Taylor Wins PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts

PHIL TAYLOR won the inaugural PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with an 18-11 victory over Andy Hamilton at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Taylor showed some of his finest form in a brilliant display in the final, crucially taking nine successive legs in the middle of the game to establish a 14-5 lead.

Hamilton, in his first major final, battled superbly against his Stoke rival and hit back to 16-9 at one stage before Taylor sealed the victory.

Both players began in sensational style, landing maximums in the opening leg as Taylor kicked off with a 13-darter.

The first ten legs all went with the throw, with the duo trading ton-plus scores - hitting nine 180s in total - and Taylor hitting legs of 11 and 13 darts in response to legs of 11 darts and two 13-darters from Hamilton.

The 11th leg saw the first potential break of throw after Hamilton opened with scores of 180 and 134, but back-to-back 140s helped Taylor hold his throw with a 76 finish for a 15-darter, with his opponent waiting on 32.

The next saw Taylor power in three 140s, and he took out the 81 for a 12-darter to secure the first break of throw himself and earn a 7-5 cushion.

He then slammed home a 143 finish to put daylight between the Stoke-based duo, and three further breaks of throw helped him to nine successive legs and a commanding 14-5 lead.

Hamilton was averaging 103 at that stage despite the deficit, but a fine 14-darter - including his ninth 180 of the game - helped him back into the contest.

Taylor responded, and a 104 finish put him 16-7 up before Hamilton landed back-to-back maximums in the next for a 13-darter and took his first break of throw in the game to pull back to 16-9.

Taylor took the 26th leg on double one to move one leg away from the title, only for Hamilton to hit back with back-to-back legs to stay in the game at 17-11.

But three ton-plus scores from Taylor punished a slow start from Hamilton in the next, and the 13-time World Champion nailed double top to claim yet another major championship victory.

"It means so much to me and I'm absolutely delighted," said Taylor. "They can't take it away from me - I'm the first name on the trophy and if I never win it again I'm still there, the first.

"It means a lot to me. It's not the money, it's the winning, the prestige and it shuts a few of the doubters up who have been knocking me over the past few months.

"It's nice to win again, and I thought the first ten or 15 legs of the final were some of the best ever in such a big game.

"This is one of the biggest tournaments we've got. There was the best players in the world, who have qualified through being the best.

"The standard has been fantastic and some new players have emerged to the general public and are coming through now."

Match Stats