Ice Man Thanks The Ferret As Gerwyn Price And Jonny Clayton Win World Cup For Wales

By Paul Jones

The Ice Man, Gerwyn Price, paid tribute to The Ferret, Jonny Clayton, for playing the lead role in Wales becoming world champions in darts once more.

Price and Clayton sealed a second World Cup of Darts trophy for Wales with a clinical performance in their 10-2 victory over Scotland’s Gary Anderson and Peter Wright in Frankfurt.

The 2020 champions had beaten Belgium in a nervy 8-7 thriller to reach the title decider against the Scots, who had eliminated German hosts Gabriel Clemens and Martin Schindler to set up the all-British final.

Price and Clayton quickly cruised to a 3-0 lead before Wright took out 93 to hold and secure the Scots’ first winning leg.

Victories in five successive legs for Price and Clayton, however, gave the Scottish duo a mountain to climb but they clawed back another leg win through Anderson’s 12-darter to make it 8-2.

That was the end of the celebrations for ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Anderson and PDC world number two ‘Snakebite’ Wright, however, as Wales soon found themselves one away thanks to Clayton equalling his match-highest 116 checkout in the 11th.

WALES ARE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏆

The World Cup is in Welsh hands once again! 👏

A simply sublime display from Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price who breeze their way to glory, defeating Scotland 8-2 in the final!#WorldCupofDarts | Final pic.twitter.com/4VAVIiyJVF

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 18, 2023

Price was off-target in the 12th, missing three darts at double 18 before Clayton stepped up to seal the result.

The Iceman Price credited his team-mate for the win, telling Sky Sports: “Honestly I think I struggled a little bit in that game. Jonny was the one to pick our trophy up. He won it for us tonight.

“He was fantastic at scoring, checking out. I was there in between but he was clinical. Fair play to Jonny. What a player, absolute gentleman as well.

“It’s a difficult sport against the best players in the world week-in and week-out and to win by that margin is a little bit flattering. We’re thrilled to win and Jonny carried me tonight, so happy days.”

WALES ARE THE 2023 MY DIESEL CLAIM WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏆 pic.twitter.com/084Fdr6qys

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 18, 2023

The Scots were still in good spirits as Anderson lavished praise on his opponents, though joked he might not feel so festive come the end of the year.

He said: “The Welsh have got a cracking darts team. We tried, and we’re not getting any younger bit we’ll still try.

“You’ve got Gerwyn, what he’s done in darts over the last few years and you’ve got the Ferret (Clayton) – I ain’t sending him no Christmas card this year.”

The final was a much smoother affair for the 2023 champions than their semi-final, which saw them narrowly evade a Belgian comeback.

Dimitri van den Bergh and Kim Huybrechts had already ensured there would be a new winner in the revamped tournament after ousting defending champions Australia to reach the last eight.
Price and Clayton, who lost to the Aussies in last year’s final, looked to have put the contest in cruise control when they were two legs from advancing at 6-3 but the Belgians rallied to force a deciding leg.

Scotland, meanwhile, dashed Clemens and Schindler’s dreams of reaching a fairy-tale final in front of the home support after the Germans had shocked England’s top-seeded Rob Cross and Michael Smith to advance with an 8-3 victory in the quarter-final.

Clemens and Schindler won three successive legs to make it 7-2 and it ultimately proved too significant a deficit for Cross and Smith to overcome.

WALES ARE IN THE FINAL! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Simply. Sensational.

Jonny Clayton secures Wales yet another World Cup final spot, taking out a clinical 100 finish to clinch the deciding leg!

WOW! 😲

📺 https://t.co/HgMD2ZD0g1#WorldCupofDarts | SF pic.twitter.com/LNjNsyhxY7

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 18, 2023