Robert Thornton produced a dominant display to defeat three-time world champion Martin Adams and lift the inaugural World Seniors Championship title on a historic night at the Circus Tavern.
Continue reading “Robert Thornton demolishes Martin Adams to seal World Seniors title!”
Kevin Painter stormed through to the semi-finals of the World Seniors Championship with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over 16-time world champion Phil Taylor at the Circus Tavern on Saturday evening.
Continue reading “Kevin Painter thrashes Phil Taylor to reach semi-finals at World Seniors Championship”
Fallon Sherrock and Robert Thornton were among the players to secure qualification through to the Final Stage of the 2022 PDC Qualifying Schools on Tuesday, following a dramatic afternoon of action.
Continue reading “Sherrock, Thornton progress to Final Stage at PDC Qualifying School”
Former finalist Robert Thornton secured his place in this year’s Grand Slam of Darts as one of the eight players to come through Monday’s Tour Card Holder’s Qualifier at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan.
Continue reading “Thornton, Lewis & Dolan among Grand Slam qualifiers!”
The entries for the opening two European Tour events of the year have been confirmed ahead of the two UK Qualifiers and two West & South Europe Tour Card Holder Qualifiers at the Barnsley Metrodome on Friday February 22. Continue reading “European Tour 1 & 2 Qualifier Entries!”
Robert Thornton has leapt to the defence of two-time world champion Adrian Lewis, who was suspended by the Professional Darts Corporation with immediate effect following a heated altercation with Jose Antonio Perales in the opening UK Open qualifier last Friday. Continue reading “Thornton backs under-fire Lewis!”
Michael van Gerwen continued his World Championship title defence with an incredible whitewash win over a shell-shocked James Wilson, as Gary Anderson sealed his place in round-three with a memorable win over Paul Lim, who wired double twelve for an amazing nine-darter on a dramatic day of action at the Alexandra Palace on Friday. Continue reading “PDC World Championship 2018: Day Nine Report!”
Two-time world champion Gary Anderson stormed into the second-round of the World Championship with a comprehensive straight sets win over Lakeside finalist Jeff Smith, as four seeds were dumped out on a dramatic double-session of action at the Alexandra Palace on Saturday. Continue reading “PDC World Championship 2018: Day Three Report!”
James Wilson, Robbie Green, Joe Murnan, Alan Norris, Jeffrey De Zwaan, Darren Webster, Steve Lennon and Stephen Bunting were the eight players to book their spot at this weekend’s Grand Slam of Darts after coming through an established field at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan on Monday afternoon. Continue reading “Grand Slam of Darts 2017: Qualifiers Confirmed!”
Peter Wright has leapfrogged his compatriot Gary Anderson to become the Scottish number one, whilst World Grand Prix champion Daryl Gurney is up to a career high of fourth on the PDC Order of Merit following last weekend’s European Championship in Hasselt. Continue reading “PDC Order of Merit Update!”
Mensur Suljovic produced an imperious display to dump out tournament favourite Peter Wright, as John Henderson continued his World Grand Prix fairy-tale by dumping out Raymond van Barneveld on a thrilling night of action at the Citywest Hotel on Thursday evening. Continue reading “World Grand Prix: Quarter-Finals Report!”
Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld eased into the World Grand Prix quarter-finals with a straight sets victory over the veteran Steve Beaton, as former champion Robert Thornton dumped out Dave Chisnall on an entertaining night of action at the Citywest Hotel on Tuesday evening. Continue reading “World Grand Prix: Day Three Report!”
John Henderson caused one of the biggest shocks in World Grand Prix history by dumping out reigning champion and world number one Michael van Gerwen on a dramatic opening night at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin, on Sunday evening. Continue reading “World Grand Prix: Day One Report!”
Michael van Gerwen will begin the defence of his World Grand Prix title against John Henderson, whilst two-time world champion Gary Anderson will take on debutant Richard North, after the draw for next month’s tournament was made this morning. Continue reading “2017 World Grand Prix Draw!”
Phil Taylor will skip next month’s World Grand Prix in Dublin, as he continues to scale down his commitments ahead of his impending retirement. Continue reading “Phil Taylor to miss World Grand Prix!”
Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld have climbed back into the world’s top eight following the conclusion of the BetVictor World Matchplay, whilst James Wade has fallen to his worst ranking position in over a decade. Continue reading “PDC Order of Merit: Latest Update!”
Phil Taylor kicked off his final World Matchplay campaign with victory over Gerwyn Price, to set up an enthralling second-round showdown with his old rival Raymond van Barneveld after a thrilling double-session at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Sunday. Continue reading “2017 World Matchplay: Day Two Report!”
Former champion James Wade and Scottish stars Gary Anderson and Peter Wright will open the BetVictor World Matchplay on Saturday July 22nd, whilst defending champion Michael van Gerwen will begin his title defence on Monday 24th July, after the schedule of play was confirmed last week. Continue reading “2017 World Matchplay Schedule of Play!”
Michael van Gerwen will begin the defence of his BetVictor World Matchplay title against former Lakeside world champion Stephen Bunting, as Phil Taylor’s Blackpool farewell kicks off with a potential banana-skin against Gerwyn Price, after the draw for this month’s event at the Winter Gardens was made on Tuesday evening. Continue reading “2017 World Matchplay Draw!”
Gary Anderson recovered from the disappointment of losing in the final of Players Championship 13 to claim glory just 24 hours later at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading “Players Championship 14 Report!”
World number one Michael van Gerwen landed a magical nine-dart finish to defeat a resurgent Robert Thornton and clinch his second Players Championship title of the year at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading “Players Championship Nine Report!”
16-year-old host-nation qualifier Nico Blum sent the German crowd into raptures with a brilliant debut victory on the European Tour, as Vincent van der Voort, Mervyn King & Paul Nicholson also triumphed on a dramatic opening day of action at the German Darts Open in Saarbrucken on Friday. Continue reading “German Darts Open: Day One Report!”
Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld enjoyed a successful return to the European Tour, as Daryl Gurney survived three match darts to dump out Adrian Lewis on a dramatic opening day at the German Darts Masters in Jena on Saturday. Continue reading “German Darts Masters: Day One Report!”
Adrian Lewis will take on Daryl Gurney in the first-round of the German Darts Masters on Saturday, whilst five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld will face his fellow Dutchman Michael Plooy, after the draw and schedule for this weekend’s European Tour event in Jena were confirmed. Continue reading “German Darts Masters Draw!”
Robert Thornton, Mervyn King and Paul Nicholson were three of the high-profile names to secure qualification through to the HappyBet German Darts Open on Friday evening, as Steve Beaton landed a spectacular nine-dart finish on a dramatic night of action in Barnsley. Continue reading “European Tour 3- UK Qualifier Report!”
Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis were among the eighteen players to secure qualification for next month’s German Darts Masters on Friday evening. The former world champions both came through the 83-man field at the UK Qualifiers in Milton Keynes, to seal their spots in the second European Tour event of the season in Jena. Continue reading “Barney & Lewis among qualifiers for German Darts Masters!”
Two-time world champion Gary Anderson remains top of the Players Championship Order of Merit after the second double-header which took place at the Barnsley Metrodome over the weekend. ‘The Flying Scotsman’ was knocked out in round-three by Daryl Gurney on Saturday, before succumbing to eventual winner Simon Whitlock on Sunday. Continue reading “Players Championship Order of Merit Update!”
World number two Gary Anderson tops the Players Championship Order of Merit after the conclusion of the opening double-header at the Barnsley Metrodome last weekend. The two-time world champion averaged 115.15 to defeat his fellow Scot Peter Wright in Sunday’s second event, and he sits top of the Order of Merit with £11,500. Continue reading “UPDATE: Players Championship Order of Merit!”
Peter Wright tops the provisional UK Open Order of Merit after winning two of the opening three qualifiers at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan last weekend. Snakebite defeated Adrian Lewis on Friday, before surviving two-missed match darts from Michael Smith to triumph in Sunday’s finale.
The Scot has accrued £21,500 in prize money over the first-triple header and is well placed to be the top seed in Minehead. The final three qualifiers take place next weekend, and a host of big names are under significant pressure to seal their spots in the tournament dubbed ‘The FA Cup of Darts’.
After the conclusion of the six qualification events, the top 96 players on the Order of Merit will qualify for the televised UK Open Finals in March. The top 32 players will enter the competition in the third-round; players ranked 33rd-64th will compete in round-two, whilst players from 65th-96th will begin their campaigns in the opening round.
Simon Whitlock sits in second position after he prevailed in the second UK Open qualifier. ‘The Wizard’ enjoyed a welcome return to form during the latter stages of 2016, and the Aussie defeated Wright en route to winning his third Pro Tour title within four months, at the Robin Park Tennis Centre on Saturday. Continue reading “2017 UK Open Order of Merit Update!”
Newly crowned world champion Michael van Gerwen secured his third successive Unibet Masters title with a stunning 11-7 victory over world number two Gary Anderson in a thrilling final at the Arena MK in Milton Keynes on Sunday evening.
‘Mighty Mike’ was in blistering form; averaging 109.42, landing nine maximums and converting 58% of his double attempts to secure his Masters hat-trick. Anderson averaged 103.58 and fired in five maximums himself, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the irrepressible ‘Green Machine’.
Van Gerwen made a storming start to the contest. He kicked off the final with a stunning visit of 177, before pegging an effortless 107 outshot to hold throw. He then doubled his advantage moments later; following up two maximums with a 12-dart break of throw.
Anderson opened his account with a 14-darter to break back, but MvG responded superbly. The Scot wired the bull for a 167 kill to level the contest, before Van Gerwen converted a two-dart 96 finish for an 11-darter to regain his cushion. The Dutchman then continued his clinical finishing to take out 87 and establish a 4-1 lead at the first break. Continue reading “2017 Unibet Masters: Finals Day Report!”
Newly crowned world champion Michael van Gerwen began the defence of his Unibet Masters title with a convincing win against Simon Whitlock, as Robert Thornton dumped out fifth seed James Wade in a deciding-leg thriller at the Arena MK in Milton Keynes on Saturday evening.
Michael van Gerwen began the defence of his Masters title with an impressive 10-6 victory against two-time world finalist Simon Whitlock. It was a real high-quality affair with both players landing ten maximums, but ‘Mighty Mike’ prevailed with a 105.42 average and a 32% checkout success rate, with Whitlock’s brave resistance ultimately ending in vain.
‘The Wizard’ made a rip-roaring start to the contest, firing in back-to-back maximums as he broke MvG’s throw in 11 darts. Nevertheless, the Dutchman’s response was typically emphatic. He levelled inside 12 darts after the pair traded maximums, before pegging D3 to complete the first hold of throw.
Both players again traded maximums as Van Gerwen dispatched D8 for his second straight leg before the world champion followed up his fourth maximum with an effortless 13-darter on tops for his fourth leg in succession. Continue reading “2017 Unibet Masters: Day Two Report!”
Newly crowned world champion Michael van Gerwen will begin the defence of his Unibet Masters title against two-time world finalist Simon Whitlock, when the first major TV event on the 2017 PDC calendar gets underway at the Arena MK in Milton Keynes on Friday evening.
The fifth staging of the Unibet Masters will see the world’s top 16 players face off, with all the action being broadcast exclusively on ITV4 from January 27th- 29th. The prize money for this event totals £200,000, with £60,000 on offer to the winner.
Phil Taylor, who won the inaugural staging of this event back in 2013, will feature on the opening night of action in an enthralling tie against eleventh seed Michael Smith. Meanwhile, two-time world champion Gary Anderson takes on Benito van de Pas in a repeat of their pulsating last 16 clash at the recent William Hill World Championship.
Elsewhere, 2016 finalist Dave Chisnall locks horns with 2015 finalist and five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld in the opening match of the tournament, whilst the night concludes with a clash between third seed Peter Wright and Stoke star Ian White. Continue reading “2017 Unibet Masters: Draw & Schedule!”
Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld has returned to the world’s top ten on the PDC Order of Merit following his impressive run to the semi-finals of the William Hill World Darts Championship.
Barney was seeded 12th at the Ally Pally but risked falling to as low as 16th after this event, as he was defending prize money accrued from reaching the semi-finals two years ago. However, the legendary Dutchman produced a vintage showing; reaching his fourth World Championship semi-final within the last five years to climb the rankings once more.
The 49-year-old stormed through to the last 16 with whitewash victories over Robbie Green and Alan Norris, before dumping out the decorated Stoke duo of Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor. Nevertheless, RvB finally succumbed to eventual winner Michael van Gerwen despite averaging 109.34- his highest ever average in a World Championship.
Van Barneveld netted £80,000 by virtue of reaching the last four, which parachutes him above Michael Smith and Robert Thornton on the Order of Merit. Smith and Thornton both competed in last year’s Premier League but their respective toils this year have seen them fall outside the world’s top ten and subsequently miss out on a Premier League wildcard. Continue reading “PDC Order of Merit Update: Barney back in world’s top ten; Taylor drops to sixth!”
Michael van Gerwen survived a massive scare against inspired Spaniard Cristo Reyes, as Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor breezed through to the third-round of the World Championship with emphatic whitewash victories on day ten at the Alexandra Palace on Tuesday evening.
Van Gerwen saw off the challenge of an inspired Cristo Reyes to prevail in an absolutely sensational second-round clash. Van Gerwen averaged 105.24, hit 23 140’s, eleven maximums and converted 38% of his double attempts, as Reyes averaged 106.07; the highest losing average in the history of the World Championship.
‘Mighty Mike’ strolled to the first set without dropping a leg. The world number one opened his account on D7, before punishing a mediocre leg from the Spaniard to break throw. Reyes was yet to settle and ‘The Green Machine’ went for the kill; posting a 174 and converting an 11-dart leg on tops to secure the opener.
Nevertheless, Reyes launched a remarkable recovery to level up proceedings. Cristo won his first leg with a magnificent 10-darter on D18, before he hit the same double to complete a 73 outshot after MvG had missed three darts to hold. Reyes was brimming with confidence at this point, and rounded off the set with a confident 14-dart kill. Continue reading “2017 PDC World Championship: Day Ten Report!”
Eight-time major winner James Wade kicked off his bid for a maiden World Championship title in stylish fashion, as Mensur Suljovic and Robert Thornton also won through to round-two at the Alexandra Palace on Wednesday evening.
Wade began his World Championship campaign in convincing fashion with an impressive straight sets victory over experienced Belgian Ronny Huybrechts. ‘The Machine’ averaged 93.83, registered 12 scores of 140 or more and hit 56% of his attempts at double to record an emphatic first-round triumph.
‘The Rebel’ made a strong start by breaking Wade in 15 darts, but the left-hander struck back instantly on D9. Wade then converted a clinical two-dart 84 kill to complete a 14-darter, before sealing the set on D10 with an average in excess of 97.
The second set followed an almost identical pattern to the first. Huybrechts drew first blood with a 69 finish, but Wade held throw with a trademark 120 checkout. ‘The Machine’ then fired in his first maximum to break in 13 darts, before following up his second 180 with an accomplished 14-darter to double his lead in sets. Continue reading “2017 PDC World Championship: Day Seven Report!”
The draw and schedule for next weekend’s Players Championship Finals at the Butlins Minehead Resort has been confirmed, with Raymond van Barneveld locking horns with Mensur Suljovic and Adrian Lewis taking on Robert Thornton in the stand-out first-round ties.
The expanded Players Championship Finals sees the list of participants doubled in size this year, as 64 players compete for £400,000 in prize money across three days live on ITV4. The qualification criteria is based solely on performances across the twenty Players Championship events hosted throughout 2016.
Michael van Gerwen tops the final Order of Merit with £72,750 after winning five Players Championship events this year, and the defending champion will face former World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton in the first round.
Hamilton originally finished 65th on the Order of Merit, although Kyle Anderson’s withdrawal due to his ongoing VISA issues has given ‘The Hammer’ an opportunity to compete in Minehead. Continue reading “Players Championship Finals: REVISED Draw & Schedule!”
Former champions Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor remain on course to collide in the semi-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts, whilst Peter Wright and Brendan Dolan also booked their quarter-final spots at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Wednesday evening.
The performance of the night was delivered by world number one Michael van Gerwen, who averaged 103.24 to defeat a tenacious Robert Thornton 10-5. ‘The Green Machine’ posted six maximums and converted 40% of his doubles, and although Thornton landed four maximums and two big ton-plus finishes, his lack of consistency cost him.
Van Gerwen kicked off proceedings in masterful fashion, registering his first maximum en route to an 11-dart opening salvo. However, Thornton was unperturbed and fired back instantly with a stunning 129 finish (T19, T16, D12).
The pair exchanged 14-darters as the high-quality contest continued, before Thornton squandered a wonderful opportunity to break. MvG missed four darts at D16 but ‘The Thorn’ then missed darts at D10 and D5 to complete an 80 kill and the Dutchman exploited this reprieve to hold throw on D8. Continue reading “Grand Slam of Darts Day Five Report!”
Raymond van Barneveld continued his magnificent form at the Grand Slam of Darts as the BDO trio of Jamie Hughes, Danny Noppert and Jeff Smith all booked their spots in the last 16 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Tuesday night. This takes the tally of BDO representatives in the last 16 to five – the highest figure since the tournament began.
Former Grand Slam champion Raymond van Barneveld dumped out Mensur Suljovic to set up a tantalising tie against BDO world number one Glen Durrant in the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts. Van Barneveld registered his third successive ton-plus average to defeat Suljovic 5-3 and maintain his 100% record in Group F.
Van Barneveld averaged 100.29, landed four maximums and converted 55% of his doubles to win his third straight group game, which condemned the Austrian to a surprise group-stage exit. The seventh seed averaged 94.58, hit two maximums and converted 60% of his double attempts, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the five-time world champion.
Van Barneveld’s victory ensured that BDO world number three Danny Noppert also qualified from Group F, after the Dutchman reeled off five successive legs to defeat World Youth finalist Nathan Aspinall 5-2. Noppert’s reward for qualification is a showdown with PDC world champion Gary Anderson in the knockout stages. Continue reading “Grand Slam of Darts Day Four Report!”
Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, James Wade, Peter Wright & Benito van de Pas sealed their spots in the knockout phase of the Grand Slam of Darts, whilst Raymond van Barneveld continued his rampant form in an eventful double-session of action at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Sunday.
Defending champion Michael van Gerwen is all but through to the second round after easing past Brendan Dolan 5-1 on Sunday evening. ‘The Green Machine’ was in sparkling form and averaged 104.5 to dismantle ‘The Historymaker’, and MvG requires just one leg against Max Hopp to confirm his place in the knockout phase.
Six-time Grand Slam winner Phil Taylor secured his place in the knockout phase with an emphatic 5-1 victory over an off-colour Ian White. Taylor was far from his best, averaging a miserly 92.94 by his incredibly high standards. Yet White was extremely poor, averaging just 84 and converting 20% of his double attempts.
World champion Gary Anderson is through to the last 16 of the Grand Slam after whitewashing Nathan Derry on Sunday evening. Derry was unable to replicate the performance that saw him defeat Alan Norris, as Anderson eased to a 5-0 victory despite averaging just 89.5 and hitting 23% of his double attempts. Continue reading “Grand Slam of Darts Day Two: Wright, Hughes & Barney impress!”
Raymond van Barneveld and Scott Mitchell stole the show on the opening day of the 2016 Grand Slam of Darts, as Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor & Gary Anderson all kicked off their campaigns with victories at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Saturday evening.
The highlight of the day saw Raymond van Barneveld produce a vintage performance to power past World Youth-finalist Nathan Aspinall 5-1 with a 110.15 average. The five-time world champion, who won the Grand Slam title back in 2012, kicked off the contest with a maximum and that set the tone for a sumptuous performance.
Van Barneveld posted three maximums and converted 63% of his attempts at double to begin his campaign in style. Aspinall acquitted himself extremely well and averaged 97 but he faced an inspired Barney, evidenced in the fifth leg when Aspinall was denied a dart at double despite leaving 36 after nine darts, as RvB fired in a stunning 140 finish.
The Dutch legend was unsurprisingly in bullish mood after his scintillating display. He told PDC media manager Dave Allen: “That 140 was a killer, and I’m really happy and satisfied with the 110 average of course. I’m really focused, I feel good and I’m looking forward to tomorrow afternoon.” Continue reading “Grand Slam of Darts Day One: Barney & Mitchell steal the show in Wolverhampton!”
Michael van Gerwen will begin the defence of his Grand Slam of Darts title against legendary three-time Lakeside world champion Martin Adams, after the draw for this year’s event at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall was made on Monday afternoon.
Van Gerwen, who produced a staggering comeback to defeat Phil Taylor and win his maiden Grand Slam title twelve months ago, will face a stern test against the 60-year-old Adams, who thrived on his debut in Wolverhampton last year.
‘Wolfie’ won all three of his group games against Jelle Klaasen, Ian White & Steve Beaton respectively, before succumbing to Kim Huybrechts in a last-leg shootout in the last 16. MvG and Adams will also be joined in Group A by former World Grand Prix finalist Brendan Dolan, and World-Youth champion Max Hopp.
Six-time Grand Slam winner Phil Taylor has been handed a relatively kind draw. ‘The Power’ has been pitted with his fellow Stokie Ian White, Darren Webster and BDO veteran Darryl Fitton, who qualified for this year’s event by virtue of winning the 2016 World Trophy back in May. Continue reading “2016 Grand Slam of Darts Draw confirmed!”
Michael van Gerwen will begin the defence of his World Series of Darts Finals title against either Gerwyn Price or Steve Beaton when the £155,000 tournament gets underway at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena this coming Saturday.
‘The Green Machine’ edged out Peter Wright 11-10 to win the tournament’s inaugural staging last year, which was the culmination of the annual worldwide tour. There were six World Series events held this year, in Dubai, Auckland, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Perth.
Van Gerwen will be top seed in Glasgow this weekend after topping the World Series of Darts rankings for the second year in succession. MvG won both the Shanghai and Perth Darts Masters, whilst he was also a runner-up in Dubai, Tokyo and Sydney.
The world number one will begin his campaign against either Gerwyn Price or Steve Beaton. Van Gerwen demolished Price 10-2 in the second-round of last week’s European Championship, whilst he also defeated Steve Beaton in the first-round of last month’s World Grand Prix. Continue reading “2016 World Series of Darts Finals Draw & Schedule!”
Mensur Suljovic has climbed to a career high of seventh on the PDC Order of Merit after reaching his maiden major TV final at the European Championship, whilst world number one Michael van Gerwen extended his lead at the summit by clinching his third successive European Championship crown in Hasselt.
Suljovic was 11th prior to this weekend’s event in Hasselt but the darts-control ace performed magnificently to reach the final, beating Jermaine Wattimena, Ian White, Phil Taylor and Peter Wright, before succumbing to the brilliance of ‘The Green Machine’ in the final.
Van Gerwen scooped the £100,000 winner’s cheque with a stunning 11-1 victory over Suljovic to take his ranking prize money to an astonishing £1, 371,000; almost £500,000 ahead of world number two and current world champion Gary Anderson.
Peter Wright is closing in on a spot in the world’s top four after his run to the semi-finals in Hasselt. Snakebite would have leapfrogged Phil Taylor on the Order of Merit if he’d have beaten Mensur Suljovic, but his 11-8 defeat to the Austrian leaves him trailing ‘The Power’ by just £4,750.
Former finalist Robert Thornton was among the eight players to qualify for next month’s Grand Slam of Darts after coming through the PDC qualifier at the Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday afternoon, on a day which saw five players book maiden appearances in Wolverhampton.
Thornton booked his return to the Civic Hall after a string of fine performances on Sunday afternoon. ‘The Thorn’ dropped just five legs in his four matches, kicking off proceedings by beating both Scott Dale and Andy Hamilton 5-1.
The former World Grand Prix champion then defeated Calum Loose 5-2 in round-three to set up a decisive clash with Andrew Gilding. The Scot then prevailed in comprehensive fashion, recording his third 5-1 triumph of the day.
Brendan Dolan came through successive deciding leg shoot-outs to seal his place in Wolverhampton next month. Dolan began his qualification campaign with victories over Ryan Harrington and Jan Dekker, before edging out Nigel Heydon 5-4.
The Northern Irishman then faced a decisive fourth-round battle with Kim Huybrechts who had lost just the solitary leg in his preceeding three matches. However, Dolan squeezed past the Belgian in an attritional deciding-leg to confirm his qualification. Continue reading “Grand Slam of Darts 2016- Qualifiers Confirmed!”
The PDC’s top twelve players will all be competing at the World Series of Darts Finals next month, after it was confirmed that Robert Thornton, Michael Smith, Jelle Klaasen and Mensur Suljovic have all received invitations to compete in the second staging of the invitational event at the Braehead Arena, Glasgow.
The inaugural staging of the World Series took place in 2015 and the field comprises 24 of the world’s biggest stars. The eight players who competed in all of the International World Series events throughout the year are automatically entered into the second-round, and they take on a series of invited players and global prospects.
The first-round features 16 players, containing eight global prospects, four PDC qualifiers, and four of the highest ranked players on the PDC Order of Merit. Former World Grand Prix champion Robert Thornton is the highest ranked player not to be an automatic seed, therefore he has received an invitation from the PDC.
The Scot, ranked seventh in the world, will also be joined by world number nine Michael Smith, who recently fell outside the world’s top eight after suffering a first-round defeat at the World Grand Prix against Alan Norris.
Thornton and Smith both competed in the inaugural staging of last year’s World Series, where they were beaten in the opening round by Michael van Gerwen and Mark Webster respectively, so they’ll be hoping for an improved showing this time around. Continue reading “Four Stars Receive World Series Wildcards!”
Reigning champion Robert Thornton and former winner James Wade were both dumped out on the opening night of the World Grand Prix, as Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld all progressed to round-two at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Sunday evening.
Thornton’s hopes of defending his title were quashed by former world champion Stephen Bunting, who held his nerve to prevail in an exciting affair. ‘The Bullet’ won the opening leg, but Thornton rallied and clinched the opening set with successive finishes of 125, 62 and 67.
However Bunting responded strongly, breaking Thornton early in set two with a clinical 105 kill. The St Helen’s star doubled his lead moments later, and whilst the Scot fired back with a 12-darter, Bunting levelled up proceedings at one set apiece with a 12-darter of his own.
‘The Bullet’ hit tops to take the lead early in set three, but Thornton replied by pinning D10. Bunting then moved to within a leg of victory, following up his fourth maximum by hitting D8. Thornton kicked off the fourth leg with five perfect darts, but missed a multitude of darts at double to force a decider, as Bunting secured the win via D4.
World champion Gary Anderson kicked off his campaign with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Jamie Caven. ‘The Flying Scotsman’ breezed to the first set without reply as ‘Jabba’ struggled for consistency. The second set was a much more competitive affair, but finishes of 112, 124 and 86 sealed victory for the world number two. Continue reading “World Grand Prix- Day One Report!”
Phil Taylor secured a magnificent double over world number one Michael van Gerwen to secure the inaugural Champions League of Darts title at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on Sunday evening.
‘The Power’, who thrashed Van Gerwen 10-4 in their round-robin clash on Saturday night, repeated his heroics to clinch an emphatic 11-5 victory over the Dutch ace in the final. Taylor averaged 98.97, hit four maximums and converted 52% of his attempts at double, to scoop the £100,000 winner’s cheque.
Taylor enjoyed a perfect start to the final, breaking throw in the opening leg. ‘The Power’ fired in his first maximum and pinned D16, after MvG had missed the same target for a 112 checkout. The 16-time world champion doubled his advantage moments later, again hitting D16 to complete a 63 finish for a 15-dart hold of throw.
Van Gerwen kicked off the third leg with a timely maximum, but Taylor responded in kind, leaving 81 after just 9 darts. Taylor then had a glorious opportunity for a double-break, but missed darts at D12 and D6 respectively, as Van Gerwen opened his account with a 13-darter on D8.
Taylor’s trend of missing doubles continued into the fourth leg as he spurned a further three darts at D18 and D9, but on this occasion he enjoyed a reprieve. Van Gerwen missed D18 for a 102 checkout, allowing ‘The Power’ to regain his two-leg cushion. Continue reading “Taylor does the double over Van Gerwen, to win the Champions League of Darts!”
World number one Michael van Gerwen will face the legendary Steve Beaton in the first-round of the World Grand-Prix, whilst reigning champion Robert Thornton will begin the defence of his title against Stephen Bunting at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin, next week.
The draw for the 2016 World Grand-Prix, which begins on Sunday October 2nd, was made live on the PDC’s official Facebook page, ahead of the final day of Champions League of Darts action.
Van Gerwen will take on 1996 Lakeside world champion Steve Beaton in round-one. Beaton has enjoyed a mini-resurgence this year, reaching the quarter-finals of the recent World Matchplay. However, ‘The Green Machine’ will be hoping to clinch a third World Grand-Prix title.
Robert Thornton, who defeated Van Gerwen in a thrilling final last year, takes on another former Lakeside champion Stephen Bunting. ‘The Thorn’ has endured a slump in form since winning his second major title last year, but he’ll be hoping that a return to Irish soil will have a galvanising effect on his fortunes.
Phil Taylor will go in search of an unprecedented twelfth World Grand-Prix crown against debutant Steve West. West secured his spot for this event by virtue of reaching the final of Players Championship 16 in Barnsley last week, which saw Vincent van der Voort miss out on qualification. Continue reading “2016 World Grand Prix Draw!”
Phil Taylor produced a vintage display to dismantle Michael van Gerwen on the opening night of the inaugural Champions League of Darts at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on Saturday evening, which was broadcast live on the BBC.
The 16-time world champion averaged a mightily impressive 107.49 and took out four-ton plus checkouts to record a 10-4 win over the world number one, to mathematically secure himself a place in the semi-finals.
Incredibly, nine of the first ten legs went against the throw as Taylor led 6-4 at the break. ‘The Power’ then capitalised on missed doubles from MvG to establish an 8-4 cushion, before Taylor rounded off a stunning 10-4 victory with 138 and 120 checkouts in the final two legs of the encounter, to bring MvG’s astonishing 36-game unbeaten run to an end.
Earlier in the day, the 56-year-old kicked off his campaign with a convincing victory over world number five Peter Wright. ‘The Power’ averaged 102.66, took out a stunning 154 finish and hit 48% of his attempts at double. Wright averaged a respectable 97.30, but he was punished for hitting just 36% of his double attempts.
Meanwhile, MvG reeled off five straight legs to defeat World Grand-Prix champion Robert Thornton in his opening group game. ‘The Thorn’ posted seven maximums as the scores were locked at five apiece at the first interval. However ‘The Green Machine’ exploded after the interval, winning five legs without reply, finishing with a 97.30 average. Continue reading “Taylor dismantles MvG at the Champions League of Darts!”
Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor will renew their rivalry at the inaugural Champions League of Darts, which gets underway in Cardiff this Saturday. The round-robin tournament, consisting solely of the world’s top eight players, will be televised on BBC Two- the first ever PDC event to be broadcast on the BBC.
Van Gerwen has been in magnificent form over recent weeks, amassing £55,000 in prize money within the last five days alone, having won the European Darts Grand Prix last weekend, before clinching an incredible Players Championship treble in Barnsley. He’ll certainly be the man to beat at the Motorpoint Arena.
The event sees players split into two groups of four, which begins with a round-robin phase. The top two players from each group will then progress to knockout semi-finals and the final, and the eventual winner will scoop the £100,000 first prize.
Van Gerwen and Taylor will be joined in Group A by the Scottish duo of Peter Wright and Robert Thornton. Three-time major finalist Wright is fifth seed, whilst Thornton, who will be defending his World Grand-Prix title next week, is seeded eighth.
World champion Gary Anderson is the highest ranked seed in Group B, and he’ll be joined by two-time world champion Adrian Lewis, eight-time major winner James Wade and former World-Youth champion Michael Smith. Continue reading “Unibet Champions League of Darts Draw & Schedule!”
The entries for next week’s Players Championship triple-header at the Barnsley Metrodome have been confirmed. The triple-header will take place during midweek, from September 20th-22nd, ahead of the inaugural staging of the Champions League of Darts, which will be the PDC’s first ever tournament televised on the BBC.
The Champions League of Darts, which takes place in Cardiff from September 24-25, sees the world’s top eight players compete in a round-robin format, with two groups of four, where the top two players from each group progress to the semi-finals.
World number one Michael van Gerwen will be present in Barnsley, as will 16-time world champion Phil Taylor. Nevertheless, world champion Gary Anderson has opted not to compete, as he prepares for the PDC’s inaugural competition in Cardiff.
James Wade won’t be competing in Players Championship 14, but he will be in action on the following two days, whereas Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis have chosen not to enter Players Championship 16. The other Champions League of Darts participants- Peter Wright, Robert Thornton & Michael Smith, will compete in all three events.
Elsewhere, five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld will be making his return to Pro Tour action, and he will be joined by his trio of Dutch proteges; Jeffrey de Zwaan, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Mike Zuydwijk.
Continue reading “Players Championship 14, 15, 16 entries confirmed!”
Jelle Klaasen and Kim Huybrechts stole the show in round-two of the HappyBet European Darts Trophy, whilst Michael van Gerwen returned to European Tour action with a bang, on Saturday evening at the RWE Arena in Muelheim.
Klaasen produced a breath-taking display as he dismantled his compatriot Vincent van der Voort 6-1. Klaasen was in sensational form, averaging 111.23 to secure victory in just over 10 minutes. Van der Voort’s solitary leg came via an excellent 101 checkout, but he was unable to live with the rampant ‘Cobra’.
Kim Huybrechts bounced back from his heartbreak in Riesa with a magnificent whitewash win against stablemate Kyle Anderson. Huybrechts was in unforgiving mood, averaging 106.09 to set up a third-round meeting with Terry Jenkins.
Michael van Gerwen marked his return to European Tour action with a convincing 6-2 victory over former World-Youth champion Keegan Brown. MvG stormed into a 3-0 lead, but Brown took out a fabulous 139 finish before breaking on D8 in 15-darts to reduce the arrears to 3-2.
However, the Isle of Wight star spurned three darts to restore parity at three apiece and Van Gerwen took full advantage of his opponent’s profligacy, reeling off three straight legs to seal a fine victory, with an average of 99.9.
Michael van Gerwen began the defence of his World Matchplay title with a thumping whitewash victory over Jamie Caven, whilst Dave Chisnall, Robert Thornton and Kyle Anderson all won through on the opening night at the Winter Gardens.
Van Gerwen was in magnificent form as he despatched Jamie Caven 10-0. Jabba didn’t perform anywhere near to his potential, averaging a miserly 79. He only had four attempts at double in the entire contest; all of which came in the second leg.
However, ‘The Green Machine’ was in merciless form. He averaged 105.85, hitting four maximums and converting 50% of his attempts at double. The world number one will face Kyle Anderson in the last 16, after ‘The Original’ eased past 16th seed Vincent van der Voort 10-4.
It was a relatively scrappy affair, with van der Voort averaging 89.99 compared to Anderson’s 92.34. The encounter was evenly poised at 5-4, as Van der Voort reeled off successive legs to close in on the Australian. However, Anderson won five straight legs to secure his first ever victory at the World Matchplay.
The 2016 World Matchplay kicks off on Saturday evening, and Josh’s Dartistry casts his eye over the favourites, the contenders, the dark-horses, as well as the seeds under pressure. It promises to be a fantastic tournament at the Winter Gardens!
The Favourites:
Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen is the favourite to retain his BetVictor World Matchplay title. He faces seven-time Pro Tour winner Jamie Caven in round-one, but ‘The Green Machine’ will be confident of progressing.
‘Jabba’ has only once gone beyond round-one at the Winter Gardens, and if MvG progresses, he will face either his good friend Vincent van der Voort, or Kyle Anderson in the last 16. Van Gerwen claimed victory in the recent Shanghai Darts Masters, but the world number one wasn’t in vintage form throughout the World Series.
Gary Anderson
World champion Gary Anderson will enter this tournament with real self-belief. ‘The Flying Scotsman’ has won three of the four World Series titles in 2016, beating Van Gerwen in two of those finals. The Scot is one of the select few who relishes the challenge of facing MvG, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see these two face off in the final.
However, Anderson has been handed a difficult first-round assignment, against former Lakeside world finalist Alan Norris. Norris has been in fine form in the last 6 months and this promises to be a quick-fire contest. Anderson suffered a shock second-round defeat to Mensur Suljovic last year, so he’ll be determined to make amends this time around.
Michael van Gerwen will begin the defence of his World Matchplay title against Jamie Caven, whilst world champion Gary Anderson takes on former Lakeside world finalist Alan Norris, after the draw was made live on Sky Sports News on Thursday morning.
The prestigious 32-player event, televised by Sky Sports, will be held at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens from July 16-24. Van Gerwen, who defeated James Wade in last year’s final, is faced with a tough assignment against Caven, a winner of seven Pro Tour titles.
Arguably the tie of the round sees world champion Gary Anderson take on Alan Norris. Norris has been in tremendous form over the last twelve months, which saw him reach the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championship on debut. Anderson has never gone beyond the last four in Blackpool, and this promises to be a quick-fire contest.
Phil Taylor will begin his bid for an unprecedented 16th World Matchplay title against Robbie Green, who just managed to secure his spot on the final day of qualifying.’Kong’ is making his first Matchplay appearance since 2004, but Taylor will be hoping to win his eighth Blackpool title in just nine years.
Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld kept their World Cup dreams alive as they defeated Australia’s pairing of Simon Whitlock and Kyle Anderson in arguably the best match in the tournament’s history, in Frankfurt on Sunday afternoon.
Van Gerwen defeated Simon Whitlock 4-1 to give Netherlands a 1-0 advantage. Whitlock won the opening leg on D10, but MvG responded with a spectacular 132 finish, which included two bullseyes, followed by D16. Van Gerwen then broke Whitlock’s throw with a clinical 100 finish, before completing the victory with a 98.49 average.
However, Kyle Anderson showed tremendous character as he defeated Raymond van Barneveld 4-3 in a pulsating encounter. Anderson led 3-1, but Van Barneveld stayed alive with a fine 116 checkout. Barney then broke Kyle’s throw with a fabulous 11-darter, but Anderson stole victory after RvB missed five match darts in the decider.
However, the Dutch began the decisive doubles-decider superbly. Van Gerwen opened up with a maximum, and Barney posted a 140, before hitting D16 for a 12-dart break of throw. Nevertheless, Australia responded emphatically, with Whitlock completing a 13-darter after Anderson registered his first maximum of the contest.
Continue reading “World Cup of Darts- Quarter-Finals Report”
England, Scotland and Netherlands all eased through to the quarter-finals of the 2016 Betway World Cup of Darts, whilst Canada caused the shock of the tournament thus far, dumping out fifth seeds Wales in the second-round in Frankfurt on Saturday.
Defending champions England breezed through to the last eight without dropping a single leg, as Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis defeated Yuanjun Liu and Wenge Xie 4-0 respectively. Taylor averaged just 81 in his singles match, whilst Lewis averaged a modest 89. However, this contest will be remembered more for the exuberant antics of the Wenge Xie!
Elsewhere, second seeds Scotland progressed to the quarter-finals, after Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton won their respective singles contests against Norway. World champion Anderson survived a major scare against the impressive Cor Dekker, coming through in a pulsating last-leg decider.
Dekker left himself on 52 as he neared in on a historic win, but Anderson showed his class, snatching victory with a majestic 160 finish. Meanwhile, Robert Thornton’s progress was more serene, as the World Grand-Prix champion averaged 85 in defeating the experienced Robert Wagner 5-1.
The teams for the 2016 Betway World Cup of Darts have been announced, and five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld will represent tournament favourites Netherlands along with world number one Michael van Gerwen, following Jelle Klaasen’s withdrawal last week.
Van Barneveld and Van Gerwen won the title together in 2014, and they’ll be hoping to repeat this success in Frankfurt this year. Netherlands, who also won the inaugural staging of this competition in 2010, are 6/4 favourites with title sponsor Betway to lift this trophy for a third time, but they’ll be seeded third in Germany.
Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis will represent reigning champions England for the fifth consecutive year, as they bid for a fourth World Cup title together. The Stoke duo defeated Scotland in last year’s final, and they will be looking forward to continuing their partnership as top seeds in 2016.
World champion Gary Anderson will once again represent Scotland, although he’ll be doing so alongside World Grand-Prix champion Robert Thornton; not Peter Wright, who is ranked above ‘The Thorn’ on the PDC Order of Merit.
Michael van Gerwen delighted a 10,000 partisan Dutch crowd by beating Phil Taylor and securing top spot in the Premier League table in Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena on Thursday evening. Van Gerwen edged out ‘The Power’ 7-5 in a thrilling contest to ensure he tops the league phase for the fourth year in succession.
MvG posted two maximums in the opening leg, but it was Taylor who clinched the spoils, after ‘The Green Machine’ spurned five darts at double. However, the world number one responded magnificently, converting checkouts of 90 and 80 to claim a crucial break of throw.
Despite this, the 16-time world champion secured an instant break back after Van Gerwen squandered two darts at tops, with Taylor taking out 41 in two darts. The next four legs all went with throw, with the encounter tantalizingly poised at four apiece. MvG was dominating the averages, but Taylor was displaying tremendous resilience.
Taylor fired in a timely 140 as he aimed to hold throw once more, but Van Gerwen raised the roof with a spectacular 164 checkout on the bullseye. The Dutch star then needed just one more leg to guarantee top spot, but he was made to sweat for a little longer, as Taylor took out D10 to level up proceedings, after Michael had missed a dart at tops.
Continue reading “Premier League Darts- Rotterdam Week 15 Report!”
The Premier League enters unprecedented territory on Thursday night, as the tournament enters the Netherlands for the first time in its history. Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena hosts the final week of league action and the stakes are incredibly high.
Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor is undoubtedly the main event of the evening. Both are locked on 24 points and the winner will top the table and subsequently collect the £25,000 winner’s bonus awarded for whoever finishes first.
Elsewhere, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson clash in a repeat of last year’s World Championship final, with Lewis knowing that a point should be sufficient to secure a play-off spot, alongside Van Gerwen, Taylor and Anderson.
Peter Wright trails Lewis by the solitary point and he must defeat home-favourite Raymond van Barneveld to have any realistic chance of qualifying for the O2 Arena. Elsewhere, James Wade and Robert Thornton will also do battle on Dutch soil.
Continue reading “Premier League Darts- Rotterdam Week 15 Preview!”
Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor will contest a winner-takes-all clash in Rotterdam next week, as the pair remain locked on points at the top of the table after they both secured comprehensive victories in Manchester on Thursday evening.
Van Gerwen only leads Taylor on legs difference, but ‘The Green Machine’ maintained top spot with a stunning 7-2 win over his compatriot Raymond van Barneveld. MvG averaged 108 against his elder statesman; reeling off five consecutive legs en route to victory.
Van Barneveld recorded an average of 101 and hit five maximums, but he was contending with an unstoppable force in the shape of the world number one. Van Gerwen came desperately close to hitting a 9-darter in the seventh leg; wiring D12 with his ninth dart.
The 27-year-old from Boxtel continued his purple-patch, as then converted sublime finishes of 122 and 167 to condemn Barney to his heaviest defeat of the campaign. Yet despite the scoreline, the five-time world champion did very little wrong.
Michael van Gerwen returned to the top of the Premier League table with a thumping 7-1 victory over James Wade, after Phil Taylor suffered a surprise defeat to Peter Wright, at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Thursday evening.
Van Gerwen averaged 108.33 and hit 7/9 on the doubles, to avenge his opening week defeat suffered against Wade in February. Profligate doubling cost MvG on that occasion, but he was in imperious form in Birmingham, as he aims to top the Premier League table for the fourth year in succession.
Wade did very little wrong, averaging 102.4, but he was only afforded two darts at double in the entire contest. Van Gerwen’s combination finishing was majestic; the world number one recorded checkouts of 87, 99, 124 and 81, to move above Phil Taylor on legs difference.
Taylor suffered only his second defeat of the season at the hands of Peter Wright, who produced an incredible display of finishing to extend his unbeaten Premier League run against ‘The Power’ to five matches.
World champion Gary Anderson and fellow Scot Peter Wright face a defining double-header in the hunt for a Premier League play-off place at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena on Thursday night. Wright faces Phil Taylor whilst Anderson meets Raymond van Barneveld, before the Scots reconvene to face off in the evening’s curtain-raiser.
Elsewhere, Michael van Gerwen will aim to keep up the pressure on Phil Taylor when he faces James Wade, whilst Adrian Lewis meets Robert Thornton, who is five points adrift at the bottom of the table.
Peter Wright v Phil Taylor
Peter Wright’s play-off hopes will surely hinge on this week’s double-header against Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson. In many ways, this year has mirrored Wright’s debut Premier League campaign. Two years ago, Wright sat top of the tree after week eight, but fell away in the second half of the season.
Michael van Gerwen cut Phil Taylor’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to just two points after claiming maximum points from his double-header at the Bournemouth International Centre. Van Gerwen defeated Peter Wright and Adrian Lewis to confirm his qualification for finals night at the O2 Arena next month.
Van Gerwen kicked off the evening with a comprehensive victory against Peter Wright to inflict Snakebite’s second successive 7-2 loss. MvG averaged 103.38 and boasted 53% on the doubles, and despite Wright averaging 98, the Scot was unable to trouble the merciless Dutchman.
Van Gerwen faced Adrian Lewis in the evening’s final match and the world number one came through a scrappy tussle against Jackpot. Van Gerwen averaged a meagre 96.82 by his exceptionally high standards, but it was still enough to claim victory. Michael broke throw in the opening leg and then extended his advantage with a fine 124 checkout.
Lewis showed impressive resilience to reduce the arrears to 4-3, and he forced a last-leg decider after MvG squandered four darts to close out a 7-4 victory. Nevertheless, Jackpot was unable to salvage anything from the contest, as Van Gerwen secured his second win of the evening with a convincing 14-darter on his throw.
Phil Taylor moved four points clear at the top of the Betway Premier League after Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson shared the spoils on a thrilling night of Premier League action at Belfast’s SSE Arena. Elsewhere, Adrian Lewis hit the first 9-darter in this competition since 2012 in his comeback victory against James Wade.
Van Gerwen and Anderson contested one of the best games in Premier League history in a rip-roaring tussle lasting just 16 minutes. It was an enthralling spectacle and only one of the twelve legs were completed in over 15 darts.
Van Gerwen averaged 110.55 to Anderson’s 108.24, asall twelve legs went with throw, which is extremely unusual in Premier League competition. Both men finished magnificently. MvG recorded 60% on the doubles, whilst ‘The Flying Scotsman’ boasted a sensational 85.71% on the doubles.
Phil Taylor held off a valiant fightback from Raymond van Barneveld to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Taylor led 6-2 and was averaging 106 at one stage, but Van Barneveld fought back superbly, with finishes of 61 and 106 reducing the arrears to 6-5.
Raymond van Barneveld and Robert Thornton face double-headers as the Premier League heads to Belfast’s SSE Arena for night 11 of the 2016 Premier League. Van Barneveld faces his old adversary Phil Taylor in his first match, whilst Thornton meets his compatriot Peter Wright, before Barney and Thornton face off to complete the evening’s action.
Elsewhere, the top two players in world darts collide, as world number one Michael van Gerwen faces world champion and defending Premier League champion, Gary Anderson. James Wade and Adrian Lewis also lock horns in a game that could have significant repercussions in the battle for a play-off place.
Phil Taylor moved three points clear at the top of the Betway Premier League after enjoying a magnificent double delight in Sheffield. ‘The Power’ had a crucial double-header against Gary Anderson and James Wade on night ten, and secured a four perfect four points to continue his fantastic run of form.
Taylor won his first match of the evening with a brilliant 7-3 win over reigning Premier League champion Gary Anderson. ‘The Flying Scotsman’ started strongly and led 3-2, but the decisive moment arose in the sixth leg, when Anderson failed to take out 68 for a 4-2 advantage.
Taylor responded by converting 76 to restore parity at 3-3 and ‘The Power’ never looked back from this moment onwards, winning the final five legs without reply to close out a comprehensive victory with a 99.31 average. Anderson finished with a disappointing 92.83 average, as Taylor completed the league-double over the world champion.
In the evening’s curtain raiser, Taylor met James Wade, after Wade also won his first match of the evening with a solid 7-4 victory over Raymond van Barneveld. There was just the solitary break of throw in the entire contest, when van Barneveld missed three darts at D18 for 5-5. Wade punished RvB by pinning D20, before clinching victory on D10.
Michael van Gerwen returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a pulsating 7-5 victory over Robert Thornton on night ten at the Sheffield Arena. Van Gerwen posted an average of 117.95, the second highest in Premier League history; but he was pushed all the way by a tenacious Thornton, who averaged 104.23 and recorded 71% on the doubles.
Thornton kicked off proceedings with a confident 14-dart hold by virtue of posting his first maximum, but MvG levelled up proceedings immediately with a 13-darter on D20. The Dutchman then produced another 13-darter on tops to break the throw, before establishing a two-leg cushion thanks to a majestic 10-dart leg.
Van Gerwen produced scores of 180, 135 and 170, before cleaning up D8 to maintain his perfect record on the doubles. ‘The Green Machine’ recorded another visit of 170 in the fifth leg to open up a break opportunity and after Thornton wired the bullseye for an 81 finish, Michael clinched his fourth successive leg by pinning D10 with his last dart.
Thornton was throwing well and the World Grand-Prix champion recorded his second maximum to leave 81 after just 9 darts. However, in an exact replica of the previous leg, the Scot missed the bull to complete the combination, and van Gerwen converted 78 in two-darts for his fifth straight leg.
Continue reading “MvG averages 118 to edge past Thornton in a thriller!”
Michael Smith and Dave Chisnall suffered elimination from the 2016 Premier League on Judgement Night in Cardiff last week, as the competition reached the half-way mark. Josh’s Dartistry takes this opportunity to assess the statistics from this year’s event, to see whether or not they reflect the current league standings.
Current League Table
| After Judgement Night | P | W | D | L | +/- | LWAT | Pts |
| Phil Taylor | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | +21 | 20 | 14 |
| Michael van Gerwen | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | +20 | 23 | 13 |
| Gary Anderson | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | +12 | 18 | 13 |
| Adrian Lewis | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | +8 | 21 | 12 |
| James Wade | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | +3 | 18 | 11 |
| Peter Wright | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 15 | 10 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | -2 | 18 | 7 |
| Robert Thornton | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -23 | 6 | 4 |
| Dave Chisnall (E) | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -14 | 17 | 3 |
| Michael Smith (E) | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -26 | 15 | 3 |
Continue reading “Premier League Darts- The statistics so far!”
The fixtures for the remainder of the 2016 Premier League have been announced as the battle for play-off places intensifies, and world number one Michael van Gerwen will face his arch nemesis Phil Taylor on home soil when the Premier League heads to Holland for the first time on May 12th.
Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena will host night 15 of this year’s competition, and five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld will hope to secure victory on home territory against Peter Wright.
After Dave Chisnall and Michael Smith were eliminated on Judgement Night in Cardiff, the remaining eight players will battle it out over the next six weeks to determine who will finish in the top-four and secure a spot at the O2 Arena for finals night on May 19th.
Each player will play twice on one league night within the next four weeks, before the final two league nights, at the Manchester Arena and the sell-out Premier League debut at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena, feature four games on each night before the cut-off for Play-Off places.
Continue reading “Premier League Darts-Weeks 10-15 Fixtures Confirmed!”