Price falls after failing to take second chance on Home Tour

The 35-year-old from Markham had lost on the second night of the competition, in which darts players face each other by streaming action from their own homes.

The world number three got another crack at joining Cwmbran's Nick Kenny in phase two but Joe Cullen took the spoils on Sunday night with an average of 106.65.

Two-time Grand Slam winner Price winner Price admitted he had spent most of lockdown away from the oche, carrying out DIY on his house and gardening.

It initially showed as the Welshman, who failed to qualify for the next stage on night two, slipped two legs behind in his opening match to Bradley Brooks before winning 5-3 with two ton-plus checkouts.

But he came unstuck against a rampant Cullen, who followed up an opening 5-2 win over Keegan Brown by outclassing Price 5-3 in a high-quality match which included seven maximums.

"I played alright in a couple of my games, but it wasn't enough in the end," said Price, who was the victim of a nine-dart leg on his first outing in the tournament.

"It is not a PDC Tour I like to play in. It is a bit of fun, but I am giving my best, my all."

Cullen then secured progression by whitewashing winless Brooks with five 180s, leaving Price and Brown to battle it out for second spot in the last match of the evening.

Cullen, world number 16, said: "If I am honest, since I played on the sixth, I have had little practice.

"It is difficult to motivate yourself when you're not playing regularly. I am a steady away practiser, but I keep myself for games.

"Tonight it has worked out like that. I just need to improve my mindset."

NHS worker Brown just about stayed awake for his clash with Price, having dragged himself out of bed following a night shift.

Having produced a 170 checkout in defeat to Cullen and hammered Brooks 5-1 with a 101 average, Brown ended the night by coming back from 2-0 down to beat Price in a last-leg decider.

"It is hard to get motivated for the last game with nothing on it, but it was nice to get a win," said Brown, who works in a testing laboratory on the Isle of Wight.

"Darts is not my number one priority at the moment, the hospital is."

Cwmbran's Kenny will be hoping to make an impression on his new PDC rivals when he takes part in the next stage of the tournament, which features 11 nights of action from Tuesday, May 26.

There will be eight groups in the last 32 to whittle the contenders down to a pair of semi-final pools from which the top two will qualify for the championship group.

The winner of the competition, which began in April and has featured 101 PDC Tour card holders, will be crowned on Friday, June 5.

Kenny, who moved after rising to become a leading figure in the BDO, qualified despite being the lowest ranked player on night five.

Wins against Luke Humphries 5-3 and Joe Murnan 5-2 ensured he had already won the pool before he triumphed against Devon Petersen 5-3.

"I'm happy, on paper I'm the worst player in the group but it proves I can live with the big boys," said the 27-year-old afterwards.

Kenny reached the last 16 and last 64 of Players Championship events at the Barnsley Metrodome then made the last 16 of the leg in Wigan before the coronavirus pandemic put the tour on hold.