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Markham’s Gerwyn Price has reached the quarter-finals of the darts World Matchplay for the first time since 2015 after beating fellow-Welshman Jonny Clayton on Tuesday night.

Price, who is ranked world number one, beat Premier League champion Clayton 11-3 in Blackpool to set up a date with Belgium’s Dimitri van den Bergh in the quarter-finals.

Last November, Price competed alongside Clayton, from Llanelli, as Wales won the World Cup of Darts.

The second round clash got off to a fast start, with Price scoring a 180. Neither player missed a double attempt in the first five legs of the game.

The game was level at 3-3 before Price turned up the heat to win the next eight legs without reply.

Speaking after the game, Price said: “I put Jonny under a lot of pressure from the start. He got back to 3-3 but I put him under the cosh from that point onwards and I was clinical on my doubles.

“I need to up my scoring game, and if I hit my doubles then nobody beats me. If I can do that and be clinical then I’ll win this tournament.

“It was a big margin but I put Jonny under a lot of pressure. He missed a couple of opportunities but I was there to punish him.”

Price added: “I’m happy to win. Jonny is a great player and friend and it’s nice to get one over on a Welsh companion. There’s no friends when you’re on stage and you’re up there to do a job.”