Stan James World Matchplay - Day Three

REPORTS from Tuesday's play at the Stan James World Matchplay, as the first round concludes at the Winter Gardens and round two begins.

The final five first round games are played during the afternoon and evening session, including James Wade beginning the defence of his title, before the night continues with the first two games from the last 16.

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Stan James World Matchplay
Tuesday 22 July
1pm Start
Ronnie Baxter 10-4 Andy Smith
Alan Tabern 10-8 Vincent van der Voort
Andy Hamilton 12-14 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Manley 10-4 Denis Ovens

7pm Start
James Wade 10-4 Wayne Jones
Second Round - Best of 25 legs
Phil Taylor 13-5 Colin Osborne
Kevin McDine 13-9 Mark Walsh

RONNIE BAXTER 10-4 ANDY SMITH

RONNIE BAXTER swept past Andy Smith to reach the second round of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 10-4 victory.

Baxter, a runner-up in the 1998 World Matchplay, made an assured start to his bid in this year's event against an under-par Smith.

Smith failed to match Baxter's scoring throughout, and never recovered from the Blackpool-based star taking a 3-0 lead.

Smith kicked off the first and third legs with maximums, but a 14-darter put Baxter ahead, and double top and double eight put him in front.

Three missed darts at double eight allowed Smith to step in and get off the mark on double 11, but a double 17 finish put Baxter 4-1 up at the first break.

Smith took two of the next three to reduce the arrears to 5-3, but Baxter hit scores of 180 and 177 in moving 7-3 up.

He then took out double four and a 102 finish on double 16 to move within a leg of victory, before Smith landed double 16 to keep his hopes alive.

But Baxter was swift to wrap up the win, landing double 16 to set up a second round match with either defending champion James Wade or Wayne Jones.

"The scoreline made it look easy but it wasn't," said Baxter. "My performance was okay at times but Andy gave me a lot of rope and I wasn't taking it.

"The win was a little bit of payback for when I lost to Andy in the World Grand Prix in the first round. On that day I wasn't in form and today he wasn't, but that's first rounds for you.

"I've got James or Wayne next and I can have a nice sleep in on Wednesday, after being first game today, and get myself ready for tomorrow night."

Match Stats

Ronnie Baxter	10-4	Andy Smith
15	100+	22
11	140+	5
2	180	2
31.11	Ave1	28.15
93.33	Ave3	84.45
102	High Finish	80
4	Legs Against Throw	1

ALAN TABERN 10-8 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT

ALAN TABERN produced a brilliant comeback to edge out Vincent van der Voort 10-8 in the Stan James World Matchplay and gain his first win on the Winter Gardens stage.

Tabern has been a first round loser in the past two years in his previous appearances in Blackpool, and looked set to again suffer defeat when van der Voort opened up a 6-2 lead.

But the St Helens man - using a new set of darts for the first time - battled back to win eight of the next ten legs and set up a second round clash with World Champion John Part.

Van der Voort started the stronger, outscoring Tabern in the early legs to take a 3-1 lead, including two maximums and a double top to break his opponent's throw in leg four.

Tabern hit back in 14 darts to break the Dutchman's throw, only for van der Voort to win three in a row, including a sparkling 12-darter, to create a 6-2 lead.

A 13-darter from Tabern stopped the rot, and three successive 15-darters, including a 101 finish, saw him pull level.

Van der Voort won two of the next three with legs of 13 and 12 darts to lead 8-7, before Tabern landed double eight to level.

Crucially, the Dutchman missed four darts at a double in the next, and Tabern stepped in on double four to break.

And the Englishman wrapped up the win in style with a 13-darter to ensure his second round appearance.

"I'm pleased to get the win in the end but I wasn't happy with my performance," said Tabern.

"I had to keep plugging away but 6-2 wasn't a fair reflection on the game. I'd missed a few doubles early on and Vincent took advantage, as any player of his quality would.

"It was a bit of a gamble using my new darts on stage for the first time, but I'd have to use them one day so that may as well have been today, and I got more comfortable as the game wore on."

Match Stats

Alan Tabern	10-8	Vincent van der Voort
19	100+	18
20	140+	15
2	180	5
31.92	Ave1	31.75
95.75	Ave3	95.25
101	High Finish	96
4	Legs Against Throw	3

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN 14-12 ANDY HAMILTON

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN edged past Andy Hamilton 14-12 in a Stan James World Matchplay thriller to reach the second round of the Winter Gardens tournament.

The Dutch youngster twice went beyond the scheduled distance in his debut in Blackpool last year, and was again an extra time winner in a compelling battle with Hamilton.

The Stoke man fought back from trailing 3-0 and 8-5 to give himself a shot at an 11-9 win, but two missed darts for the match cost him as van Gerwen edged home.

Teenager van Gerwen edged the early legs to lead 3-0 before Hamilton produced a fantastic 140 finish to kick-start his challenge.

A 110 finish saw him pull level at three-all before van Gerwen hit double 16 to move back in front and then break the throw on double top.

Hamilton took leg nine, and hit a 180 for a second successive leg in the next only for three missed doubles to allow van Gerwen in to teal the lead on the bull.

A 72 finish put the Dutchman 7-4 up before Hamilton landed an 11-darter to hit back.

He then won three of the next four legs to level at eight apiece, and the pair traded double 16 finishes to remain locked and send the game beyond the scheduled best-of-19 leg distance.

A missed bullseye from van Gerwen allowed Hamilton in to break throw and lead 10-9, but misses at double top and double ten for the win saw van Gerwen level again.

The Dutchman edged back in front on double six, but it was then his turn to squander four match darts as Hamilton scrambled home double five.

Van Gerwen missed double top for a 160 finish in the next as Hamilton broke once more, only for the teenager to hit a pressure double top to make the scoreline 12-all, with his opponent waiting on 32 for the match.

A maximum from van Gerwen sent him clear in the next before double ten put him 13-12 up, and another 180 left him a finish in the next to set up double 16 for the win.

"I'd already missed four darts for the match, but I wasn't going to miss a second time," said van Gerwen. "I'm very happy now to get the win.

"I always want to win 10-0, but it doesn't matter how you win as long as you get the win, but we didn't play the board, we played each other.

"We were both a bit nervous at times and I can play a lot better than that, but I'll look forward to playing Wayne Mardle next.

"He's a fast player so it's easier for me. We've played twice before I like playing against him."

Match Stats

Andy Hamilton	12-14	Michael van Gerwen
35	100+	34
18	140+	17
4	180	4
30.86	Ave1	31.07
92.59	Ave3	93.22
140,110	High Finish	87
5	Legs Against Throw	6

PETER MANLEY 10-4 DENIS OVENS

PETER MANLEY powered into the second round of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 10-4 win over Denis Ovens.

Manley was a semi-finalist in the Las Vegas Desert Classic earlier this month, and continued his good form with some excellent finishing in Blackpool.

Ovens took the opening leg in 13 darts, but four in a row put Manley 4-1 up before a 110 finish from the Stevenage man stopped that run.

Manley replied with an 11-darter, having hit seven perfect darts with a 180 and 177 setting up a possible nine-darter, only for his seventh dart to land in the treble 20 but block the bed.

Ovens won two of the next three legs to pull back to 6-4, but Manley took the 11th leg on double top and then punished two missed doubles to move 8-4 up.

Manley then kicked off leg 13 with scores of 180, 140 and 145, giving him the space to miss five darts at a double before taking out double four to move to the brink of victory.

Manley then landed a fourth maximum of the game in the next, before taking out 96 on double eight to set up a second round clash with Matt Clark.

"From the second leg onwards he missed doubles and let me in," admitted Manley.

"I hadn't settled and it was always going to be a tough game, but he missed crucial doubles and I'm quite happy to scoop them up all day.

"He'll be disappointed because of the way the game went. It wasn't fantastic but it was gritty.

"We've both gone all the way around the world playing darts and are still there at the top level. That's full credit to Denis for doing that, but I have to credit myself today for hanging in there and taking advantage when he gave me chances."

He added: "This was always going to be a hard game because the World Matchplay is second only to the World Championship for prize money and a lot of top players have already gone out.

"Maybe they were thinking about the Order of Merit because of the prize money we're paying for and the difference one game can make, going from £4,000 to £8,000 by reaching round two.

"Denis was playing for that, I was and it's hard on everyone. You have to forget it and concentrate on playing the game - but it's easy to say that!"

Clark has battled a knee problem since last year and has adopted a more upright stance when throwing, but Manley added: "Matt's going to be a difficult game.

"I played him in the final of a non-ranked event a couple of months ago and it was a good game, he beat me fair and square but it was probably one of the most boring games of my life.

"If it wasn't for my wife Crissy I'd have shaken his hand and walked off after the first leg, because he was so slow. When you play a slow player you want to have a walk around but the stage is shorter this year and I won't be able to do that!

"He's going to have a little bit of the 'One Dart' treatment and he'll need all the Kryptonite he can get to beat me!"

Match Stats

Peter Manley	10-4	Denis Ovens
16	100+	22
11	140+	10
4	180	3
30.38	Ave1	30.20
91.14	Ave3	90.59
96	High Finish	110
4	Legs Against Throw	1

JAMES WADE 10-4 WAYNE JONES

JAMES WADE made a strong start to the defence of his Stan James World Matchplay title with a 10-4 win over Wayne Jones in Blackpool last night.

Wade powered into a 6-0 lead against the qualifier from Wolverhampton, and included a 157 finish in booking his place in the second round.

Wade made a sensational start, breaking Jones' throw in 13 darts to open the game, hitting double ten in the second leg and then double eight for a 14-darter to move 3-0 up, with a 170 score from Jones leaving him sat on 16 without getting a shot at the double.

Wade hit two 180s in a ten-darter to extend the lead to 4-0, and landed five perfect darts in the next leg, a 12-darter, to lift his average to 109.

Jones missed his chance to get off the mark in the next as Wade made the scoreline 6-0, before double nine saw the Wolverhampton man - who was suffering from food poisoning ahead of the game - get his first chalk on the board.

Jones also took out 116 in getting a second leg, and two in a row saw him pull back to 8-4 as Wade began to miss doubles.

But a superb 157 checkout from the reigning champion saw him move a leg away from the win, and double eight put the youngster into round two.

"I played well for the first five or six legs but then I got lazy," said Wade.

"I have to change that if I'm to become the number one but there was pressure on me as defending champion and people are expecting more of me now.

"It's been a long wait while everyone else has played in the first round and I was nervous, but it's out of the way now and I can relax and enjoy the second round now."

Match Stats

James Wade	10-4	Wayne Jones
8	100+	18
15	140+	12
6	180	1
32.10	Ave1	30.35
96.31	Ave3	91.04
157	High Finish	116
4	Legs Against Throw	1

SECOND ROUND
PHIL TAYLOR 13-5 COLIN OSBORNE

PHIL TAYLOR produced one of the greatest ever televised displays to romp into the quarter-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 13-5 victory over Colin Osborne.

Taylor was on course to achieve a record average in a major championship when he peaked at 114.7 in taking a 10-0 lead against the Derby challenger.

Although his average dipped as Osborne hit back, hitting a ten-darter in pulling back to 12-5, Taylor eventually wrapped up the win with a 50 percent checkout ratio and a 109.70 average - the third highest in World Matchplay history.

"I was just aiming to get the win and that's fantastic," said Taylor. "You don't always think about your average but it's great to be playing so well.

"Colin has a lot of bottle and showed that by keeping fighting right to the end."

Osborne missed two darts to win the game's opening leg, with Taylor opening with double six before leaving his opponent trailing with a devastating burst.

He landed maximums in three successive legs in going 7-0 up, took out double 18 in the eighth and then landed double 16 in the ninth after Osborne left himself on 40 after 12 darts.

Double nine put Taylor 10-0 up before a 110 finish got Osborne off the mark.

Finishes of double 16 and double eight took Taylor a leg away from the win, before Osborne produced some brilliant darts of his own to hit back.

He followed up legs of 14 and 15 darts with a sensational ten-darter, which included back-to-back 180s, in pulling back to 12-5, before Taylor eventually sealed victory on double ten.

"I missed two darts to win the first leg and you can't afford to do that against Phil," said Osborne. "Even at 5-0, 6-0 or 7-0 I still felt that I wasn't playing as well as I could and I kept plugging away.

"I was never going to give up and from 12-1 down I didn't waste any darts and made the scoreline respectable - but I needed a 110 finish just to get a leg on the board!"

Match Stats

Phil Taylor	13-5	Colin Osborne
21	100+	24
18	140+	8
5	180	4
36.57	Ave1	32.36
109.70	Ave3	97.08
94	High Finish	110
6	Legs Against Throw	2

KEVIN McDINE 13-9 MARK WALSH

KEVIN McDINE continued his emergence as a darting star with a 13-9 win over Mark Walsh to reach the quarter-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay.

The 23-year-old made his Winter Gardens debut with a win over Adrian Lewis on Monday, and backed up that victory with a solid display to see off Walsh.

McDine now meets Phil Taylor on the televised stage for a first time in Thursday's quarter-finals, in what will be the biggest test of his 18-month career as a professional.

"I'm tired after this win but I've got a day off to recuperate," admitted McDine. "This was a harder game than playing against Adrian, Mark pushed me all the way.

"My scoring was great but I'm not happy with my finishing and I'll be working on that because I'll have to average something special to beat Phil."

McDine certainly showed flashes of his brilliant best in taking a 6-1 lead in the game, including a 120 finish in pulling clear of Walsh.

Walsh had landed two 180s in a 12-darter to get himself off the mark, and took four legs out of five, including a 12-darter and two 14-darters, to pull back to 7-5.

Legs of 12, 14 and 16 darts saw McDine edge away again, before Walsh battled to stay in the contest once more.

He landed a 13-darter and a 14-darter in punishing another lapse from McDine to take four out of five legs in reducing the arrears to 11-9.

But a strong reply from McDine saw him take out 89 on double 16, and he landed a 174 in setting up the same double for victory.

Match Stats