World Darts Championship schedule and order of play: Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price in action | Darts News

Schedule for rounds one and two of the 2023 World Darts Championship confirmed with Beau Greaves on night two and Lisa Ashton on night three; watch every dart from Alexandra Palace live on Sky Sports from Thursday December 15

The schedule for the World Darts Championship has been confirmed with Peter Wright headlining the opening night on Thursday December 15, live on Sky Sports.

Wright will take on the winner of the opening match of the tournament, Mickey Mansell vs Ben Robb, in round two, with Adrian Lewis, Alan Soutar and Michael Smith joining the action on day two.

Newly-crowned Grand Slam of Darts champion Smith will take on the winner of Jermaine Wattimena vs Nathan Rafferty, with Beau Greaves also making her highly-anticipated debut in the evening session against William O’Connor on Friday December 16.

Young rising star Josh Rock gets his campaign under way on Saturday December 17 against Jose Justicia. That Saturday night session also sees Lisa Ashton face Ryan Meikle with the winner meeting Raymond van Barneveld on Tuesday December 20.

World No 1 Gerwyn Price joins the action on Monday December 19 against the winner of Luke Woodhouse vs Vladyslav Omelchenko.

Michael van Gerwen starts his hunt for a fourth World Darts Championship title on Wednesday December 21 against the winner of Niels Zonneveld vs Lewy Williams, with Joe Cullen the final seed to get his tournament up and running on Friday December 23 with an interesting tie against the winner of Ricky Evans vs Fallon Sherrock.

World Darts Championship Schedule of Play: Rounds One and Two, live on Sky Sports

Thursday December 15 (7pm)

Round One: Mickey Mansell vs Ben Robb
Round One: Keane Barry vs Grant Sampson
Round One: Jermaine Wattimena vs Nathan Rafferty
Round Two: Peter Wright vs Mansell/Robb

Friday December 16

Afternoon Session (12.30pm)

Round One: Alan Soutar vs Mal Cuming
Round One: Boris Krcmar vs Toru Suzuki
Round One: Adrian Lewis vs Daniel Larsson
Round One: Kim Huybrechts vs Barry/Sampson

Evening Session (7pm)

Round One: Rowby-John Rodriguez vs Lourence Ilagan
Round One: William O’Connor vs Beau Greaves
Round One: Keegan Brown vs Florian Hempel
Round Two: Michael Smith vs Wattimena/Rafferty

Saturday December 17

Afternoon Session (11am)

Round One: Martin Lukeman vs Nobuhiro Yamamoto
Round One: Simon Whitlock vs Christian Perez
Round One: Adam Gawlas vs Richie Burnett
Round Two: Daryl Gurney vs Soutar/Cuming

Evening Session (8pm)

Round One: Ryan Meikle vs Lisa Ashton
Round One: Cameron Menzies vs Diogo Portela
Round One: Josh Rock vs Jose Justicia
Round Two: Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Rodriguez/Ilagan

Sunday December 18

Afternoon Session (11am)

Round One: Madars Razma vs Prakash Jiwa
Round One: Karel Sedlacek vs Raymond Smith
Round One: Luke Woodhouse vs Vladyslav Omelchenko
Round Two: Damon Heta vs Lewis/Larsson

Evening Session (8pm)

Round One: Mike De Decker vs Jeff Smith
Round One: Scott Williams vs Ryan Joyce
Round One: Matt Campbell vs Danny Baggish
Round Two: Nathan Aspinall vs Krcmar/Suzuki

Monday December 19

Afternoon Session (12.30pm)

Round One: Andrew Gilding vs Robert Owen
Round One: Danny Jansen vs Paolo Nebrida
Round One: Niels Zonneveld vs Lewy Williams
Round Two: Jose de Sousa vs Whitlock/Perez

Evening Session (7pm)

Round One: Geert Nentjes vs Leonard Gates
Round One: Ritchie Edhouse vs David Cameron
Round One: Steve Beaton vs Danny van Trijp
Round Two: Gerwyn Price vs Woodhouse/Omelchenko

Tuesday December 20 (7pm)

Round One: Jim Williams vs Sebastian Bialecki
Round One: Jamie Hughes vs Jimmy Hendriks
Round One: Ricky Evans vs Fallon Sherrock
Round Two: Raymond van Barneveld vs Meikle/Ashton

Wednesday December 21

Afternoon Session (12.30pm)

Round One: John O’Shea vs Darius Labanauskas
Round One: Martijn Kleermaker vs Xicheng Han
Round Two: Callan Rydz vs Rock/Justicia
Round Two: Dave Chisnall vs Gilding/Owen

Evening Session (7pm)

Round Two: Mervyn King vs Campbell/Baggish
Round Two: Gabriel Clemens vs O’Connor/Greaves
Round Two: Michael van Gerwen vs Zonneveld/L Williams
Round Two: Stephen Bunting vs Nentjes/Gates

Thursday December 22

Afternoon Session (12.30pm)

Round Two: Krzysztof Ratajski vs Jansen/Nebrida
Round Two: Ryan Searle vs Gawlas/Burnett
Round Two: Mensur Suljovic vs De Decker/J Smith
Round Two: Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Sedlacek/R Smith

Evening Session (7pm)

Round Two: Gary Anderson vs Razma/Jiwa
Round Two: James Wade vs J Williams/Bialecki
Round Two: Luke Humphries vs Brown/Hempel
Round Two: Vincent van der Voort vs Menzies/Portela

Friday December 23

Afternoon Session (12.30pm)

Round Two: Brendan Dolan vs Hughes/Hendriks
Round Two: Chris Dobey vs Kleermaker/Han
Round Two: Ross Smith vs O’Shea/Labanauskas
Round Two: Rob Cross vs S Williams/Joyce

Evening Session (7pm)

Round Two: Martin Schindler vs Lukeman/Yamamoto
Round Two: Danny Noppert vs Edhouse/Cameron
Round Two: Jonny Clayton vs Beaton/Van Trijp
Round Two: Joe Cullen vs Evans/Sherrock

Van Gerwen has called himself the “favourite” for the tournament in which he has enjoyed so much success before and claims it will be “tough” for anyone to beat him.

“It’s a bit weird. Because of course Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, they are all phenomenal players, who are doing well. Luke Humphries is doing well recently, and then you never know with Jonny Clayton,” Van Gerwen said.

“But there’s not really someone standing up after me on tournaments.

“If I had to say, someone who is on form at the moment is Michael Smith.”

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship live on Sky Sports from December 15 to January 3.