Darts results: Ryan Searle gains revenge on red-hot practice partner Gary Anderson to win the Players Championship 3 title

Heavy Metal lost to Luke Littler (7-8) and Anderson (5-8) in the opening two Pro Tour finals of the season in Wigan last week and remarkably made it three in a row thanks to victories over the likes of Michael van Gerwen (7-4), Danny Noppert (6-4) and Damon Heta (6-3).

Searle still started out as underdog against the Flying Scotsman, who had maintained his blistering start to the campaign with averages of well over 100 in five of his previous six matches including efforts of 112 verses Jeffrey de Graaf (6-3) in round one and 111.71 against Callan Rydz (7-4) in the semi-finals, but he turned on the style and stormed into a 3-0 lead.

Anderson hit back with a 164 checkout but Searle refused to be rattled and kept his nose in front during the mid-part of the match to open up a 6-3 advantage.

The two-time world champion clawed his way back and eventually forced a deciding leg only for Searle to hold his nerve and clinch the title.