Taylor Retains CLD Title In Style

PHIL TAYLOR retained the Championship League Darts title with a brilliant 6-4 win over Simon Whitlock to crown a flawless Winners Group at Crondon Park GC on Thursday.

Taylor scooped the £10,000 first prize amongst £26,600 prize money he has claimed during the course of the internet-streamed tournament this year.

Taylor had uncharacteristically failed to win through in the first three groups before claiming glory in Group Four in mid-October, and returned to Crondon Park for Thursday's big-money Winners Group.

He won all seven league matches, whitewashing Group Eight winner Mark Walsh in one game, before seeing off Dave Chisnall 6-0 in the semi-finals with a stunning 112.73 average.

He then led 2-0 in the final against Australian star Whitlock, hitting two 180s in the second leg, before Whitlock finished 61 for a 14-darter to reply.

Taylor hit an 11-dart finish to move 3-1 up, and after Whitlock took the fifth leg on double ten, he finished legs of 13 and 11 darts to move to the brink of glory.

Whitlock finished an 11-darter to keep the match alive in the next after Taylor missed double five for a 130 finish to claim the title, and he continued the fightback on double ten after the world number one missed two more match darts, this time at double eight.

Whitlock then had a chance to force a decider in the tenth leg, but missed the double 16 for a showpiece 132 checkout after hitting two bullseyes, and Taylor stepped in to seal the win on double four.

"I'm absolutely delighted to have won this title again," said Taylor, who was the winner in 2008 and 2011 and the runner-up in the other two years.

"This is the hardest Championship League Darts title I've won but I'm so chuffed to have beaten Simon.

"I made it harder for myself than in previous years because it took me four groups to qualify, and to be in the Winners Group is an achievement in itself.

"I'm very proud to have come through such a tough group because all the players have produced some superb performances today. In the final Simon really pushed me and it was a huge relief to hit the double four."

Whitlock picked up £5,000 as the runner-up in addition to £15,200 prize money he has won this year, having been the Group Five winner.

He finished third in the Winners Group league phase with four wins from his seven matches and saw off Jamie Caven 6-4 in a high-quality semi-final where both players averaged over 100.

"I'm pleased to have reached the final and it's been a great tournament," said the Australian, September's European Championship winner.

"I'm a little bit disappointed that I missed the double 16 in the final leg there because it would have been interesting to see how the decider would have gone, but overall I'm really happy with how I played.

"Phil was fantastic in the final and I was really happy to push him all the way there."

Caven had won Tuesday's Group Seven and continued his return to form this autumn by winning five of his league games to finish second to Taylor in the table, averaging a huge 108.18 in a 6-4 win over Dave Chisnall in the round-robin phase.

Chisnall claimed the other top-four place, although he was left to sweat in the final round of games, with Mark Walsh's 6-4 defeat of Justin Pipe seeing the St Helens ace qualify for the Play-Offs.

Pipe, the Group Two winner in his debut year of the tournament, agonisingly missed out on the semi-finals on Leg Difference to Chisnall, as did Ronnie Baxter as the Blackpool star also won three games on the day.

Group One winner Wes Newton picked up two victories on the day, while Walsh - Wednesday's Group Eight champion - won only one of his seven matches.

The Championship League Darts paid out a total of £176,750 across nine days of play, with 29 players competing in the tournament which was streamed live on the internet through LIVEPDC.TV and a series of bookmakers' websites worldwide.

Championship League Darts
Winners Group Results

League Table

Match Information
First Round of Matches
Justin Pipe made a superb start to the Winners Group with 6-4 win over Wes Newton in an exceptional game - with the pair sharing 12 180s as Pipe averaged 108.95 and Newton replied with a 107.47 average. Pipe kicked off the match with a 180 and finished 121 for a 12-darter before adding two maximums as he took the second in the same style, before winning the third in 11 darts, adding a fourth 180 of the game and a 96 finish. Newton replied with two 180s to set up a possible nine-darter in leg four, taking the leg in 11 darts, before Pipe took out 40 and 72 to move 5-1 up. Newton hit back to win the next two legs and set up another nine-dart attempt in the ninth, hitting 180, 177 and the first treble 20 on a 144 combination, missing his eighth perfect dart but adding another 11-darter to pull back to 5-4. Both hit 180s to open the tenth leg, with Pipe adding another as he set up a nine-dart chance, only to miss the seventh treble 20 - but he returned to finish tops for a 13-darter and two points.

Jamie Caven defeated Group Eight winner Mark Walsh 6-4 in their first Winners Group game. Walsh continued the form which took him to victory on Wednesday by finishing 16 and 96 to win the first two legs, before Caven hit double 11 and double 18 to level, 83 to lead 3-2 and 36 to move two legs clear. Walsh took two of the next three to stay in the contest, but Caven added a 180 and finished 40 to seal two points.

Simon Whitlock defeated Dave Chisnall 6-4 in a heavy-scoring contest to make a strong start to the Winners Group. Chisnall hit a 180 and finished 106 to win the opening leg, but Whitlock won the next three to take command of the game. The next two were shared before Chisnall hit two 180s in the seventh, which he won in 12 darts despite a 180 in reply from Whitlock as he pulled back to 4-3. Whitlock hit a 180 as he took a 5-3 lead, and though Chisnall finished 114 to keep the game alive, a miss at double six allowed Whitlock in to seal the win on double eight.

Phil Taylor came from 4-3 down to take a 6-4 win against Ronnie Baxter in their Winners Group opener. Baxter took the opener before Taylor hit a 180 in levelling, and the reigning champion finished 124 on the bull to lead 2-1. Baxter won the next two, and after Taylor levelled at three-all the Blackpool ace hit a 180 and finished 95 on the bull to move 4-3 up. Taylor squared the contest, and then took out another 124 checkout to move 5-4 up before finishing 70 to seal the points.

Second Round of Matches
Wes Newton won his first game of the day, coming from 4-3 down to defeat Mark Walsh 6-4. Walsh took the first leg before Newton finished 104 to level and the next four went with throw before Newton missed double 13 for an 81 finish to move ahead as Walsh took out tops to move 4-3 up. Newton, though, levelled and then took out 70 before hitting a 180 and double 16 to seal the win.

Jamie Caven's winning start continued with a 6-4 win over Justin Pipe . Caven finished 76 and 100 to win the first two legs, and after Pipe took the third he finished double ten for a 3-1 lead. Pipe took two of the next three to pull back to 4-3 before Caven finished 32 to move to the brink of victory. Pipe posted double 16 to win a fourth leg, but after hitting a 180 he missed two darts to force a decider and Caven finished tops for the points.

Phil Taylor joined Caven in taking a second victory of the day, defeating Simon Whitlock 6-4. Whitlock hit a 180 in the opening leg but missed three darts to lead as Taylor finished 70, only for the roles to be reversed in leg two as the Australian took out 130 to level. Taylor then finished 87 and double 17 to lead 3-2 and shared the next two before finishing double eight for a 5-2 lead. Whitlock hit back with double ten and a 12-darter, but missed the bull to force a decider and Taylor followed a 180 with double eight to wrap up the points.

Ronnie Baxter picked up his first win of the day, defeating Dave Chisnall 6-5 in a tight contest. The game's first four legs were shared before Baxter took two in a row to lead 4-2. Chisnall hit a 180 and an 81 finish to pull back the seventh, but after hitting another maximum missed double ten to level as a 120 finish put Baxter to the brink of victory. Double top and double one saw Chisnall level to force a decider, but Baxter found another maximum and hit tops to edge the win.

Third Round of Matches
Ronnie Baxter won a second successive game, defeating Mark Walsh 6-3. Baxter hit 180s in the first two legs as double ten and a 136 checkout put him two legs up, and he also missed the bull for a 122 checkout in the third as Walsh posted double 18. Baxter finished double 16 to win the fourth and moved 4-1 up adter Walsh missed three darts at tops. Walsh won two of the next three to stay in touch at 5-3, but Baxter sealed the win by finishing 106.

Dave Chisnall picked up his first victory of the day, seeing off Wes Newton 6-4 in a game which saw the St Helens ace hit seven 180s to Newton's four. The first two legs were shared before Newton took out 161 to win the third. The pair traded 180s as Chisnall edged the fourth with a 76 finish, and the next two were shared before Chisnall hit the front for the first time in leg seven - hitting a maximum for a fourth straight leg and an improvised 82 finish of single ten and two double 18s. Newton hit a 180 as he levelled, but Chisnall finished 86 to lead 5-4 and then hit two 180s in the next as double six sealed the win.

Phil Taylor defeated Jamie Caven 6-2 as the unbeaten pair clashed in the third round of games. Taylor made a sensational start, hitting finishes of 125 and 95 for 12-darters and double five to win the third leg, before taking out 32 in the fourth. Caven took out 60 and double four to win two of the next three, but Taylor sealed the win on 32 to end the game with a 105.24 average.

Justin Pipe defeated Simon Whitlock 6-3 to win his second game of the Winners Group. Pipe again started brilliantly, finishing 84, 161 and 96 to move three legs up and also trading the next two to lead 4-1. Whitlock punished two misses from Pipe in the next and also won leg seven to reduce the gap to 4-3, but Pipe finished double eight and double 16 to wrap up the points.

Fourth Round of Matches
Ronnie Baxter took his third victory of the day with a 6-4 win over Fylde coast rival Wes Newton . Baxter broke in the opening leg and also won the second before Newton replied, hitting his second 180 of the game and double eight to win the third. Baxter finished 74 and 140 to win two of the next three, before Newton followed a 180 with a superb 139 checkout. The next two were traded, and Newton was unable to force a decider as Baxter hit a 180 and double two for the points.

Dave Chisnall saw off Mark Walsh 6-2 with a 104.81 average to win his second game of the day. Walsh started brightly with a 180 in the first leg, but missed tops for a 118 finish as Chisnall took out double two to lead, 72 to win the second and punished further misses from Walsh to lead 4-0. Walsh pinned double three to get off the mark, and after Chisnall finished tops to lead 5-1 he landed a 180 to stay in the game. Chisnall, though, finished 66 on double 18 to complete the win.

Phil Taylor edged out Justin Pipe 6-5 to remain unbeaten following four matches, hitting a 14-darter in the deciding leg. Pipe led before Taylor took the next two to move 2-1 up. The reinging champion also hit a 180 in the next, which was matched by Pipe as he finished double ten to level and 86 to edge back ahead. The see-saw nature of the game continued as Taylor hit a 180 in levelling and finished 91 with a single 17, double 17, double top combination as he led 4-3. Double 12 for Pipe gave him the eighth leg before a 107 finish put Taylor 5-4 up. The world number one missed two darts for the match at double 12 as Pipe forced a decider, but Taylor left 97 after 12 darts and then took out the finish in two to secure the points.

Simon Whitlock joined Jamie Caven on four points in the league table with a 6-3 win over the Group Seven winner. Whitlock made the early running by winning the first three legs before Caven finished 24 to win the fourth. Whitlock took out double ten to lead 4-1 before Caven finished 92 to hit back. Whitlock then hit a 13-darter to move 5-2 up, and although Caven took leg eight to stay in touch, he missed the bull in the next as double four gave the Australian two points.

Fifth Round of Matches
Jamie Caven picked up his third victory of the Winners Group, seeing off Ronnie Baxter 6-4 in a win which would prove crucial later in the day. Caven finished a brilliant 139 finish in the openineg leg and doubled his lead before Baxter punished two misses from the Group Seven winner to hit tops in the third. He then missed the bed to level in leg four as Caven landed double ten to lead 3-1, only for Baxter to win the next two to level. Caven finished 94 to win the seventh and then moved 5-3 up, and although Baxter won the ninth to stay in the game, a missed bull from the Blackpool ace allowed Caven the seal the win on double 14.

Wes Newton won his second Winners Group match as he kick-started his Play-Off push with a 6-3 defeat of Simon Whitlock . Newton took out 78 in the first leg, and after Whitlock levelled he finished 124 on the bull for leg three. Whitlock finished 112 to square the game again, but two in a row for Newton put him 4-2 up. Whitlock broke back on double ten, but Newton won the eighth and hit a 180 to set up a 78 finish as he sealed the points.

Dave Chisnall won his third game of the Winners Group to jump into second place on leg difference with a 6-2 defeat of Justin Pipe . Pipe hit a 180 and double eight to win the opener, but Chisnall hit two 180s in the second, 36 to break in the third and double eight following a 177 as he moved 3-1 up. The pair traded 180s as Pipe hit back on double 16 in the fourth, and both players also hit maximums in the sixth as Chisnall finished 100 to move 4-2 up. Pipe missed three darts at double nine to win the seventh as Chisnall took out 82 on tops to move 5-2 up, before he landed a 180 and an 86 finish to complete the win.

Phil Taylor sealed his Semi-Final place with a whitewash of Mark Walsh , averaging 107.36 in a heavy-scoring performance. Taylor hit a scores of 140, 180 and 140 as he won the opener in 11 darts, and after Walsh missed tops for a 142 finish in the second he took out 16 to double his lead. Taylor finished 76 to win the third before Walsh opened the fourth with two 180s to set up a possible nine-darter - hitting a seventh treble 20 but missing the treble 19 on the 141 combination, with Taylor hitting a 180 of his own as he took the leg. Taylor hit two 140s to set up tops in the fifth, and then sealed the win by finishing the same double for a 14-darter.

Sixth Round of Matches
Simon Whitlock remains in the Play-Off race following a 6-4 win over Mark Walsh , condemning the Group Eight winner to a sixth successive loss. The pair shared the first two legs before Whitlock hit a 177 and a 180 in a 12-darter to take the third, with Walsh finishing 164 for the fourth. The next four also went with throw to leave the scores tied before Whitlock took the ninth and then hit a 180 in the tenth, before sealing victory and the game's only break of throw with a 112 finish.

Justin Pipe reignited his challenge for a semi-final spot, racing past Ronnie Baxter to join a host of other players on six points. Pipe hit 180s in winning the first two legs and also took the third before punishing misses from Baxter to take the fourth with a 76 finish. He also took the fifth and hit a 171 in the sixth, but missed double 16 for a whitewash, as Baxter followed a 180 with tops to stay alive. Pipe, though, sealed his third win of the day in the next by hitting tops.

Jamie Caven onto eight points and clear of four players with six points thanks to a 6-4 defeat of Dave Chisnall . Caven finished tops and 100 to win two of the first three legs before Chisnall posted an excellent 139 - the third of the day - to level. Chisnall then hit two 180s in the fifth, but missed five doubles to allow Caven in on 56, before the St Helens man took the next two with double 16 and an 11-darter to move 4-3 up. Caven, though, hit a 177 and double 18 to level at four-all, before finishing double ten and 90 to seal victory with a superb average of 108.18.

Phil Taylor produced a heartbreaking 136 checkout for a 12-darter in the deciding leg of his clash with Wes Newton - leaving the Fleetwood ace's hopes of qualifying for the Play-Offs hanging by a thread. Taylor opened the game with an 11-darter and then took out 68 to double his lead before Newton finished 64 to get off the mark. Taylor finished double eight and tops to move 4-1 up before Newton hit two 180s in the sixth and followed a maximum with a 167 checkout to pull back to 4-3. He then levelled and finished 81 on double 13 to move 5-4 up, only for Taylor to finish double 16 for a 13-darter to force a decider. Newton landed a 180 in the final leg, but Taylor score 100, 125 and 140 before pinning a 136 checkout for the win.

Final Round of Matches
Phil Taylor ensured a flawless end to the league stage with a 6-4 defeat of Dave Chisnall - who needs the other results to go his way if he is to hang on to a top-four place. Taylor took out finishes of 124 on the bull and 112 to lead 2-1, and double four put him 3-1 up before Chisnall hit back to level. The next two were shared, but Taylor pulled clear with some brilliant darts, firstly taking out 128 on double 16 to lead 5-4 before hitting 177, 100 and 140 to set up double 16 for a 13-darter to seal the win.

Simon Whitlock secured a semi-final spot at the expense of Ronnie Baxter with a 6-4 win in their decisive clash. Whitlock finished 81 to win the opening leg, and after Baxter took out 78 to level the Australian won the next two to lead 3-1. Baxter took out 88 on the bull to win his second, only for Whitlock to take out 82 with a bullseye, double 16 combination for a 4-2 cushion. Baxter hit back to level and traded 180s with Whitlock in the ninth, but an 80 finish put the Australian 5-4 up and he sealed the win on double 18.

Jamie Caven sealed his Play-Off place with a 6-3 defeat of Wes Newton , earning his fifth victory of the day to finish second in the league table. Newton took the opener with a 72 finish before Caven levelled on double ten and hit two 180s in an 11-darter to break and lead 2-1. Newton levelled on tops, but Caven finished 82 on the same bed to edge ahead before scoring 177 and 180 as he moved 4-2 up on double 12, and a stunning 157 checkout moved him clear at 5-3. Newton traded 180s in the next as he hit back, but after landing another maximum he missed five darts to stay in the game and Caven posted double four for the win. 

Mark Walsh defeated Justin Pipe 6-4 to end the Group Two winner's hopes of a top-four finish - handing Chisnall fourth place - and claim his own first win of the day, a consolation for the Hertfordshire ace. Pipe took the opener with a 64 finish, but Walsh produced his best darts of the day to level on tops and then finish 116 and 138 to move 3-1 up. Pipe traded 180s in the next as he won the fifth, but Walsh landed a maximum and a 106 finish for a 4-2 lead. Walsh then missed three darts to move three legs clear as Pipe posted double 16, before Walsh hit a 180 and tops to move 5-3 up - only to then miss the bull for the match in leg nine, as double eight kept Pipe in the contest. The Taunton thrower continued to fight in the next, but missed double 16 to force a decider and Walsh hit tops to end Pipe's semi-final dreams.

Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor stormed into the Winners Group final with a whitewash of Dave Chisnall , averaging 112.73. Taylor took the first leg with a 76 finish and added tops to win the second, before finishing double eight for a 3-0 lead. He took the next before landing tops for a third break of throw as he led 5-0, before hitting a 177 and taking out 90 for an 11-darter with a bullseye, double top combination.

Simon Whitlock came from 4-3 down to win through to the Championship League Darts final with a 6-4 defeat of Jamie Caven. Caven actually made the early running, finishing 70 in the first leg and double five to win the third, with Whitlock taking out 100 to get off the mark in leg two. The Australian also won the fourth and the next two were shared before Whitlock missed a dart to the bull to break in leg seven, with double four giving Caven a slender 4-3 cushion. Caven then missed his chance to break in the next, with Whitlock posting double ten to level, and then hitting an 11-darter to move 5-4 up before hitting two 180s as he sealed his place in the decider.


Final
Phil Taylor v Simon Whitlock
1-0 - Whitlock misses the bull and Taylor takes out double ten to break.
2-0 - Taylor opens with six perfect darts of two 180s, and although he fails to complete a nine-darter he lands double four to win the leg.
2-1 - Taylor leaves 40 after 12 darts, but Whitlock finishes 61 on double 18 for a 14-darter to get off the mark.
3-1 - Whitlock opens with a 180 but Taylor scores 140, 171 and 134 to set up tops for an 11-darter.
3-2 - Whitlock hits back by finishing double ten for a 15-darter, with Taylor waiting on 44.
4-2 - Taylor hits double 16 for a 13-dart finish to move two legs away from retaining the title.
5-2 - Taylor scores 135, 134 and 139 to leave 93 after nine darts, and takes out the finish on double 18 for an 11-darter - lifting his average to 112.
5-3 - Taylor scores 135, 140 and 96 to leave 130 only to miss double five for the match as Whitlock - who had hit 180, 140 and 140 in reply - pins double 12 for an 11-darter.
5-4 - Whitlock misses the bull to take out 94, but Taylor misses two darts at double eight to finish 76 for the title, and the Australian returns to finish double ten to stay alive.
6-4 - Whitlock misses double 16 for a 132 checkout, and Taylor finishes double four to retain the Championship League Darts title.

Match Stats