Premier League Darts: Michael Smith & Simon Whitlock maintain 100% starts

Image source, Lawrence Lustig/PDC

Image caption, Michael Smith won only one of his nine matches in 2016 - the only previous time he participated in the Premier League

Michael Smith and Simon Whitlock both won their matches in Newcastle on Thursday to maintain their perfect records in the Premier League.

St Helens thrower Smith, 27, beat Mensur Suljovic 7-2, while Australian Whitlock, 48, defeated Raymond van Barneveld 7-4.

Michael van Gerwen hit seven 180s in a superb 7-3 win over Gary Anderson.

And, after two losses, world champion Rob Cross beat Peter Wright 7-4 for his first points of the tournament.

The other match between Daryl Gurney and Welshman Gerwyn Price ended in a 6-6 draw.

Both Smith and Whitlock are excelling on their respective returns to the Premier League in 2018.

Whitlock - back in the event after a four-year absence - is top of the table having lost fewer legs than Smith, who has already collected more points than he did in the nine group games he played in 2016.

The pair will face each other in Berlin on 22 February, as Germany stages Premier League matches for the first time.

Round three results

Mensur Suljovic 2-7 Michael Smith

Daryl Gurney 6-6 Gerwyn Price

Peter Wright 4-7 Rob Cross

Gary Anderson 3-7 Michael van Gerwen

Simon Whitlock 7-4 Raymond van Barneveld