Michael van Gerwen returned to winning ways with a thumping victory over Dave Chisnall to cement top spot in the Premier League table, as Gary Anderson, Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor also claimed important victories at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Thursday evening.
Michael van Gerwen remains top of the Premier League table after recording a comprehensive 7-1 victory over Dave Chisnall. Van Gerwen’s 44-match unbeaten televised run was ended by his compatriot Raymond van Barneveld in Manchester last week, but he returned to winning ways with a rampant display in Cardiff.
‘The Green Machine’ averaged 104. 25, landed three maximums and converted 50% of his attempts at double to ease past a helpless Chisnall, who averaged 100.79 and crashed in five maximums. However, the St Helen’s star was ruthlessly punished for a miserly 17% checkout success rate.
MvG wired D14 for a 148 checkout in the opening leg, but drew first blood via D7. The world number one then fired in back-to-back maximums and pegged D16 for a 12-dart break, before securing his third leg on the spin with a commanding 14-dart hold.
Chisnall’s woes deepened moments later, as he squandered four darts at double to open his account in leg four. Van Gerwen pegged tops to capitalise, before following up his second maximum with an impressive 13-darter to establish a commanding 5-0 cushion.
‘Chizzy’ avoided the indignity of a whitewash by following up his fourth maximum with a 13-dart hold via tops, but this only proved a mere consolation. Van Gerwen registered a 14-darter on D16 to secure a point after further missed doubles from Chisnall, before the world champion nailed D10 to close out victory inside 15 darts.
Gary Anderson produced a stunning performance to demolish Adrian Lewis and cement his spot in the play-off places. ‘The Flying Scotsman’ averaged 107.13, landed five maximums, dispatched two huge ton-plus checkouts and converted 78% of his attempts at double to win six of the remaining seven legs to round-off a sensational display.
The pair exchanged commanding holds of throw early on, before Lewis followed up three consecutive 140’s with a clinical 81 finish to complete a 12-dart break of throw. However, this sparked Anderson into life, as ‘The Flying Scotsman’ produced an irrepressible surge to seize control of the contest.
Anderson levelled the contest by following up his first maximum with a fine 13-darter, before defying a bizarre miscount to regain the lead via D5. The world number two was beginning to score with unrelenting accuracy and followed up his third maximum with another 13-darter via D14, after Lewis had wired D18 for a 147 checkout.
‘Jackpot’ appeared shell-shocked but Anderson’s charge continued. The Scot crashed in his fourth maximum and dispatched a majestic 143 checkout to secure a 5-2 lead, before guaranteeing himself a share of the spoils with an inspired 170 finish.
Anderson had won five successive legs in a matter of minutes, but Lewis finally stopped the rot by pegging tops to stay alive. Nevertheless, this was only temporary salvation for ‘Jackpot’. Anderson kicked off the tenth leg with his fifth maximum and subsequently clinched a mightily impressive victory with an effortless 11-darter.
Raymond van Barneveld continued his fabulous form to dispatch James Wade and secure his fourth consecutive league victory. The five-time world champion followed up his recent victories over Anderson and Van Gerwen with a professional performance to ease past an off-colour Wade; averaging 95.38 and hitting 38% of his attempts at double.
Van Barneveld drew first blood after landing his first maximum and overcoming some double-trouble to register a comfortable hold via D2. The Den Haag ace then converted D8 to double his tally, before pegging tops for an assured 13-dart hold, with Wade yet to register an attempt at double.
‘The Machine’ had his first dart at double in the fourth leg, but he was unable to pin D4 and Barney capitalised to sink D8 with his last dart in hand, before nailing the same target moments later to establish a commanding 5-0 cushion.
Wade suffered a whitewash defeat to Michael van Gerwen in last year’s Premier League and another Dutchman appeared poised to inflict the same fate on the eight-time major winner. However, the left-hander finally opened his account with a comfortable 16-dart hold on D18.
Van Barneveld remained unperturbed though; converting a classy 87 kill for a 12-dart hold to guarantee himself a point. ‘The Machine’ conjured up a nerveless 70 checkout to add some respectability to the scoreline, but the legendary Dutchman sealed victory in the ninth leg via D7, to become the first man in this year’s competition to secure four straight wins.
Elsewhere, Phil Taylor came from 4-1 behind to defeat the eliminated Jelle Klaasen in the night’s opener. Klaasen’s campaign has been derailed by a tendonitis problem in his wrist, but he made a fine start at the Motorpoint Arena. Nevertheless, Taylor won six of the remaining seven legs to prevail with a 97.50 average and a 47% checkout success rate.
‘The Power’ drew first blood with a commanding 13-dart hold, but the Dutchman responded by reeling off four legs in succession as his average exceeded the ton mark. However, despite appearing in cruise control, ‘The Cobra’ began to visibly struggle with his wrist problem and the 16-time world champion capitalised.
Taylor stopped the rot with a 14-dart break of throw, before reducing the arrears to the solitary leg with a sublime 11-darter. Klaasen’s prolific scoring had disintegrated and Taylor completed his own sequence of four straight legs to secure the initiative at 5-4.
The Dutchman levelled proceedings at five apiece by pinning tops with his first dart, but the Stoke-on-Trent veteran showed his class in the closing stages. He guaranteed himself a point with a clinical two-dart 81 kill, before following up his second maximum by pegging D8 to round-off a 15-darter; clinching a pivotal win in his push for the play-offs.
Kim Huybrechts was forced to withdraw from tonight’s action to remain with his terminally ill mother during her final hours. Under tournament rules, the contest could not be rescheduled as Huybrechts’ elimination has already been confirmed, therefore Peter Wright was awarded a 7-0 victory.
Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Betway Premier League
Night Nine – Thursday March 30
Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Phil Taylor 7-5 Jelle Klaasen
Gary Anderson 7-3 Adrian Lewis
Raymond van Barneveld 7-2 James Wade
Michael van Gerwen 7-1 Dave Chisnall
League Table
| March 30 2017 | P | W | D | L | +/- | LWAT | Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | +19 | 21 | 14 |
| Peter Wright | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | +16 | 16 | 13 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | +8 | 18 | 12 |
| Gary Anderson | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | +10 | 12 | 11 |
| Phil Taylor | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | +5 | 20 | 11 |
| Adrian Lewis | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 9 |
| James Wade | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | -3 | 16 | 8 |
| Dave Chisnall | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -16 | 12 | 6 |
| Jelle Klaasen | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -16 | 15 | 3 |
| Kim Huybrechts | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | -23 | 11 | 3 |
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