MARK WALSH took a 6-2 victory over Mervyn King to win Group Four of Championship League Darts.
The £200,000, internet-streamed tournament resumed following the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix with the fourth of eight groups, with Walsh emerging victorious to secure his spot in next Thursday's big-money Winners Group.
Walsh finished the round-robin league phase as one of four players with three victories, but showed his stamina to defeat Australian Simon Whitlock and English star Mervyn King in the play-offs.
He first defeated Whitlock 6-2 to book his place in the final, before seeing off King by the same scoreline to win through to the Winners Group for the third time in four years.
King shared the first two legs but paid for missed doubles as Walsh established a 3-1 lead.
King took the fifth following a 180, but missed the bull for a 121 finish which would have levelled the game, as Walsh capitalised on double four before winning the next two legs to seal victory.
"I'm very happy with that," said Walsh. "The aim for all of us is to get into the Winners Group and now I've done that I'll prepare for next Thursday .
"It was a really hard group so to win through it is a great moment. I could have found myself eliminated if one or two results had been different, but fortunately I made the top four and did well from there."
Whitlock and Colin Lloyd had finished joint top of the table with five wins from their seven league games, but both were defeated in the semis, with King seeing off the Essex ace 6-2 in their clash.
There was drama in the final round of matches, with Ronnie Baxter's 6-4 win over Mark Walsh not enough to save him from elimination when Vincent van der Voort and Jamie Caven picked up heavy wins to overhaul him on leg difference.
Baxter and Wayne Jones, who won two of his seven league games, now exit the event for 2011, with Andy Smith, Colin Osborne and Kevin Painter entering the fray for Wednesday's Group Five.
They will join Whitlock, King, Lloyd, Caven and van der Voort in the eight-player Group Five.
Championship League Darts is screened solely on the internet through LIVEPDC.TV and a series of 30 bookmakers' websites worldwide, and offers a potential total prize fund of over £200,000, plus places in the Grand Slam of Darts for the eventual finalists.
Played over nine days from September 27-29, October 11-13 and October 18-20, the event offers £50 per leg won prize money in the league phase and £100 per leg won in each group's Play-Offs, with prize money doubled in the Winners Group.
Championship League Darts - Group Four
|
Board One |
Board Two |
|
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Mervyn King |
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Jamie Caven |
|
Colin Lloyd 3-6 Ronnie Baxter |
Wayne Jones 1-6 Mark Walsh |
|
Jamie Caven 3-6 Simon Whitlock |
Mervyn King 6-3 Vincent van der Voort |
|
Mark Walsh 5-6 Colin Lloyd |
Ronnie Baxter 5-6 Wayne Jones |
|
Jamie Caven 6-3 Wayne Jones |
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Ronnie Baxter |
|
Mark Walsh 4-6 Vincent van der Voort |
Mervyn King 6-2 Colin Lloyd |
|
Wayne Jones 5-6 Simon Whitlock |
Jamie Caven 6-4 Ronnie Baxter |
|
Mervyn King 0-6 Mark Walsh |
Vincent van der Voort 2-6 Colin Lloyd |
|
Vincent van der Voort 2-6 Wayne Jones |
Colin Lloyd 6-5 Simon Whitlock |
|
Ronnie Baxter 2-6 Mervyn King |
Mark Walsh 6-2 Jamie Caven |
|
Colin Lloyd 6-3 Jamie Caven |
Mervyn King 6-1 Wayne Jones |
|
Ronnie Baxter 6-4 Vincent van der Voort |
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Mark Walsh |
|
Mark Walsh 4-6 Ronnie Baxter |
Wayne Jones 4-6 Colin Lloyd |
|
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Simon Whitlock |
Jamie Caven 6-1 Mervyn King |
|
Semi-Finals |
|
|
Simon Whitlock 2-6 Mark Walsh |
Colin Lloyd 2-6 Mervyn King |
|
Final |
|
|
Mark Walsh 6-2 Mervyn King |
Final League Table
|
Pl |
W |
L |
Won |
Lost |
Leg +/- |
£Won |
Pts |
£Total | |
|
Simon Whitlock |
7 |
5 |
2 |
37 |
27 |
+10 |
£1850 |
10 |
£2050 |
|
Colin Lloyd |
7 |
5 |
2 |
35 |
31 |
+4 |
£1750 |
10 |
£1950 |
|
Mervyn King |
7 |
4 |
3 |
29 |
26 |
+3 |
£1450 |
8 |
£2250 |
|
Mark Walsh |
7 |
3 |
4 |
33 |
27 |
+6 |
£1650 |
6 |
£2850 |
|
Jamie Caven |
7 |
3 |
4 |
29 |
32 |
-3 |
£1450 |
6 |
|
|
Vincent v d Voort |
7 |
3 |
4 |
29 |
33 |
-4 |
£1450 |
6 |
|
|
Ronnie Baxter |
7 |
3 |
4 |
30 |
35 |
-5 |
£1500 |
6 |
|
|
Wayne Jones |
7 |
2 |
5 |
26 |
37 |
-11 |
£1300 |
4 |
MATCH INFORMATION
First Set of Matches
Simon Whitlock came from 3-0 down to defeat Mervyn King 6-4. King made a brilliant start, hitting finishes of 62, 72 and 101 to take the first three legs. Whitlock matched a 180 from his opponent to get off the mark in the fourth, and then took the next two to level before King hit an 11-darter to move 4-3 up. However, Whitlock replied in 13, hit a 64 finish to break in the ninth and double four for victory.
Vincent van der Voort opened his 2011 Championship League Darts challenge with a 6-3 win over Jamie Caven. After the pair shared the first two legs, van der Voort took the next four to lead 5-1, hitting a pair of 180s, a 121 finish to break and double 16 to move a leg away from victory. Caven won the next two to cut the gap, but van der Voort sealed the points with a 117 checkout.
Ronnie Baxter made a winning start to Championship League Darts with a 6-3 defeat of Colin Lloyd. After Lloyd took the first leg, Baxter punished misses to finish 62 and 78 for a 2-1 lead before the Essex star finished double six and 60 to regain the lead. Baxter, though, finished 116 to level and opened the next two legs with 177 scores as he moved 5-3 up before finishing tops to take the win
Mark Walsh took a heavy 6-1 win in his opening match against Wayne Jones. The pair shared the opening two legs before Walsh took out double ten in the third, broke on double eight and then hit double nine for a 4-1 cushion. Jones missed six darts at double 16 as Walsh moved 5-1 up, and after the Wolverhampton ace was unable to land the bull for a 170 in the next Walsh completed the win.
Second Set of Matches
Simon Whitlock picked up hit second victory of the day with a 6-3 defeat of Jamie Caven - and missed double 18 for a nine-darter in the process! Caven started well to win the first two legs, but Whitlock fired in a 180 in a 13-darter to win the third and further maximums in the next two, before a second break put him 4-2 up. Whitlock then hit successive 180s in the next, but after landing treble 20 and treble 15 he missed double 18 just inside the wire for a nine-darter, although he would take the leg in 14 darts. Caven took out 110 to hit back, but double top from the Australian secured victory.
Mervyn King defeated Vincent van der Voort 6-3 to pick up his first two-pointer of Group Four. King won the game's first three legs, following up finishes of double 11 and double 16 with a 121 checkout. Van der Voort won the next two to cut the gap to 3-2, and after King landed double 16 in leg six he pulled back to 4-3 on double nine. King hit a 180 and double 16 in the next, and when van der Voort missed five doubles to keep the game alive King secured the win on double 16.
Colin Lloyd edged out Mark Walsh 6-5 in a see-saw clash to pick up his first win of Group Four. After Walsh took the opener, Lloyd won the next three legs, including a 14-dart break of throw, to move 3-1 up, and then the pair traded double top finishes he extended that to 4-2. A miss in the seventh allowed Walsh in before the Hertfordshire ace hit tops to level and finished 81 to lead 5-4. Walsh then missed two match darts in the next, as Lloyd hit double top to force a decider which he won in 14 darts, landing scores of 121, 180 and 115 before finishing double five.
Wayne Jones picked up a narrow 6-5 win over Ronnie Baxter. The game's first five legs went with the throw before Jones broke in the sixth to lead 4-2. Baxter broke back immediately on tops and then levelled before Jones moved 5-4 up. Baxter finished 70 to force a decider, but Jones took the points by edging to victory on double one.
Third Set of Matches
Jamie Caven won his first game of Group Four, defeating Wayne Jones 6-3. Caven took the game's first two legs, including a break of throw on 96, before Jones finished 24 to get off the mark. Caven hit a 180 and a 70 finish to win his third leg and landed tops for a 4-1 advantage before Jones brilliantly took out 161. The next two were shared as Caven edged towards the win, which he sealed with a 76 finish.
Simon Whitlock's brilliant start to Group Four continued with a fine 6-1 victory over Ronnie Baxter. Baxter replied to a 100 finish from Whitlock with a 73 of his own to win the second leg before the Australian pulled clear. He finished double 16 to win leg three, and punished missed doubles from Baxter to win the next, as the Fleetwood ace hit a 180 but missed six darts for the leg as tops gave Whitlock a 3-1 cushion. The pair traded 180s in the next, with Whitlock hitting double five before moving 5-1 up and then sealing the win on double six after the duo again swapped maximums.
Vincent van der Voort claimed his second win of the day with a heavy-scoring 6-4 defeat of Mark Walsh. The Dutchman won the game's first three legs, hitting two 180s and a 177 in the process, as well as three 140s in leg two as he took command. He also hit a 180 in the fourth but missed double top as Walsh posted a 66 checkout to get off the mark. Van der Voort won the next with a 71 checkout but Walsh punished his misses to cut the gap to 4-3. The next two were traded, before van der Voort took out 118 in the tenth to secure a fine win.
Mervyn King won five successive legs to take a 6-2 win over Colin Lloyd. Lloyd held throw in his opening two legs, while King finished 108 in leg two and double 16 to level in the fourth. He broke for the first time in leg five, and punished misses from Lloyd with checkouts of 80 and 76 to move 5-2 up before defying a 171 score from Lloyd to seal the points.
Fourth Set of Matches
Simon Whitlock picked up his fourth straight victory of Group Four, finishing 112 to win the deciding leg of his clash with Wayne Jones. Unbeaten Whitlock broke an early 1-1 deadlock by finishing 82 and 80 to lead 3-1, only for Jones to take the next three and lead. Whitlock punished misses from Jones to level, and the next two were shared to force a decider. Jones opened with two 140s and a 100, but missed the bull for a 121 checkout and Whitlock took out 112 to take victory.
Jamie Caven defeated Ronnie Baxter 6-4 to win his second game of Group Four. Baxter took the game's opening two legs, but Caven hit three 180s and a 177 in the next four as he moved 4-2 up. Baxter replied with a 180 and double 17 to win the seventh, and after Caven took the eighth he finished 155 to cut the gap to 5-4, only to be denied the chance to force a decider as Caven sealed the win.
Mark Walsh picked up the first whitewash of Group Four, defeating Mervyn King 6-0. King hit a 180 in the opening leg, but Walsh took that leg and then finished 121 to double his lead, before a brace of double tops and a double ten finish moved him 5-0 up. King missed the bull in the next, and Walsh followed an earlier 180 with double top for victory.
Colin Lloyd stormed past Vincent van der Voort 6-2 for his second win of the day. Lloyd took the game's opening four legs, including a bullseye finish for a 90 checkout, to take command before the Dutchman punished a miss in the next to get off the mark. He also had a chance in the next but missed double 16 as Lloyd moved one leg away from the win. Van der Voort took out double ten to win a second leg, but Lloyd ended his comeback in the next.
Fifth Set of Matches
Wayne Jones won his second game of Group Four, seeing off Vincent van der Voort 6-2. Jones took the game's first three legs, twice breaking throw and finishing 64 in the other leg. van der Voort took out 100 to get off the mark, and double four cit the gap to one leg. Jones hit double 16 in the sixth and broke following a 180 before landing double four to seal victory.
Colin Lloyd moved onto six points in the league table with a narrow 6-5 defeat of Simon Whitlock, who suffers his first loss of the day. The first four legs were shared before Whitlock broke in the fifth, but Lloyd hit back immediately following misses from the Australian, and then won the next two to lead 5-3. Whitlock hit double five for a fourth leg, and hit tops to square the contest after Lloyd missed two match darts. Lloyd also missed four darts to win the decider, but when Whitlock missed double 16 for the win the Essex ace came back to hit double ten for the win.
Mervyn King bounced back to winning ways with a 6-2 defeat of Ronnie Baxter. Baxter hit double ten to lead, but King won the next five legs - including two breaks of throw - to lead 5-1. Baxter hit a 180 in a 14-dart leg to hit back, but King finished double ten to seal the points.
Mark Walsh won his third game of Group Four, seeing off Jamie Caven 6-2. Walsh won the game's first three legs before Caven took out 91 on double 12 to hit back. The next two were shared, before double ten gave Walsh a 5-2 advantage and he hit a 180 and double four to complete the victory.
Sixth Set of Matches
Colin Lloyd put one foot into the Group Four semi-finals with a 6-3 defeat of Jamie Caven. After the duo shared the game's first two legs, Lloyd finished 83 in two darts for the third, broke on tops in the fourth and took out 69 for a 4-1 lead. Caven finished 74 and 72 on tops to win two of the next three, but Lloyd had won his fifth leg with a 157 checkout and took out 80 for his fourth win of the day.
Mervyn King moved himself to the brink of the semis with a 6-1 win over Wayne Jones. King won the first three legs to take command of the game before Jones opened with scores of 180 and 140 in taking the fourth on double six. A superb 161 checkout frmo King gave him the fifth, and he took out 76 and 62 to complete a heavy win.
Ronnie Baxter kept alive his hopes of avoiding elimination from Group Four with a 6-4 defeat of Vincent van der Voort. The pair shared the opening four legs, before Baxter hit tops in the fifth but then misssed two darts to break in the next, as the Dutchman hit double ten to level. Van der Voort then missed two darts to break in the next as Baxter held throw to lead 4-3, and the duo shared the next two before Baxter finished 130 on the null to win.
Simon Whitlock secured his place in the semi-finals with a 6-2 defeat of Mark Walsh, who is guaranteed a play-off place despite the loss. Walsh one two of the first three legs to lead 2-1, with Whitlock having got off the mark with a 112 finish before levelling on double four and breaking in the fifth with a 101 checkout. He also took the sixth and hit double eight to lead 5-2 before finishing 80 to wrap up his fifth victory of the day.
Final Set of Matches
Ronnie Baxter ended his day with a 6-4 win over Mark Walsh - but will have to wait on the final games' results before he is certain of survival. After Walsh - who was already assured of a top-four finish - took the game's opening leg with an 82 checkout, Baxter won the next three to lead 3-1, including a 120 checkout to break throw. The pair traded 180s in the fifth, which Walsh took with a 95 checkout before Baxter took out 61 and double ten for a 5-2 cushion. Walsh finished 114 and 76 in the next two, but missed his chance to force a deciding leg and the Blackpool thrower hit double ten to take the points.
A 6-4 win for Colin Lloyd against Wayne Jones in their final league game left the Wolverhampton man needing heavy losses for Jamie Caven & Vincent van der Voort in the final games to avoid elimination. Lloyd won the first two before Jones recovered from earlier missed doubles to hit back to level with double two and a 76 finish. Lloyd took the fifth and sixth legs, with Jones replying on double four but missing his chance to level as double ten put the Essex ace 5-3 up. Jones kept the game alive on double five, but missed the single 20 to leave double 18 when needing 116 and Lloyd hit tops for the points.
Heavy victories for Vincent van der Voort and Jamie Caven in the last group games saw them both avoid elimination at the expense of Ronnie Baxter, who finishes second-bottom on leg difference.
Van der Voort defeated Simon Whitlock 6-2 to preserve his place in the event, opening the game by taking three of the first four legs and a 149 checkout in the process. Double top gave Whitlock a second leg, but after van der Voort posted double eight in the next, missed doubles from the Australian gave the Dutchman his chance - with double 13 and double 16 sealing the victory.
Caven, meanwhile, defeated Mervyn King 6-1 to jump above Baxter in the table, also winning the first three legs of his contest. King hit a 180 in replying to win leg four, but double ten restored Caven's advantage, a 72 finish put him 5-1 up and double ten sealed a precious win.
Semi-Finals
Mark Walsh defeated league leader Simon Whitlock 6-2 to book his place in the Group Four final. After the Australian took the opening leg on tops, Walsh won four in a row to lead 4-1, including two breaks of throw. Whitlock finished 70 to hit back, but missed doubles in the next two as Walsh finished double ten and 82 to secure victory.
Mervyn King won through to the Group Four final with a 6-2 defeat of Colin Lloyd, who is a semi-final loser for the second successive group. Lloyd took the game's opening leg on tops before King levelled, finished double 15 to break and then took out 124 for a 3-1 lead. Double ten from Lloyd halved the deficit, but King won a key six, took out double eight for a 5-2 lead and 71 for the win.
Final
Mark Walsh secured his place in the Championship League Darts Winners Group by defeating Mervyn King 6-2. After sharing the final's opening two legs, Walsh won the third against the throw and then punished five misses from King on double two to lead 3-1. King hit a 180 and double 16 in winning leg five, but missed the bull for a 121 checkout to level as Walsh fired in double four and then broke again to lead 5-2, completing victory in the next leg with an 80 finish.
WATCH LIVE
Championship League Darts is being shown live online through LIVEPDC.TV as well as through a total of 30 bookmakers' websites worldwide, as detailed below.
| Name | Territory | Website Link |
| LIVEPDC.TV | Worldwide | Click Here |
| 12bet | Asia | Click Here |
| 188 Bet | Asia | Click Here |
| The Bet Arena | Southern Europe | Click Here |
| Bet24 | Nordics | Click Here |
| Bet365 | Worldwide | Click Here |
| Betathome | Central and Eastern Europe | Click Here |
| Betboo | South America | Click Here |
| Betclic | Southern Europe * France | Click Here |
| Betfair | UK, Ireland & Southern Europe | Click Here |
| Bets10 | Southern Europe | Click Here |
| Bwin | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Click Here |
| Danskespil | Denmark | Click Here |
| Digibet | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Click Here |
| Expekt | Nordics | Click Here |
| Favoritbet | Central and Eastern Europe | Click Here |
| FDJ | France | Click Here |
| Fortuna | Central and Eastern Europe | Click Here |
| Fonbet | Russia | Click Here |
| Forvetbet | Turkey | Click Here |
| Goldbet | Italy | Click Here |
| Hititbet | Southern Europe | Click Here |
| NordicBet | Nordics | Click Here |
| Paddy Power | UK & Ireland | Click Here |
| Paris Mutual Urbain | France | Click Here |
| Sportingbet | Mainland Europe | Click Here |
| Stan James | UK & Ireland | Click Here |
| TrioBet | CEE | Click Here |
| Unibet | Europe | Click Here |
| VivaroBet | CEE | Click Here |
| William Hill | UK, Ireland & Australia | Click Here |