VINCENT VAN DER VOORT booked his place in the Championship League Darts Winners Group with victory over Mark Walsh in the Group Six Final.
The Dutchman finished third in the Group Six table after the eight competitors met in a round-robin phase on Thursday, before defeating Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals and Walsh in the decider.
Van der Voort claimed £3,100 on the day and took his earnings in the tournament - staged at Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex and screened solely via the internet on www.bet365.com and www.ladbrokes.com - to £7,300.
He produced some sensational darts throughout Group Six, not least in a 6-5 win over Lewis in the semis, taking out an 11-darter to lead 5-4 and then winning the deciding leg in 12 darts.
He then included a 141 checkout in taking victory in the final 7-2, tasting success at the third attempt in the event, with a 121 finish from Walsh not enough to stem the tide in the decider.
"It's pleasing to win after two tough days," said van der Voort. "There were some great players in today and some superb games, so to come through this group is a big achievement.
"The Championship League has been great preparation for the Sky Poker World Grand Prix too, and I'll look forward to going to Dublin next week now."
Lewis' run to the semi-finals saw him finish in the top four for the fourth successive group, and took his earnings in the event to £10,500.
However, he will also return for Group Seven on October 21 as the tournament concludes with three days of action, culminating in the Winners Group on October 23.
Walsh and his semi-final victim Barrie Bates will also return for Group Seven, alongside Andy Smith and Mark Dudbridge - who avoided elimination in the final round of games when Peter Manley lost to Walsh.
Manley joins World Championship runner-up Kirk Shepherd in being eliminated from the tournament.
Watch highlights from the league phase and the semi-finals and final in full in DartsTV
Championship League Darts Group Six Fixtures
|
Time |
Board One |
Board Two | |
|
11am |
Match One |
2 Kirk Shepherd |
1 Andy Smith |
|
Match Two |
6 Adrian Lewis |
2 Mark Dudbridge | |
|
Match One |
5 Mark Walsh |
6 Barrie Bates | |
|
Match Two |
5 Vincent van der Voort |
3 Peter Manley | |
|
Match One |
6 Mark Walsh |
5 Adrian Lewis | |
|
Match Two |
6 Vincent van der Voort |
6 Peter Manley | |
|
Match One |
4 Mark Dudbridge |
5 Mark Walsh | |
|
Match Two |
3 Peter Manley |
6 Andy Smith | |
|
Match One |
2 Andy Smith |
2 Kirk Shepherd | |
|
Match Two |
5 Barrie Bates |
6 Vincent van der Voort | |
|
Match One |
0 Kirk Shepherd |
4 Peter Manley | |
|
Match Two |
3 Barrie Bates |
6 Adrian Lewis | |
|
Match One |
6 Andy Smith |
4 Mark Dudbridge | |
|
Match Two |
4 Vincent van der Voort |
6 Mark Walsh | |
|
6.45pm |
Semi-Finals |
6 Mark Walsh |
5 Adrian Lewis |
|
7.30pm |
Final |
7 Vincent van der Voort |
Latest League Table
|
Name |
P |
W |
D |
L |
Leg Diff |
Legs Won |
£ Won |
Pts | |
|
1 |
Mark Walsh |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
+14 |
37 |
£1850 |
10 |
|
2 |
Adrian Lewis |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
+9 |
38 |
£1900 |
10 |
|
3 |
Vincent vd Voort |
7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
+8 |
36 |
£1800 |
9 |
|
4 |
Barrie Bates |
7 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
+5 |
36 |
£1800 |
9 |
|
5 |
Andy Smith |
7 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
-1 |
30 |
£1500 |
8 |
|
6 |
Mark Dudbridge |
7 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
-6 |
30 |
£1500 |
4 |
|
7 |
Peter Manley |
7 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
-9 |
27 |
£1350 |
3 |
|
8 |
Kirk Shepherd |
7 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
-20 |
19 |
£950 |
3 |
Group Five Prize Money
|
Name |
Group Five Prize Money |
Overall Prize Money |
|
Vincent vd Voort |
£3,100 |
£7,300 |
|
Mark Walsh |
£2,650 |
£2,650 |
|
Adrian Lewis |
£2,400 |
£10,500 |
|
Barrie Bates |
£2,100 |
£2,100 |
|
Andy Smith |
£1,500 |
£1,500 |
|
Mark Dudbridge |
£1,500 |
£5,150 |
|
Peter Manley |
£1,350 |
£4,600 |
|
Kirk Shepherd |
£950 |
£2,550 |
News Updates
First Round of Matches
Mark Walsh opens his Championship League Darts challenge with a 6-1 win over Andy Smith. The newcomers shared the first two legs, but five in a row from Walsh gave him an ideal start with two points and maximum £300 prize money.
Barrie Bates also celebrated his Group Six debut with victory, defeating Kirk Shepherd 6-2. The Welshman led 5-0 before Shepherd found his range, taking two legs to reduce the arrears, but Bates overcome nervous moments with his doubles to take the win on double top.
Adrian Lewis repeats his Group Five semi-final win over Peter Manley with a 6-4 victory to open Group Six. Lewis included a 110 finish in moving 2-0 up before Manley won the third, but another brace for the Stoke youngster took him 4-1 up. He also secured a minimum of a point at 5-2 with a 13-darter before Manley took the next two legs to send the match into a decider, only for Lewis to take the final leg and victory.
Vincent van der Voort produced an impressive opening display in a high-scoring 6-2 win over Mark Dudbridge. Dudbridge won the opening leg before van der Voort won the next three, including an 11-darter. Dudbridge won leg five, but van der Voort took the next two and then sealed the win with a spectacular 125 finish of bull, 25, bull.
Second Round of Matches
Barrie Bates made it two wins from as many games with a 6-4 win over Mark Dudbridge. The Welshman came from 2-1 down to lead 5-3, before Dudbridge landed a 180 in taking the ninth leg, only for Bates to win the decider.
Adrian Lewis grabbed a draw with Mark Walsh as the duo remained unbeaten. Walsh led 2-0 before Lewis came back to lead 4-3, only for back-to-back legs to earn Walsh a point. But Lewis snatched a draw in the decider, landing double nine after two misses at double 18.
Andy Smith bounced back from his opening loss to Mark Walsh with a 6-3 win over Peter Manley. Smith powered into a 4-1 lead before Manley took two out of three to reduce the gap to 5-3. However, Smith sealed the win with a fine 121 checkout, finishing on the bullseye.
Kirk Shepherd grabbed a draw from Vincent van der Voort in a see-saw contest. Shepherd led 3-1 before van der Voort took four legs in a row to earn at last a point. But double 18 from the World Championship finalist sent the game into a decider, and he won the last leg to snatch a point.
Third Round of Matches
Adrian Lewis and Barrie Bates shared the points in an entertaining draw. Lewis hit a 136 finish in leg two of the contest, but Bates swept into a 5-2 lead before Lewis took the last three for a point.
Mark Walsh edged out Mark Dudbridge 6-4 to remain unbeaten and condemn the Group Five semi-finalist to a third straight loss. Walsh took command early on to lead 3-1, and punished Dudbridge for missed doubles to level the game. After going 5-3 down, Dudbridge took the ninth leg to send the game into a decider, but Walsh pulled clear and took out 95 on double 16 for the win.
Peter Manley grabbed his first win of the day with a clinical 6-1 defeat of Kirk Shepherd. Manley powered into a 3-0 lead before Shepherd got off the mark, but three maximums in as many legs in mid-game helped Manley pull clear before he hit a 40 finish of double five, double 15 for victory.
Vincent van der Voort remains unbeaten following a 6-3 defeat of Andy Smith. The Dutchman kicked off the match with a ten-darter, and led 2-0 before being pegged back. Three in a row put van der Voort 5-2 up before double 12 kept Smith in the contest, but three missed darts at double 16 cost him as the Dutchman claimed the win on double eight.
Fourth Round of Matches
Adrian Lewis picked up a second win of Group Six with a final-leg victory over Mark Dudbridge. Lewis, twice a runner-up this week, took the final three legs of a tight contest to leave Dudbridge winless after four matches. Dudbridge led 2-1 before Lewis fired in a 174 to leave double 16 to level and then secured the game's first break in leg five. Dudbridge took two to regain the lead, but a 106 finish put Lewis level and he took the next to earn at least a draw. Dudbridge had one dart at double eight to grab a point, but missed, and Lewis landed in the same bed for victory.
Barrie Bates came from 3-0 down to share the spoils with Mark Walsh as the newcomers remained unbeaten. Walsh led 3-0 before Bates hit back to level. The next two were shared before Walsh earned a point at 5-4, but a missed double top for a 151 finish gave Bates his chance, and he took out double 16 for a draw.
Vincent van der Voort moved top of the table with a 6-3 victory over Peter Manley. Van der Voort opened a 4-0 lead but paid for misses in leg five as Manley mounted a comeback to 5-3, including a 99 finish of 19 and two double tops. But a 180 from van der Voort in leg nine left him 82, and he landed double top for a third win of the day.
Fifth Round of Matches
Adrian Lewis moved a step closer to securing a fourth successive semi-final appearance with a 6-2 defeat of Kirk Shepherd, taking three successive legs in mid-game to move 4-1 up before sealing victory.
Mark Dudbridge won his first game of the day with a 6-2 defeat of Andy Smith. Dudbridge took a 3-0 lead before Smith cut the gap to 4-2, in part thanks to a 155 checkout. However, Dudbridge took back-to-back legs to take the two points.
Vincent van der Voort moved top of the table with a 6-3 win over Mark Walsh. Walsh led 2-0 and 3-1, but another superb burst from the Dutchman saw him reel off five successive legs to inflict Walsh's first loss of the day.
Barrie Bates grabbed a draw with Peter Manley in dramatic fashion. Bates led 2-0 and 3-1 before Manley pulled back to level at 4-4, before taking advantage of a missed double 18 to lead 5-4. However, Bates snatched a point after two missed match darts from Manley in the decider, taking out double five to remain in the semi-final places.
Sixth Round of Matches
Mark Walsh effectively ensured a play-off spot with his most comprehensive victory of the day, a 6-0 thumping of Kirk Shepherd, who cannot now avoid elimination.
Mark Dudbridge moved a step closer to avoiding elimination with a second successive win, defeating Peter Manley 6-4 in a deciding leg. Dudbridge trailed 3-1 at one stage, but took four legs in a row to ensure at least a draw. Two missed match darts allowed Manley to take leg nine, and he kicked off the decider with a maximum before Dudbridge - who landed seven 180s in the game - took out double top for the win.
Adrian Lewis won the table-topping clash with Vincent van der Voort with a 6-3 victory. Van der Voort took the game's opening two legs, including a 124 finish in the opener, and also led 3-1 before Lewis hit his straps, winning five legs in a row to claim the win and inflict a first defeat of the day on the Dutchman.
Andy Smith ensured he will avoid elimination and also kept alive hopes of a play-off spot with a 6-3 win over Barrie Bates.
Final Round of Matches
Andy Smith jumped into fourth place in the table with a 6-4 win over Adrian Lewis - meaning Barrie Bates must take a draw in his final game to reach the semis. A 94 finish in the opening leg set the tone for Smith as he moved 3-0 up before Lewis took two of the next three on double top to pull back to 4-2. Smith earned a minimum of a point at 5-2 before back-to-back legs from Lewis sent the match into a decider, only for missed doubles to give Smith the chance for victory, which he gladly accepted.
Kirk Shepherd's 6-4 win over Mark Dudbridge means that Peter Manley can eliminate Dudbridge from the event with a draw or better from his final game, against Mark Walsh. Shepherd landed two 180s in the opening leg and led 2-0 before Dudbridge pulled back to 3-3 with a trio of double top finishes. Shepherd took the next two to lead 5-3, before double top from Dudbridge sent the match into a decider. However, a miss at the same bed for a 113 finish let Shepherd back in, and he took out double six for his first win of Group Six and both points, to leave Dudbridge sweating.
Mark Walsh secured top place in Group Six, and knocked Peter Manley out of the tournament with a 6-2 victory. Manley shared the first four legs but Walsh pulled away in style, with double five putting him 3-2 up before he landed a 180 and a 136 checkout in breaking Manley's throw. Double top put him 5-2 up, and he ended any hopes of a Manley fightback in leg eight on double eight.
Barrie Bates secured fourth place in the table, at the expense of Andy Smith, with a final-leg win over Vincent van der Voort. Bates powered into a 5-1 lead to ensure at least a draw before van der Voort took three legs in a row to send the match into a decider. But the Dutchman missed the bull for a 161 finish and then burst his score when he returned for 25, and Bates landed double top to take the win.
Semi-Finals
Vincent van der Voort booked his place in a first Championship League Darts final with a 6-5 win over Adrian Lewis. A fast-paced and high-scoring contest between the duo went all the way to a deciding leg, after Lewis hit back from 3-1 down to lead 4-3. The Dutchman levelled and then took out an 11-darter to move 5-4 up, only for Lewis to take the tenth. But van der Voort kicked off the decider with a 180, landed back-to-back 140s and then took out double 16 for a 12-darter and victory.
Mark Walsh will join van der Voort in the final after a 6-3 win over Barrie Bates. Bates led but Walsh took the next three to open up a 3-1 cushion, only for the Welshman to take two of the next three to make the score 4-3. Walsh took the next, and opened leg nine with a 177 before finishing 84 on double six for the win.
Watch highlights from the league phase and the semi-finals and final in full in DartsTV