, (20) Luke Woodhouse v (45) Simon Whitlock, (5) Josh Rock v (60) Rowby-John Rodriguez, (28) Gabriel Clemens v (37) Connor Scutt, (12) Jonny Clayton v (53) Stephen Burton, (21) Daryl Gurney v (44) Niels Zonneveld, (2) Gary Anderson v (63) Steve Beaton, (31) Dimitri Van den Bergh v (34) Jim Williams, (15) James Wade v (50) William O'Connor, (18) Andrew Gilding v (47) Steve Lennon, (7) Luke Humphries v (58) Martin Lukeman, (26) Radek Szaganski v (39) Ian White, (10) Ryan Searle v (55) Boris Krcmar, (23) Ricardo Pietreczko v (42) Christian Kist, (3) Damon Heta v (62) Jules van Dongen, (30) Jose de Sousa v (35) Kevin Doets, (14) Krzysztof Ratajski v (51) Maik Kuivenhoven, (19) Brendan Dolan v (46) Ritchie Edhouse, (6) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (59) Jermaine Wattimena, (27) Michael Smith v (38) Richard Veenstra, (11) Ryan Joyce v (54) Daniel Klose, (22) Joe Cullen v (43) Jamie Hughes.
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