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THE 2019 Premier League double-header at Rotterdam Ahoy begins with Night Eight on Wednesday, as Raymond van Barneveld battles to keep his survival hopes alive against Daryl Gurney.

The first of two huge nights of darts in the Netherlands will see former Premier League champion Van Barneveld continue his battle against the drop against seventh-placed Gurney ahead of Thursday's Judgement Night, which will see the ninth-placed player eliminated from the competition.

Van Barneveld, who will retire at the conclusion of the 2019/20 World Championship, picked up his first win of the campaign against German Contender Max Hopp in Berlin last Thursday to go within a point of safety, and the Dutch legend is determined to get the results he needs in Rotterdam.

Night Eight will also see two-time World Youth Champion Dimitri Van den Bergh make his Premier League debut against James Wade.

Rising Belgian star Van den Bergh, who famously threw a nine-dart leg at the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts, will compete as the eighth Contender in this year's Premier League, while Wade will be keen to end a run of two matches without a win to maintain his Play-Off charge.

High-flyer Cross, who has enjoyed success on his last four Premier League outings, will face improving Austrian Mensur Suljovic, whose back-to-back wins have propelled him into fourth.

The top four players at the end of 16 nights will face off in the Play-Offs at The O2 on May 23, while the ninth-placed player following Judgement Night in Rotterdam will face an early elimination.

• 2019 Premier League

Night Eight - Wednesday March 27
Rotterdam Ahoy
Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith
James Wade v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Rob Cross v Mensur Suljovic
Peter Wright v Michael van Gerwen
Raymond van Barneveld v Daryl Gurney

• Judgement Night - Thursday March 28

Rotterdam Ahoy
Daryl Gurney v Mensur Suljovic
Peter Wright v Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross v Jeffrey de Zwaan
Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen
James Wade v Michael Smith

Source: https://www.pdc.tv/