PHIL TAYLOR is predicting a 'cracker' when he faces off with Raymond van Barneveld in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts.
The sport's top two players will clash in front of around 4,000 fans this week as the Premier League roadshow returns to the Nottingham Arena.
The meeting will be eagerly anticipated, with van Barneveld top of the league standings following the first five weeks, while Taylor has returned to form following a poor start.
"It's going to be a cracker," said Taylor. "We always have good games and there's lots of interest.
"Raymond's class and I'm looking forward to it. It's a big test."
Taylor changed his darts before the Premier League in response to a defeat in the quarter-finals of the World Championship, but whitewashed Wayne Mardle 8-0 in Bournemouth last week.
He backed that up with some superb displays in two non-televised events last weekend, winning Saturday's Players Championship in convincing fashion and reaching the final of Sunday's Blue Square UK Open, where he went down narrowly in the final to Colin Lloyd.
"The reason I've changed darts is that I want to get better," said Taylor. "I want to improve.
"They feel more comfortable to me and I want to be better than I was before and go out with a bang over the next five years.
"It's difficult to put things right immediately during the Premier League because it's every week but it will come together in time.
"I put myself under pressure when I get up on stage but I'm not frightened of the players, I'm frightened of myself at the moment.
"I'm practising well and need to take that confidence onto the stage, but it's coming back nicely.
"I've gone back to basics and it's a challenge. I love the game and I love playing and competing."
Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Night Six, Nottingham Arena
Wayne Mardle v James Wade
Adrian Lewis v John Part
Terry Jenkins v Peter Manley
Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
Live on Sky Sports One from 7.30pm on Thursday March 6
Follow the action live in DartsTV, with Live Audio Commentary for subscribers and a Free Live Scoreboard, along with Highlights available from Friday evening
Click here to purchase the official 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts programme