Bully Boy too hot for the Iceman as Smith climbs Premier League table

Michael Smith defeated Gerwyn Price 6-4 to win the final of night 13 in Leeds and moved up to third in the Cazoo Premier League.

Smith dropped just three legs and lobbed in 10 180's on his way to the final as he dismantled Chris Dobey 6-1 in the quarter-final before cruising to a 6-2 win over Peter Wright.

Price eased past fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton with a 6-2 scoreline before coming through 6-3 against last week's winner Nathan Aspinall, who struggled on the doubles, hitting just three from 16 in the match.

The Bully Boy climbed back into the top four with victory and a first win since week three, while the Iceman fell to defeat in the final for the second week running.

In the final, Smith averaged 104.86 and smashed in four 180's but Price's performance was not bad either averaging a ton himself in a ferocious contest.

Smith's early break of throw in the tie proved vital as both players continued to hold throw throughout the high-quality encounter which ended in favour of Smith.

The current world number one feels his motivation has returned since winning the World Championship and performance is beginning to improve at just the right time, with the play-offs looming.

He said: "It's about getting that winning feeling back, that fighting feeling.

"For me if I can get that first win over the next weeks, starting off quick and then it'll be about focussing on the O2.

"In that final I thought if I can break him once, because if you break him once and hold throw you win the match and I think I did the job well.

"When I won the Worlds I was fighting for something and now that I won it, I took it for granted like I've completed it what else do I do, but I took some time to reflect and thought I want to win two, three and get a lot