ROB CROSS powered into the last eight of the Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals as he held off Adrian Lewis on Saturday night, as Michael van Gerwen continued his bid to claim a third successive title.
Shooting star Cross won through to his fourth successive TV quarter-final as he followed up his impressive 6-2 second round win on Saturday afternoon with a fine 10-6 defeat of Lewis.
Having landed four ton-plus checkouts against Lennon, Cross took out 156 and 104 as he moved into a 6-1 lead against two-time World Champion Lewis.
The Stoke ace - twice a Players Championship Finals runner-up - produced a superb 170 finish and also checked out 113 as he hit back to trail 8-6, but missed doubles in the next two legs allowed Cross to close out the win.
Cross now faces a quarter-final on Sunday afternoon against James Wade, whose bid to claim a first TV title for three years continued as he came from 3-0 down to defeat Jamie Caven 6-4 and then overcame a 2-0 deficit against Ian White.
Wade won five legs from six to take a 5-3 lead, and though White cut the gap to one it was the left-hander who pulled clear for a 10-6 victory, landing nine 180s in a heavy-scoring display.
Jonny Clayton secured his place in his first TV quarter-final by overcoming Gerwyn Price 6-2 in their all-Welsh tie before edging out Stephen Bunting 10-8 in round three.
Clayton landed a 140 finish as he took an early 3-1 lead, with Bunting taking out 125 before eventually levelling in leg 12, and he led 8-7 before seeing the Welshman claim the next three to prevail.
Clayton will meet Steve Beaton in Sunday afternoon's quarter-finals, with the former Lakeside Champion seeing off Dutch duo Jelle Klaasen and Jermaine Wattimena to secure his last eight spot.
Beaton had come from 4-3 down to defeat Klaasen 6-4, before seeing Wattimena defy a 158 checkout to come from 9-5 down to force a decider before the 53-year-old finally closed out the win to reach his first Minehead quarter-final.
Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen continued his bid to claim a fourth title in five years in the event by defeating Steve West and Darren Webster on Saturday.
A superb start saw West lead 2-0 before Van Gerwen reeled off six straight legs in an imperious response, before he saw off Webster 10-5 with a 103 average, extending his current unbeaten run to 25 matches.
Van Gerwen is now set for an all-Dutch quarter-final with Jan Dekker, who defeated Simon Whitlock in a deciding leg before defeating debutant Peter Jacques 10-5 to reach the last eight in a PDC event for the first time.
World Grand Prix champion Daryl Gurney's bid to win a second TV title saw him overcome Robbie Green 6-4, from 3-1 down, before ousting youngster Chris Dobey 10-5.
Gurney will come up against two-time Minehead semi-finalist Justin Pipe, who went to a deciding leg in both of his Saturday wins as he firstly came from 4-0 down to win 6-5 against Ron Meulenkamp before battling past William O'Connor with a 10-9 success.
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Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals
Saturday November 25
Afternoon Session
Second Round
Main Stage
William O'Connor 6-3 Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Robbie Green
Rob Cross 6-2 Steve Lennon
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Steve West
Peter Jacques 6-5 Steve Hine
Stage Two
Darren Webster 6-3 Mervyn King
Chris Dobey 6-5 Robert Thornton
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Richard North
Justin Pipe 6-5 Ron Meulenkamp
Steve Beaton 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
James Wade 6-4 Jamie Caven
Jan Dekker v Simon Whitlock
Ian White 6-5 John Henderson
Evening Session
Third Round
Main Stage
Rob Cross 10-6 Adrian Lewis
Steve Beaton 10-9 Jermaine Wattimena
Michael van Gerwen 10-5 Darren Webster
Jan Dekker 10-5 Peter Jacques
Stage Two
Justin Pipe 10-9 William O'Connor
Jonny Clayton 10-8 Stephen Bunting
James Wade 10-6 Ian White
Daryl Gurney 10-5 Chris Dobey
Second Round Match Information
William O'Connor progressed to the last 16 of the Players Championship Finals on his debut as he overcame Dave Chisnall 6-3.
The Irish ace capitalised on 15 missed doubles from the 2016 finalist during the contest, opening up a 4-0 lead before holding on to close out the win.
Darren Webster produced a brilliant 103 average, ton-plus checkouts of 120 and 101 and six doubles from nine attempts as he overcame Norfolk rival Mervyn King 6-3 to reach the last 16.
Robert Thornton came from 4-1 down to force a deciding leg with Chris Dobey, but the youngster prevailed 6-5 as he survived two missed match darts from the Scot to finally close out victory.
Stephen Bunting secured his third round spot with an impressive 6-3 win over Mensur Suljovic, averaging 100 and finishing six doubles from nine attempts as he won five of the final six legs.
Jonny Clayton defied a 140 checkout from Gerwyn Price in the opening leg of their second round tie to emerge with a 6-2 win, averaging over 98 and hitting 50 percent of his darts at a double to set up a last 16 meeting with Bunting.
Adrian Lewis held off Richard North's fightback from 3-0 down to level before he pulled away to claim a 6-3 triumph, taking out 96 and 85 as he progressed to the last 16 with 50 percent on his finishing.
Daryl Gurney came from 3-1 down to defeat 2016 quarter-finalist Robbie Green 6-4 as he moved through to set up a third round meeting with Chris Dobey on Saturday night.
Rob Cross produced the most impressive performance of the tournament so far, averaging 104 and taking out four ton-plus finishes as he came from 2-1 down against Steve Lennon to win 6-2 with five consecutive legs.
Justin Pipe produced a gutsy comeback from 4-0 down to defeat Ron Meulenkamp, taking out 120 to force a decider before punishing the Dutch left-hander for two misses at tops by landing double 15 for the win.
Steve Beaton emerged victorious with a 6-4 win over Jelle Klaasen in the battle of former Lakeside Champions, with the lead changing hands three times as the veteran star claimed the final three legs without reply for victory.
Beaton now takes on Jermaine Wattimena, who pulled clear from three-all to defeat Northern Irish left-hander Mickey Mansell 6-3 as he won through to the last 16 of a TV event for the first time.
Michael van Gerwen came from two legs down to continue his bid to win a fourth Players Championship Finals title with a 6-2 win over Steve West, averaging a brilliant 108.28.
West made an explosive start by following a 14-darter with an 11-darter to break throw and move 2-0 up, but three misses in leg three allowed Van Gerwen in to get off the mark.
The World Champion then finished back-to-back 12-darters to move ahead, hit successive 14-darters to move 5-2 up and sealed victory on double ten.
James Wade came from 3-0 down against Jamie Caven before progressing to the last 16 with a 6-4 win over the Derby ace.
Peter Jacques' memorable TV debut continued as he edged out Steve Hine 6-5 to reach the last 16.
Jacques led 3-0 and 5-2 before Hine - who knocked out Peter Wright in round one - hit back to force a decider, but the Huddersfield ace took out 80 to move into the third round.
Jacques now plays Jan Dekker, who overcame Simon Whitlock 6-5 in a tight contest as the Dutchman progressed to Saturday night's action.
Ian White set up a tasty third round tie against Wade with a narrow 6-5 win over John Henderson, with all 11 legs going with the throw as the Stoke-based thrower eventually closed out victory on double.
Facebook Live Stage Two Stream - Second Round Games 1-8
Facebook Live Stage Two Stream - Ian White v John Henderson
Facebook Live Stage Two Stream - Third Round