Premier League Darts Night Nine

REPORTS from Glasgow from night nine of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts.

A sold-out S.E.C.C. hosted the world's top players, as the Premier League returned to Scotland for the first of two visits to the country in April.

Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Week Nine - S.E.C.C., Glasgow
Raymond van Barneveld 6-8 Adrian Lewis
Simon Whitlock 8-3 Terry Jenkins
Ronnie Baxter 4-8 Phil Taylor
Mervyn King 4-8 James Wade

Latest League Table

	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts
Phil Taylor	9	8	1	0	+38	17
Mervyn King	9	4	2	3	+8	10
Ronnie Baxter	9	4	2	3	+3	10
Simon Whitlock	9	4	1	4	0	9
Adrian Lewis	9	4	1	4	-1	9
James Wade	9	3	2	4	-5	8
R v Barneveld	9	2	1	6	-19	5
Terry Jenkins	9	1	2	6	-24	4

Picture courtesy Hannah Bonsell, PDPA

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ADRIAN LEWIS 8-6 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
ADRIAN LEWIS completed a Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts double over Raymond van Barneveld with a thrilling 8-6 victory at the S.E.C.C. in Glasgow.

Lewis produced one of his best televised displays to see off the Dutch ace 8-3 two months ago, and backed that up with a mature performance to silence the supportive Dutch crowd.

Van Barneveld, cheered on by the majority of the sell-out 6,000 crowd, hit back from 4-1 down to lead 6-5, but Lewis finished the stronger to take the final three legs and a victory which strengthens his play-off challenge.

Van Barneveld made an ideal start, hitting a 180 in the game's opening leg and taking out double 18 for a 13-darter, despite a maximum in reply from Lewis.

The Stoke youngster, though, took the next with an 83 finish before breaking throw on double ten after the Dutchman missed the bullseye.

Double seven gave Lewis a 3-1 lead, which he stretched further with a second break of throw in leg five, hitting double 18 for a 13-dart finish of his own.

Lewis could have entered the break with a five-leg lead, but missed the bull for a 130 checkout before van Barneveld finished 67 with two darts to hit back.

A 104 checkout from the five-time World Champion was followed by double eight as he hit back to level the game, only for Lewis to power home a fine 11-darter, featuring another 180, to edge 5-4 up.

However, he missed three darts to take the next, allowing van Barneveld in to land a third-dart double eight in levelling again, before both players wasted their chances to break the deadlock in leg 11.

Van Barneveld, at the ninth time of asking, nailed double five to edge in front, and hit a 162 score to leave a finish in the next leg, only for Lewis to pile home a 127 bullseye checkout in denying the Dutchman a seventh leg - and a minimum of a point - in levelling at six-all.

Lewis then struck a fourth 180 of the game and double ten to move 7-6 up, and sealed the win with another maximum in a 14-dart finish.

"The crowd were all behind Raymond and it's probably the hardest game I've played in my career," said Lewis. "I've never been so intimidated in my life!

"I was shaking like a leaf and who but I showed a bit of maturity in my game and am really happy with how I played. It was really hard and I felt the pressure.

"Raymond played well in patches and had me under pressure, but I'm thankful to get the win. The 127 was a massive shot because if I'd lost that leg I think he would have won."

Match Stats

R v Barneveld	6-8	Adrian Lewis
18	100+	21
11	140+	8
2	180	5
31.56	Ave1	33.88
94.67	Ave3	101.64
104	High Finish	127
3	Legs Against Throw	4

SIMON WHITLOCK 8-3 TERRY JENKINS
TERRY JENKINS' nightmare run in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts continued as he suffered a sixth successive defeat, going down 8-3 to Simon Whitlock in Glasgow.

Jenkins, the runner-up in the 2007 Premier League, saw his bid to end his losing run come unstuck against the Australian, whose bid for a play-off place in his debut season in the event continued apace.

Whitlock made an ideal start to lead 3-0, and punishing a missed double top from Jenkins in the opening leg, as the world number five hit a 180 but saw his chance to break throw go begging.

Double eight saw Whitlock double his advantage in the second, before he posted double top in the third.

The pair traded scores of 180 and 140 in the fourth, with Jenkins producing an 11-dart finish to get off the mark, and then a double top finish in leg six to pull back to 4-2.

Whitlock, though, returned from the break the stronger to win the next three legs without reply, hitting two maximums and a 100 finish, as well as punishing a brace of missed double 16s from Jenkins to secure another break of throw.

Jenkins stepped in to win the tenth to stay in the game, but Whitlock ruthlessly took out 106 in the next, on double 18, to seal the win and move fourth in the table.

"It's fantastic to get a win over Terry," said Whitlock. "I knew it would be a tight competition and it's proving that every week.

"I'm just trying to focus on each week at a time but I'm feeling confident. The Scottish crowd were fantastic and it was an amazing atmosphere."

Match Stats

Simon Whitlock	8-3	Terry Jenkins
14	100+	16
10	140+	6
3	180	2
31.92	Ave1	29.60
95.77	Ave3	88.80
106,100	High Finish	51
2	Legs Against Throw	0

PHIL TAYLOR 8-4 RONNIE BAXTER
PHIL TAYLOR survived a huge scare from Ronnie Baxter before maintaining his unbeaten record in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts at Glasgow's S.E.C.C. on Thursday night.

Taylor, the four-time Premier League champion and world number one, looked on course for a shock loss when he trailed 4-3 against Baxter in front of a sell-out 6,000 in Scotland.

However, Taylor clawed level before finding an extra gear in reeling off five successive legs to maintain his advantage at the head of the table.

Despite winning the game's opening leg on double top, Taylor continued his trend of starting matches slowly, especially struggling on his doubles.

Five missed darts at doubles in the next leg were punished as Baxter levelled, before two further misses allowed his rival to edge 2-1 up on double top.

Baxter hit a 180 in the next, but Taylor held his nerve on double 16, and then broke throw on double ten to lead 3-2.

However, four missed darts at doubles in the next gave Baxter a glimmer of hope, and he took out 104 to level, before then edging 4-3 up with a third-dart double five after Taylor had wasted four more chances at doubles.

Taylor squared the game with a two-dart 74 finish, and produced the key moment of the game with an 11-darter to break Baxter's throw and return to the lead.

Baxter then missed darts at doubles in the next two legs as Taylor landed key finishes with his final dart, at double top and double 16, to move a leg away from the win.

And Taylor sealed the victory, his eighth of the season, on double ten to continue his charge towards another Premier League title.

"I'm very happy to get the win eventually," said Taylor. "My doubles were poor but when I needed them I hit them - with three darts in my hand I seemed to miss, but I was on target with one dart in my hand.

"It was a strange game. I was never worried about losing but at times I thought it could end up a draw, and I was pleased to find it towards the end and pull through for the win."

Match Stats

Ronnie Baxter	4-8	Phil Taylor
16	100+	13
7	140+	13
1	180	2
29.36	Ave1	31.38
88.07	Ave3	94.14
104	High Finish	96
2	Legs Against Throw	4

JAMES WADE 8-4 MERVYN KING
REIGNING champion James Wade reignited his Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts challenge with an 8-4 win over Mervyn King at Glasgow's S.E.C.C..

The left-hander had picked up only two wins from his opening eight matches this season, but remains a point behind play-off challengers Simon Whitlock and Adrian Lewis following his most clinical performance of the year.

Wade hit seven 180s in the contest and checked out 42 percent of his attempts at a double in powering past second-placed King.

The opening three legs saw Wade produce some almost identical darts, hitting a 180 in each leg, which was won on double ten - with the third including a 131 checkout.

King landed a maximum in the fourth, but was left waiting on 40 when Wade finished 81 in two darts in extending the lead to 4-0.

Wade landed a fourth 180 of the game in the next leg, but King got off the mark on double eight, and punished missed doubles from the world number three to hit the same bed in halving the gap.

Wade posted another maximum on his way to a 5-2 cushion, and then took out 106 on double 14 for a 12-darter to lead by four legs.

King replied with a 13-darter, but double ten from Wade ensured that he would at least take a point from the game.

King landed the night's highest finish, taking out 161 in leg 11 to pull back to 7-4, but his hopes of a comeback were extinguished in style by Wade, who wrapped up a confident win with an 11-dart finish.

"I'm really pleased to win," said Wade. "My scoring was patchy but it was probably the best I've finished so far this season.

"I'm still in the running for the top four but it's no secret that I've made it hard work for myself this year by losing the first three games. I shouldn't have got myself in this situation but I've still got a chance."

Match Stats