Premier League Darts fixtures: Peter Wright faces Michael Smith as 2022 season starts on Thursday, live on Sky Sports | Darts News

Opening Premier League night features Peter Wright against Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen starts against Gary Anderson, defending champion Jonny Clayton takes on Joe Cullen and Gerwyn Price vs James Wade in Cardiff on Thursday, live on Sky Sports

Peter Wright faces Michael Smith in a World Championship final rematch as the 2022 Cazoo Premier League starts in Cardiff on Thursday, live on Sky Sports.

Following the announcement of a radical new format for the Premier League this season, each night will now feature a mini-tournament of quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

The season commences at Motorpoint Arena this Thursday, live on Sky Sports, with the opening night’s quarter-finals headlined by the meeting of Wright and Smith, a month after their epic Ally Pally decider, which the Scot won to claim World Championship glory.

Darts icons Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson also collide on a special night for the tournament as fans return to a recognised Premier League arena for the first time in almost two years.

Reigning champion Jonny Clayton will make his Cardiff homecoming against debutant Joe Cullen, while world No 1 Gerwyn Price returns to home territory against former Premier League winner James Wade.

Quarter-final fixtures for 14 of the 16 league phase nights are listed below in draw bracket order, with fixtures for Night Eight and Night 16 to be determined by league standings heading into each night.

All matches will be played over a best of 11 legs format, with a £10,000 bonus for each night’s winner.

Ranking points will also be awarded from each night – with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists – to form the league table from which the top four players will progress to the Play-Offs.

The 2022 Cazoo Premier League will return to being played in arenas across the UK, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany with a bumper £1m prize fund on offer.

The planned night in Berlin on Thursday March 24 has been rescheduled to Monday June 13 due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions in Germany.

2022 Cazoo Premier League Fixtures
Night 1 – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Thursday February 3
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Clayton v Joe Cullen
Gerwyn Price v James Wade
Peter Wright v Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson

Night 2 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Thursday February 10
Quarter-Finals
Peter Wright v Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton v Michael Smith
James Wade v Joe Cullen
Gerwyn Price v Gary Anderson

Night 3 – The SSE Arena, Belfast
Thursday February 17
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price
Joe Cullen v Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson v Peter Wright
James Wade v Jonny Clayton

Night 4 – Westpoint Exeter
Thursday March 3
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Clayton v Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith v Joe Cullen
Gerwyn Price v Peter Wright
James Wade v Gary Anderson

Night 5 – The Brighton Centre
Thursday March 10
Quarter-Finals
Gary Anderson v Michael Smith
Peter Wright v Jonny Clayton
Michael van Gerwen v James Wade
Joe Cullen v Gerwyn Price

Night 6 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
Thursday March 17
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith v James Wade
Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
Gary Anderson v Jonny Clayton
Joe Cullen v Peter Wright

Night 7
Quarter-Finals
Peter Wright v James Wade
Gary Anderson v Joe Cullen
Jonny Clayton v Gerwyn Price
Michael van Gerwen v Michael Smith

Night 8
Quarter-Finals
Rank 1 v Rank 8
Rank 4 v Rank 5
Rank 2 v Rank 7
Rank 3 v Rank 6

Night 9
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith v Peter Wright
Gary Anderson v Michael van Gerwen
Joe Cullen v Jonny Clayton
James Wade v Gerwyn Price

Night 10
Quarter-Finals
Peter Wright v Gerwyn Price
Gary Anderson v James Wade
Michael van Gerwen v Jonny Clayton
Joe Cullen v Michael Smith

Night 11
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Clayton v Gary Anderson
Peter Wright v Joe Cullen
James Wade v Michael Smith
Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen

Night 12
Quarter-Finals
James Wade v Michael van Gerwen
Gerwyn Price v Joe Cullen
Michael Smith v Gary Anderson
Jonny Clayton v Peter Wright

Night 13
Quarter-Finals
Peter Wright v Gary Anderson
Jonny Clayton v James Wade
Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen v Joe Cullen

Night 14
Quarter-Finals
Joe Cullen v James Wade
Gary Anderson v Gerwyn Price
Michael van Gerwen v Peter Wright
Michael Smith v Jonny Clayton

Night 15
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith v Michael van Gerwen
James Wade v Peter Wright
Joe Cullen v Gary Anderson

Night 16
Quarter-Finals
Rank 1 v Rank 8
Rank 4 v Rank 5
Rank 2 v Rank 7
Rank 3 v Rank 6

Play-Offs
Semi-Finals
Rank 1 v Rank 4
Rank 2 v Rank 3

Schedule subject to change

Format
Each night will see quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final played over the best of 11 legs (first to six).
Each player will meet the other seven players twice over the course of the season in a quarter-final game, plus two further nights will feature additional fixtures in the same format.

League Points
Night Winner – 5 points + £10,000 bonus
Runner-Up – 3 points
Semi-Finalists – 2 points