StanJames.com World Matchplay Day Four

PHIL TAYLOR avoided a scare from Barrie Bates before starting the defence of his StanJames.com World Matchplay title with a 10-6 defeat of the Welshman at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

The ten-time World Matchplay winner trailed Bates 5-4 after missing a host of doubles in the early legs.

However, he reeled off five straight legs to assume command of the match, and closed out victory with a tournament record average of 114.99.

Taylor now meets Steve Beaton in the second round on Thursday, after the former World Champion swept aside Blackpool debutant Paul Nicholson 10-3 in his opener.

The night had begun with one of the finest comebacks ever seen on the Winter Gardens stage, as Kevin Painter came from 8-2 down to defeat 2005 champion Colin Lloyd 11-9.

Painter included checkouts of 105 and 104 in pulling back into the game, before punishing one missed match dart from Lloyd to take out 94 under pressure to level at nine-all, and then took the next two for a remarkable win.

Painter now meets Mark Walsh in the second round, after the number eight seed avoided a scare against Mark Dudbridge.

Dudbridge, the 2004 finalist in Blackpool, hit back from 5-0 down to lead 10-9, but failed to close out the win as Walsh edged through.

The second round begins on Wednesday, with Raymond van Barneveld looking to follow up Saturday's nine-darter with victory in his clash with Alan Tabern.

Blackpool's Ronnie Baxter meets Wayne Jones, while left-handers James Wade and Mark Webster meet Dutch pair Vincent van der Voort and Co Stompe.

Highlights will also be available for PDCtv Subscribers on a 24-hour delay, along with live audio commentary - click here to visit PDCtv.

StanJames.com World Matchplay
Tuesday July 20
First Round (7pm)
Colin Lloyd 9-11 Kevin Painter
Mark Walsh 12-10 Mark Dudbridge
Phil Taylor 10-6 Barrie Bates
Paul Nicholson 3-10 Steve Beaton

KEVIN PAINTER 11-9 COLIN LLOYD
KEVIN PAINTER produced one of the finest comebacks ever seen to overturn an 8-2 deficit against Colin Lloyd to knock the 2005 champion out of the StanJames.com World Matchplay with an 11-9 victory.

Painter looked set to suffer a tame first round exit from the tournament when he allowed Lloyd to move into leads of 5-1 and 8-2, with his missed doubles punished by some clinical finishing from the former Winter Gardens champion.

But, aided by finishes of 104 and 105, he pulled back to 9-8 and then levelled after Lloyd missed one dart for the match - before taking the next two legs to incredibly move into the second round.

Painter endured a nervy opening to the clash of the Essex-born stars, missing six darts to win the opening leg as Lloyd broke throw on double five, although a bullseye finish saw the Daventry-based star level.

Lloyd broke throw again in the third, finishing 40 with double five and double 15, and landed scores of 180 and 140 on his way to a 3-1 lead.

Double four gave him a third successive leg, before two misses from Painter at double top allowed Lloyd in to take out 80 in two darts for a 5-1 advantage.

Painter took out double 16 to end that run of legs, but he then missed doubles in the next two as Lloyd moved 7-2 up.

Lloyd won a third straight leg to move just two away from the win at 8-2, with double 16 sending him towards the winning line.

However, a miss in the next allowed Painter in on double eight before the 2004 World Championship finalist finished 104 and then took out double two to reduce the gap to 8-5.

Misses at double top and double ten in the next from Painter allowed his former room-mate on the circuit to move into a 9-5, but Lloyd was then left waiting on 56 when he checked out 105 to stay in the match at 9-6.

A brace of double 16 finishes saw Painter cut the gap to 9-8, and when Lloyd missed one match dart - for a 120 checkout - in the next leg he took out a pressure 94 to level.

Double top in the 19th leg saw Painter hit the front for the first time, and he completed a remarkable comeback with a 14-darter.

"When you're playing someone like Colin and you're 9-5 down in a first to ten game, you're virtually gone," he said. "At 9-5 down a lot of players would have lost 10-5 but I never give up and I kept going, hoping that he'd give me a couple of chances.

"Early in the match I think I gave five legs away and when it was 8-2 I thought it should have been five-all at worst, so I kept positive on that and thought if I could hit the doubles instead of missing them that I could get back in it.

"I think the pressure told on him a little bit when I was creeping back, especially when I made it nine-all with that last dart for 94, which I think was a great shot, and I ended up nicking it.

"I'll take a lot from that and I'm very pleased to have won through."

Match Stats

Colin Lloyd	9-11	Kevin Painter
19	100+	28
16	140+	16
1	180	1
28.24	Ave1	29.63
84.71	Ave3	88.89
80	High Finish	105,104
3	Legs Against Throw	5

MARK WALSH 12-10 MARK DUDBRIDGE
MARK WALSH fended off a brave comeback from Mark Dudbridge to move into the second round of the StanJames.com World Matchplay with a 12-10 victory at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

Walsh made a brilliant start to win the opening five legs without reply, only for Dudbridge to hit back and take an 8-7 lead - only for the Hertfordshire man to edge the victory.

Walsh will now meet Kevin Painter in the second round on Thursday night - after the Essex man had produced a comeback of his own in defeating Colin Lloyd.

Three missed doubles from Dudbridge provided the platform for Walsh to break throw on double eight to win the first leg, and he also missed three darts for the third as the number eight seed moved 3-0 up.

A two-dart 65 finish was then followed by a 160 checkout as he moved into the first break with a five-leg cushion.

Dudbridge got himself off the mark in style with a superb 144 finish in leg six, and after the pair traded maximums in the next - which was won by Walsh - a pair of double top finishes saw the Bristol man cut the gap to 6-3.

Dudbridge's revival continued in the tenth leg, as he hit 177 to leave double 16 in reducing the gap to two legs - and that was closed further when he took out double eight in the next.

Walsh took out 72 for a 7-5 lead, but Dudbridge followed up a double ten finish with double top to level in leg 14 after four misses from his opponent opened the door.

Dudbridge opened the next with a 180 and finished 121 on double 18 to move in front for the first time in the match at 8-7.

Walsh landed two 180s in the next to square the game, before Dudbridge fired in an 11-dart finish - featuring another maximum - to move 9-8 up.

The pair traded the next two legs, with Dudbridge needing just one more leg for victory at 10-9 only for Walsh to power in a timely 12-dart finish and hit a 180 in moving back in front at 11-10.

He wasted two chances to win the match in the 22nd leg, but four missed doubles from Dudbridge gave him a second opportunity, which he took with double five.

"When you 5-0 up in a game you should never lose it, but maybe you relax a little bit and you can't afford to let up because the players now are so good.

"I know how good Mark is and I was surprised to be 5-0 up but he didn't turn up at the start. After the first break he began to play like he can do, and he played some brilliant darts so I'm glad to be in the second round.

"I've got Kevin next and he fought back really well against Colin to come from 8-2 down to win. He's a great player, he battled hard and he got what he deserved, and he's a class player who seems to play his best in front of the TV cameras."

Match Stats

Mark Walsh	12-10	Mark Dudbridge
30	100+	27
17	140+	13
5	180	3
30.15	Ave1	29.87
90.46	Ave3	89.62
160	High Finish	144,121
5	Legs Against Throw	4

PHIL TAYLOR 10-6 BARRIE BATES
PHIL TAYLOR avoided a scare from Barrie Bates before starting the defence of his StanJames.com World Matchplay title with a 10-6 defeat of the Welshman at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

The ten-time World Matchplay winner trailed Bates 5-4 after missing a host of doubles in the early legs.

However, he reeled off five straight legs to assume command of the match, and closed out victory with a tournament record average of 114.99.

"I couldn't seem to break his throw early on and then I was missing doubles," said Taylor. "His finishing was superb and he put me under pressure.

"At five-all I had to hold my darts and I did that, broke Barrie and pulled through for the win. It was a really good game to be involved in, the crowd enjoyed it, Barrie played well and pushed me hard."

Taylor had opened the game brilliantly, kicking off the match with a 180 in an 11-dart finish which was followed by a 12-darter.

However, he missed the bullseye for a 164 finish in the third as Bates posted double four to get off the mark, and the Welshman posted a 96 finish in the fifth leg to go into the first break 3-2 down - with Taylor's accuracy on double 16 giving him a third leg.

Taylor powered in a 180 and double eight for a 4-2 lead, only for a missed double 16 to let Bates in for an 82 checkout, and five misses in the next gave the Welshman the chance to level, which he took on double top.

Taylor landed a 180 in the next - his fourth maximum score in as many legs - only to miss a further three darts at a double as Bates posted double ten to lead 5-4.

Taylor regained his range with double four in the next, and followed up a double 16 finish with a 98 checkout to lead 7-4.

He posted scores of 140 and 180 plus a 76 finish to win an eighth leg, and opened the next with a 174 before double 16 put him a leg away from the win.

Bates kept the game alive on double top after Taylor missed the bull for a showpiece 127 checkout, but the 15-time World Champion wrapped up victory in the next with the highest average seen in the event's history.

"To have a record average here is nice but getting victory was all I was focused on and I did that," added Taylor. "It shows how well Barrie played that I had to do that to defeat him."

Bates, who has overcome a foot problem to close in on a return to the world's top 32, said: "Everyone was expecting me to lose heavily but I put a lot of effort in and it showed.

"To play Phil and push him so hard shows that my darts are coming back. It's great to be back in Blackpool after a hard few years and I know by pushing Phil that if I can play like that against other players then I'll do quite well."

Match Stats

Phil Taylor	10-6	Barrie Bates
21	100+	27
17	140+	12
6	180	0
38.33	Ave1	31.07
114.99	Ave3	93.20
98	High Finish	96
3	Legs Against Throw	1

STEVE BEATON 10-3 PAUL NICHOLSON
STEVE BEATON condemned Paul Nicholson to a debut defeat in the StanJames.com World Matchplay with a 10-3 victory in their clash at the Winter Gardens.

Nicholson has moved into the world's top 16 this year after winning the Players Championship Finals in January, but was unable to repeat that form in his Blackpool bow.

Beaton made the early running, winning the opening leg against the throw with a 14-dart finish and doubled his lead before Nicholson finished 108 to get off the mark.

Beaton replied with a 110 finish, but Nicholson landed double 16 to reduce the gap to 3-2 - only for his opponent to up the pace with back-to-back 13-dart legs.

Nicholson then saw a host of chances to win a scrappy eighth leg go begging, before Beaton landed double one to move 6-2 up.

A 180 from Nicholson helped him to take the ninth, but he failed to close out the next as Beaton took out double 16 once more to restore his four-leg cushion.

He hit the same bed to win the next two legs - having hit six perfect darts with a pair of 180s in one - in moving to the brink of victory, which he sealed in style on double top for a 14-darter.

"I was expecting a bit more from Paul and I started to lose concentration halfway through the game, but I pulled myself together and got the job finished," said Beaton.

"I had some sloppy legs and know I can play a lot better than that. I came out in the last session and finished the job with legs of 13, 15 and 14 darts, and I had to do that."

Beaton is one of only five players to have defeated Phil Taylor in 2010, and will take on the reigning champion in round two on Thursday night.

"I've got to play a lot better than I did against Paul if I'm going to win that but I'm looking forward to it," he added. "I've played him a couple of times in Blackpool but Barrie Bates showed that if you keep with him he can be vulnerable.

"I beat him earlier in the year so he's probably going to want to kick my backside this time, but we'll see what happens on Thursday."

Match Stats