WRIGHT ALL SHOOK UP BY VITAL WIN

PETER WRIGHT kissed Elvis on his walk-on and was left shook-up by a nail-biting Grand Slam win. 

Snakebite beat Dave Chisnall 5-4 to keep his title hopes alive in Wolverhampton last night (Sunday).

Wright, 53, led 3-1 but allowed Chizzy to got 4-3 up before he finally got over the line.

He said: “Elvis is brilliant, you’ve got to kiss Elvis if you see him. No it didn’t put me off!

“Chizzy didn’t turn up or I’d be going home on Wednesday. But now I’m in with a chance. 

“Obviously I’d like a bigger win but it didn’t happen. But it’s two points I needed.

“There was no pressure at all. If I lose I lose go home early and I’ve got longer to prepare for the Worlds. 

“Stowe Buntz played fantastic darts to beat me and I was nowhere near him. I couldn’t reach the board, it felt like it was miles away. But fair play he did a job on me.”

Nathan Girvan’s Slam hopes were left in tatters by James Wade – despite taking a 2-0 lead. 

The Forfar ace lost on opening night to World Champ Michael Smith and needed a result against the multiple title winner. 

But Wade then reeled off five successive legs and now Girvan needs a miracle to stay in the tournament.

Fallon Sherrock kept her hopes alive with a 5-4 win over Martijn Kleermaker. 

Meanwhile, American debutant Stowe Buntz guaranteed his progress from Group E with a clinical 5-3 success against Stephen Bunting, who missed double 12 for a nine-darter midway through the match.

Reigning champion Michael Smith picked up a second Group A victory to put one foot into the second round, edging out Krzysztof Ratajski to extend his winning run in the Grand Slam group stage to 18 matches.

Ratajski averaged 101 and conjured up the first 170 checkout of the tournament, only for Smith to convert a nerveless 106 outshot in the final leg to retain top spot in Group A.

The World No.1 will now take on James Wade in a crunch showdown on Monday, after the three-time finalist won five straight legs to defeat Nathan Girvan 5-2 and keep his qualification hopes alive.

World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries is in pole position in Group C, averaging almost 101 to wrap up an emphatic 5-1 win against two-time finalist Gary Anderson in Sunday evening’s finale.

Images by Taylor Lanning.