Chris Dobey, Jeffrey de Zwaan and Jermaine Wattimena to appear as Challengers; six successive nights to be held behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes with a 6.30pm (BST) start
Monday 10 August 2020 11:02, UK
The fixtures have been confirmed for the first three nights of the Premier League's return next month and you can watch the action live on Sky Sports.
Six league nights had been held during the 2020 Premier League season before the coronavirus pandemic caused the suspension of events in mid-March.
The tournament will return with six successive nights being held behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes from August 25-30, with the fixtures including those originally planned for the original Night Seven, Night Eight and Judgement Night.
The first three nights of action will see the final three Challengers - Chris Dobey, Jeffrey de Zwaan and Jermaine Wattimena - take to the stage for their appearance in the event, alongside the battle to avoid elimination on Judgement Night for the nine regular players.
Glen Durrant, the current Premier League leader, will face world champion Peter Wright as the stars return to action on Tuesday, August 25. Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen will play Rob Cross, while third-placed Michael Smith meets two-time winner Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall faces Gerwyn Price in other Night Seven ties.
Daryl Gurney, who sits bottom of the league table with two points from his opening six games, meets Dobey as the Challenger returns to the Premier League stage for his one-off appearance on a night which could be pivotal for the Northern Irish ace.
Current top two Durrant and Van Gerwen will face off in a huge tie on Wednesday, August 26, while Cross and Smith meet in a repeat of the 2019 World Matchplay final and Anderson takes on Price, Aspinall plays Gurney and Wright comes up against Dutch Contender De Zwaan.
Judgement Night on Thursday, August 27 will see the bottom-placed player from the nine regular competitors eliminated, with Gurney meeting Wright, Cross playing Durrant and Price taking on Wattimena, the Dutchman who will be a Challenger. Van Gerwen and Anderson will clash in an eagerly-awaited showdown, and Aspinall plays Smith in a repeat of the 2019 US Darts Masters final.
Following Judgement Night, fixtures will be confirmed as the remaining eight players prepare to meet for a second time over seven more league nights, with the top four players then progressing to the Play-Offs.
The six nights being staged from August 25-30 will commence at 1830 BST.
2020 Premier League
Night Seven
Tuesday August 25 (1830 BST), Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes
Michael Smith v Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross
Nathan Aspinall v Gerwyn Price
Chris Dobey (C) v Daryl Gurney
Peter Wright v Glen Durrant
Night Eight
Wednesday August 26 (1830 BST), Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes
Gary Anderson v Gerwyn Price
Nathan Aspinall v Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith v Rob Cross
Michael van Gerwen v Glen Durrant
Peter Wright v Jeffrey de Zwaan (C)
Judgement Night
Thursday August 27 (1830 BST), Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes
Glen Durrant v Rob Cross
Nathan Aspinall v Michael Smith
Peter Wright v Daryl Gurney
Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson
Jermaine Wattimena (C) v Gerwyn Price
Night Ten
Friday August 28 (1830 BST), Milton Keynes
Night 11
Saturday August 29 (1830 BST), Milton Keynes
Night 12
Sunday August 30 (1830 BST), Milton Keynes
Night 13
Thursday September 17, The SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Night 14
Thursday September 24, The Manchester Arena
Night 15
Thursday October 1, The Utilita Arena, Newcastle
Night 16
Thursday October 15, The FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
Play-Offs
Thursday October 22, The O2, London
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