Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts - Night Three

REPORTS, stats and reaction from the third night of the 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts, from the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.

Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Night Three, M.E.N. Arena, Manchester
Terry Jenkins 8-5 Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld 8-4 Peter Manley
Wayne Mardle 6-8 John Part
Adrian Lewis 7-7 James Wade

Highlights will be available in DartsTV from Friday evening

Click here to purchase the official 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts programme

TERRY JENKINS 8-5 PHIL TAYLOR

PHIL TAYLOR suffered his second defeat in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with an 8-5 loss to Terry Jenkins at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.

Taylor went through the first three years of the tournament unbeaten, but has now lost two of his opening three games in this year's event.

He came from 3-0 down to level against Jenkins, but the world number five gained his first win of the year by taking five of the next seven legs - including five 180s - in front of over 4,500 fans.

Jenkins made a stunning start, taking the first two legs in 12 and 14 darts, thanks largely to six 140s which put him on an 81 finish after nine darts in both legs.

He then took out 116 to move 3-0 up before Taylor got off the mark in leg four and then punished six missed doubles from Jenkins in the next to reduce the gap to one leg.

Taylor landed double 16 to go into the break level, only to see Jenkins pull clear after the restart, taking four successive legs to go 7-3 up and ensure at least a point.

The 2007 runner-up then kicked off leg 11 with back-to-back 180s, setting up a potential nine-darter.

His eighth dart was off-target, and five subsequent missed doubles allowed Taylor to take out 86 in two darts to stay in the game.

Taylor landed a second 180 of the game in reducing the arrears to 7-5, but a missed bullseye allowed Jenkins back to the oche in the next leg, and he atoned for his earlier missed doubles by taking out 20 with double six and double four for the win.

"I got off to a brilliant start, which I didn't in my first two games," said Jenkins. "I started to waver in the middle, but I've been through two or three months off form and knew it was coming back.

"I was ready for this and it's great to beat Phil."

Taylor admitted: "I wasn't good enough but Terry started superbly and that's the best I've seen him play for a while."

Match Stats

Terry Jenkins	8-5	Phil Taylor
16	100+	13
11	140+	12
5	180	2
32.16	Ave1	32.25
96.49	Ave3	96.76
116	High Finish	86
3	LWAT	2

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 8-4 PETER MANLEY

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD grabbed a third successive victory in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts thanks to an 8-4 defeat of Peter Manley in Manchester.

The Dutchman has been in impressive form at the start of this year's tournament, and maintained his 100 percent opening with a clinical display.

He led 2-0 before being punished in leg three for missed doubles as Manley got off the mark.

But the Dutchman immediately broke back, after Manley missed two darts to leve, and also took the fifth to lead 4-1.

Manley took the next two legs either side of the the break on double 12 and double top - for a 13-darter - but was left on a finish in the ninth leg, allowing van Barneveld to move 6-3 up.

Two missed doubles from the five-time World Champion let Manley in for the tenth leg, but a double ten finish put van Barneveld a leg away from the win, and a 110 checkout on double 16 sealed victory.

"I'm very happy," said van Barneveld. "I'm feeling really relaxed, and that is showing on stage - my doubles are going in and I'm pleased with how I'm playing."

Match Stats

Raymond van Barneveld	8-4	Peter Manley
16	100+	23
9	140+	9
3	180	0
32.19	Ave1	30.52
96.58	Ave3	91.56
110	High Finish	59
4	LWAT	2

JOHN PART 8-6 WAYNE MARDLE

JOHN PART claimed his first win of the 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with a come-from-behind triumph against Wayne Mardle.

Part had taken just one point from his opening two matches, and seemed on course for another disappointing result when Mardle roared into a 5-2 lead.

But the Canadian showed his World Champion's class, taking six of the final ten legs to edge out the popular Essex star.

Mardle burst out of the blocks to take the first three legs on double top, including checkouts of 110 and 107, to leave Part trailing.

The Canadian struck back to take the next two, with Mardle missing three darts at the double in leg five before regaining his range with a superb sixth leg to go into the break 4-2 up.

That was extended to 5-2 on double top before Part, buoyed by a 96 finish, took the next three to leve and then punished two more misses from Mardle to lead for the first time at 6-5.

A key 180 aided Part as he ensured at least a point in by moving 7-5 up, only for three missed match darts - at double 18 and double nine - allowed Mardle to stay in the game.

But the Englishman had a poor deciding leg, and a maximum from Part sent him to a finish first, and he took out double top for the victory.

"I had a few nervous darts in there and had to stick with it," said Part. "Wayne started pretty well but I got into it by the break and he didn't play as well in the second half.

"I picked my game up and am happy to get the win."

Match Stats

Wayne Mardle	6-8	John Part
19	100+	19
10	140+	8
2	180	3
30.45	Ave1	31.97
91.35	Ave3	95.90
110, 107	High Finish	96
2	LWAT	3

ADRIAN LEWIS 7-7 JAMES WADE

JAMES WADE scrambled a draw against Adrian Lewis to keep alive his unbeaten start to the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts.

The world number three had won his opening two matches of the tournament, but faced his sternest test yet against Lewis.

The Stoke youngster led 4-2 and 7-5 before Wade took the game's final two legs to snatch a point.

"I'm relieved and to be honest Adrian would have deserved the win," admitted Wade. "He was excellent but I had phases in the game where I hit form and I can't complain - I'm still unbeaten."

Lewis opened with a 146 finish to take the first leg of the contest, and the next four also went with the throw before he made Wade pay for five missed doubles to secure the first break and lead 4-2.

Wade returned back from the break to win a high-quality seventh leg in 11 darts - after Lewis had missed double 12 for a 12-darter of his own.

Wade also won the next to square the game at five-all, only for some sloppy darts in the next two to allow Lewis in to secure at least one point with a 7-5 cushion.

Wade took out 101 to send the match into a decider, and three ton-plus scores gave him the edge before he grabbed the draw on double top.

Match Stats