Glen Durrant climbed back to the top of the Premier League table after an emphatic 7-3 win against closest rival Michael Van Gerwen.
Van Gerwen knocked Durrant off the summit with victory against Rob Cross on Tuesday night, but was clearly second best to the Englishman in a behind-closed-doors grudge match.
Three-time BDO world champion Durrant, from Middlesbrough, averaged 104 and hit 58 per cent of his doubles.
U̶T̶B̶ UTD https://t.co/2lXsaeBdxa — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) August 26, 2020
The two men had been involved in an exchange of words in the build-up, with world number one Van Gerwen describing Durrant as "boring".
Durrant, who also won their two previous meetings, responded by declaring he was desperate to make it 3-0 against the Dutchman and from 2-2 at the Marshall Arena he won the next four legs and never looked in trouble before seeing out the match.
Reigning PDC world champion Peter Wright made light work of Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan, averaging 102 on his way to a clinical 7-1 win.
WIN A £20 JUST EAT VOUCHER! There weren't too many high finishes from tonight's action but we did get the most boring 167 finish Van Gerwen has ever seen! 👀 RT this post and follow @JustEatUK to be in with a chance of winning the voucher! pic.twitter.com/vajVeuGKf5 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) August 26, 2020
In Wednesday night's opening match – the Premier League's Night Eight – Gerwyn Price gave his survival hopes a huge boost ahead of judgement night on Thursday by thrashing former two-time world champion Gary Anderson 7-1.
Cross, who lost 7-2 to Van Gerwen on Tuesday, must win on Thursday and hope other results go his way if he is to avoid elimination after losing 7-3 to Michael Smith.
Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney made it back-to-back wins by beating Nathan Aspinall 7-5 to move above Cross in the table.
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