Rob Cross wins first PDC title of year and says: I was desperate to win ... it's a good kick-start

The St Leonards-based world number five produced several high-class performances to win Players Championship 11 in Leicester.

Cross won seven matches in total at the Morningside Arena, four of them with averages in excess of 100, as he picked up the £12,000 top prize.

He told the PDC: "I just love winning. In these last couple of weeks I've really wanted it again and I think that's been a massive turning point. I'm so glad that I got the win today.

"I have lost in so many finals in certain disciplines and nobody remembers the runner-up. I was desperate to win and it's a good kick-start now. I want to keep moving forward.

"You've got the best of the best coming through now and it's hard. Even these players that haven't won titles, they are still so dangerous and you have to do your job."

Cross secured the ninth Players Championship title of his career with an 8-3 victory over young Belgian thrower Mike De Decker in the final, averaging 101.59 in the process.

From 2-2, Cross reeled off three straight legs in 14, 13 and 14 darts, and although De Decker replied with a 12-darter, Cross produced another three-leg burst to wrap up victory, sealing it in style with a 146 checkout.

The 2018 world champion previously edged out the day's surprise package, Polish player Radek Szaganski, 7-6 in a tight semi-final.

Cross eased past Joe Murnan 6-1 in the quarter-finals aided by a 102.41 average, having whitewashed Lee Evans 6-0 in the last 16, this time averaging 99.10.

The 32-year-old needed a deciding leg to defeat Scott Waites in round three, despite averaging 101.03, after taking the first five legs in his 6-1 second-round success over Florian Hempel.

Cross produced his highest average of the day - 105.61 - in his 6-4 first-round triumph against Dutch player Owen Roelofs, winning the final three legs in a total of 38 darts.

The two-time European Championship winner followed up Saturday's exploits by reaching the last 16 of Players Championship 12 at the same venue on Sunday.

A 6-2 first-round win over Graham Usher was followed by 6-3 victories over Mervyn King and Roelofs before Cross was beaten 6-4 by Chris Dobey in an extraordinary contest.

Cross, who averaged an outstanding 111, opened up a 4-2 lead with winning legs of 11, 12, 11 and 14 darts only for Masters champion Dobey to clinch the last four in 14, 12, 12 and 15.

A fine weekend's work, nonetheless, boosted Cross's hopes of teaming up with world champion Michael Smith for England in next month's World Cup of Darts.