ALAN TABERN claimed victory in Group Two of the Championship League Darts with a 7-6 win over Kevin Painter in the final on Wednesday evening.
The St Helens man bounced back from the disappointment of a semi-final loss in Group One of the ground-breaking tournament to earn a place in October's Winner's Group alongside Phil Taylor.
Tabern emerged successful from the second day of play at Crondon Park GC in Essex in the new event, screened solely on the internet through the www.bet365.com and www.ladbrokes.com websites.
He finished fourth in the table following the round-robin league phase, which saw the eight competitors face each other once over the best of ten legs, before seeing off Andy Hamilton 6-5 in the semi-finals.
Tabern then came from 3-1 down in the final to take a 7-6 victory over Painter in the most dramatic fashion, earning himself £3,050 on the day and taking his earnings in the event so far to £5,300.
Painter was one of three players to enter the tournament in Group Two, and finished third in the league phase before defeating Mervyn King 6-5 in the semis, picking up £3,100 on the day.
He will now join King, Hamilton, James Wade and Wayne Mardle in returning for Group Three on Monday September 22 alongside newcomers Adrian Lewis, Colin Osborne and Denis Ovens.
Wade, the world number three and highest-ranked player on show in Group Two, missed out on the semi-finals for a second successive day by just one point.
Mardle finished two points adrift of the play-offs, but a draw against Painter early on proved crucial in him staying above the bottom two.
Defeats in his final three matches, including two whitewashes against Wade and Ronnie Baxter, left the Group One runner-up Colin Lloyd bottom of the Group Two table.
Baxter was also eliminated from the tournament, with three straight losses in the middle of the event costing him in the final outcome.
Championship League Darts is available to watch solely on the internet through www.bet365.com and www.ladbrokes.com, and returns on Monday September 22.
Championship League Darts - Group Two Results
|
Board One |
Board Two | |
|
6 James Wade |
5 Kevin Painter | |
|
6 Alan Tabern |
6 Andy Hamilton | |
|
6 Mervyn King |
2 Ronnie Baxter | |
|
5 Colin Lloyd |
5 Wayne Mardle | |
|
5 Mervyn King |
3 James Wade | |
|
3 Colin Lloyd |
6 Wayne Mardle | |
|
6 Andy Hamilton |
6 Mervyn King | |
|
0 Wayne Mardle |
6 Kevin Painter | |
|
5 Kevin Painter |
5 Alan Tabern | |
|
2 Ronnie Baxter |
3 Colin Lloyd | |
|
6 Alan Tabern |
3 Wayne Mardle | |
|
4 Ronnie Baxter |
6 James Wade | |
|
5 Kevin Painter |
5 Andy Hamilton | |
|
0 Colin Lloyd |
6 Mervyn King | |
|
Semi-Finals |
5 Andy Hamilton |
5 Mervyn King |
|
Final |
7 Alan Tabern |
League Table
|
Name |
P |
W |
D |
L |
Leg Diff |
Legs Won |
Legs Against Throw |
£ Won |
Pts | |
|
1 |
Andy Hamilton |
7 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
+11 |
39 |
16 |
£1,950 |
11 |
|
2 |
Mervyn King |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
+7 |
38 |
15 |
£1,900 |
10 |
|
3 |
Kevin Painter |
7 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
+7 |
38 |
14 |
£1,900 |
10 |
|
4 |
Alan Tabern |
7 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
35 |
10 |
£1,750 |
7 |
|
5 |
James Wade |
7 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
+1 |
33 |
11 |
£1,650 |
6 |
|
6 |
Wayne Mardle |
7 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
-7 |
28 |
10 |
£1,400 |
5 |
|
7 |
Ronnie Baxter |
7 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
-5 |
28 |
14 |
£1,400 |
4 |
|
8 |
Colin Lloyd |
7 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
-14 |
21 |
9 |
£1,050 |
3 |
|
Group Two |
Championship League Total | |
|
Alan Tabern |
£3,050 |
£5,300 |
|
Andy Hamilton |
£2,450 |
£4,200 |
|
Colin Lloyd |
£1,050 |
£3,450 |
|
Phil Taylor |
£3,350 | |
|
James Wade |
£1,650 |
£3,350 |
|
Kevin Painter |
£3,100 |
£3,100 |
|
Wayne Mardle |
£1,400 |
£2,950 |
|
Mervyn King |
£2,400 |
£2,400 |
|
Ronnie Baxter |
£1,400 |
£1,400 |
|
Terry Jenkins |
£950 | |
|
Roland Scholten |
£900 |
News Updates
First Round of Games
James Wade kicked off his challenge in Group Two with a 6-4 win over Wayne Mardle. Wade took out 128 in the opening leg and then broke Mardle's throw on double eight after the Essex star missed double 18. Mardle hit back to level and took out a 121 finish to square matters at four-all. A 112 checkout, after Mardle missed two darts at double 19 to break, gave Wade a point and he sealed the win after two further misses from Mardle with a 100 checkout.
Kevin Painter came from 4-1 down to draw the other opening match, against Mervyn King. Painter kicked off the match with a 180 and won the first leg before four in a row for King, including two breaks of throw, put King in command. However, Painter took two to pull back to 4-3 before King secured at least a point. However, he was unable to close out the win, and Painter took out 74 and 76 in the next two to grab a draw.
Alan Tabern, a semi-finalist in Group One, kicks off his challenge on Group Three with a 6-4 win over Ronnie Baxter. Baxter secured two breaks of throw to lead 3-2, before Tabern broke back and took out an 86 finish to lead 4-3. He also took a 5-4 lead to ensure at least a draw, and misses at double 12 and double six from Baxter in the decider allowed him in to take out double top for the win.
Andy Hamilton edged out Group One runner-up Colin Lloyd 6-4 in another tight clash. The game's first six legs went against the throw, including a 112 finish from Hamilton and a 96 checkout from Lloyd as the pair struggled to find their range on the doubles. A missed double 18 in leg seven from Lloyd allowed Hamilton back in to take the seventh on double nine. Lloyd levelled before double ten earned Hamilton at least a draw, and a missed double 12 from Lloyd gave the Stoke man his chance to take out double 16 for both points.
Second Round of Games
Mervyn King grabbed two points with a classy 6-4 win over James Wade in his second game, with the duo sharing ten maximums (Wade 6, King 4). Wade included back-to-back 12-darters in taking a 3-1 lead, before King hit back to level, took out 161 against the throw to lead and then landed a maximum in taking a 5-3 cushion. Wade landed double top to send the game into a decider, but King ensured both points with a two-dart 78 checkout.
Andy Hamilton maintained his 100 percent start with a 6-2 win over Ronnie Baxter. The pair shared the opening four legs, which all went against the throw, and double nine saw Hamilton break in the fifth to lead 3-2. He also broke to move 5-2 up before sealing the win on double four.
Colin Lloyd snatched his first point of the day with a draw against Alan Tabern. Lloyd took the first two legs and also led 4-2 before missed doubles allowed Tabern in to take three in a row to earn a point at 5-4. But Lloyd had a superb deciding leg, landing a maximum in a 13-darter to grab a draw.
Wayne Mardle and Kevin Painter also played out a draw in another dramatic contest. The first four legs were shared before Mardle broke in the fifth and then took out 61 in two darts to lead 4-2. Painter battled back level before double 16 gave Mardle a point. He had a chance to take the win, but missed four darts for the match before Painter took out a tricky double eight for a point.
Third Round of Games
Ronnie Baxter grabbed his first win of Championship League Darts with a fine 6-3 win over world number three James Wade. Baxter reeled off four straight legs to come from 2-1 down to earn at least a draw at 5-2. Wade landed double top to stay in the game, but Baxter hit the same bed in leg nine to take the victory.
Mervyn King battled to a draw with Andy Hamilton to maintain his challenge at the top of the table. King leg 3-1 early on before Hamilton, aided by two breaks of throw, took four legs in a row to lead 5-3 and ensure his unbeaten record would remain. But King took out a key double 18 to stay alive before landing double five for a 95 finish in the decider.
Kevin Painter remained unbeaten and picked up his first victory with a 6-3 win over local star Colin Lloyd. Chelmsford's Lloyd held throw to lead 3-2 before Painter levelled and then took out 126 to hit the front. A 78 finish put him 5-3 up and a missed double eight from Lloyd allowed him to seal the win on double top with a 77 checkout.
Wayne Mardle picked up his first victory of the day with a 6-4 win over Alan Tabern to move up to fourth place in the table - above the St Helens man on the fifth differential, their head-to-head after levelling on points, legs won, leg difference and legs won against the throw. Tabern led 3-0 following a fine start, which included two breaks of throw, before Mardle landed finishes of 98 and 86 in going 4-3 up. Tabern levelled, but Mardle earned a point at 5-4, and missed doubles from both in the decider eventually led to the Essex favourite taking the victory on double one.
Fourth Round of Games
Mervyn King edges out Ronnie Baxter in a deciding leg to remain unbeaten in a high-scoring thriller. King landed six 180s in a fine game, including three in as many legs at the start of the match as he took a 2-1 lead, Baxter opening with a maximum of his own and taking the first leg in 12 darts before an 11-darter saw King break throw in leg three, He led 3-1 and 5-2 before Baxter took back-to-back legs to pull back to 5-4. But King was strongest in the decider and took out 64 on double eight for the win.
Andy Hamilton staged a brilliant fightback to remain at the head of the table following a 6-4 win over James Wade. Wade took an early 3-0 lead before Hamilton struck back to level. Double top put Wade 4-3 up, but a sensational 137 from Hamilton was followed by two more legs as the Stoke man, a semi-final loser on Tuesday, took victory.
Colin Lloyd picks up his first win of the day, inflicting Group Two's first whitewash in the process to see off Wayne Mardle, who never recovered from missing three darts at double 18 in the game's opening leg in slumping to defeat in the battle of the Essex boys.
Kevin Painter's unbeaten run continued with a 6-4 win over Alan Tabern. Painter secured the game's only break of throw in the opening leg, on double ten, with the pair inseparable afterwards. A 121 finish saw Tabern pull back to 4-3, before Painter landed a maximum in securing a point at 5-3. Tabern took out 80 to take the game into a decider, but Painter landed a maximum and stepped in with a two-dart 89 finish after Tabern missed the bullseye for a 161 finish which would have earned him a draw.
Fifth Round of Games
James Wade keeps alive his chances of a semi-final place by grabbing a draw against Alan Tabern. Tabern led 3-1 in the battle of the left-handers before Wade too three in a row to lead 4-3. Tabern levelled and then broke the throw on double 12 to earn a point, but a 121 finish, following a 180, in the decider gave Wade a draw.
Kevin Painter and Andy Hamilton shared the points in the other clash, with Painter coming from 3-1 and 5-3 down to earn a point as Hamilton paid for failing to close out the win in leg nine.
Mervyn King all but mathematically assures a semi-final spot with a 6-3 win over Colin Lloyd in a topsy-turvey fixture. King led 2-0 early on before Lloyd hit back to level and then finished the fifth leg with a 180 and then a 124 finish to edge ahead. But King squared the game and then secured a second break of throw in leg seven, before taking the next two on double four for victory.
Wayne Mardle jumped to fourth in the table with a 6-2 win over Ronnie Baxter, who remains bottom of the table on two points. Mardle took a 4-1 cushion before Baxter took out 87 to pull back. Mardle hit a 180 in taking leg seven, and a double-double top finish sealed the victory.
Sixth Round of Games
Andy Hamilton seals his semi-final place with a 6-3 win over Wayne Mardle, denting the Essex man's hopes of a top four finish. Hamilton included a 116 finish to break throw in taking a 3-0 lead, and never looked back. Mardle battled hard, but could not break back as Hamilton sealed a fourth win of the day to remain unbeaten.
Alan Tabern's semi-final place is almost assured following his 6-4 win over Mervyn King - who suffered his first loss of the day. Tabern raced into a 4-0 lead before King hit back to 4-3. Tabern took the eighth leg to seal at lead a point before a 123 finish saw King send the match into a decider, but Tabern eventually took out double ten with his final dart to seal the win.
James Wade kept alive his semi-final hopes in rampant fashion with a 6-0 defeat of Colin Lloyd, the day's second whitewash. Lloyd kicked off the match with a 180, but that was as good as it got for the former World Matchplay champion, who was broken in the first leg and by a 76 finish in the third. Lloyd paid for missed doubles as Wade went 5-0 up, and the world number three wrapped up victory on double top.
Kevin Painter sealed his semi-final spot with a final-leg victory over Ronnie Baxter, who is now eliminated from the event. Painter included a 12-darter in taking a 3-2 lead, although Baxter hit back to level at 4-4. Double eight gave Painter a 5-4, and he took out double top to seal the win.
Lloyd now has to defeat Ronnie Baxter in his final game if he is to avoid elimination, with Wade needing to defeat Kevin Painter to win a semi-final place.
Andy Hamilton, Kevin Painter and Mervyn King are assured of a semi-final place going into the last matches, with James Wade and Wayne Mardle hoping to overhaul Alan Tabern for the fourth spot in the semis.
Seventh Round of Games
Alan Tabern seals his semi-final place with a draw against Andy Hamilton. The first five legs went with throw before Hamilton broke to move 4-2 up, only for Tabern to level and then take out 116 to earn a draw. But a brilliant 149 checkout from Hamilton saw him grab a draw to top the table - meaning a repeat match between the duo in the semis.
James Wade also grabbed a dramatic point - meaning he will compete in Group Three but misses out on the semi-finals for a second successive day. In the same fashion as the Tabern-Hamilton game, the first five legs went with throw before Painter then broke and took the seventh leg to lead 5-2. Double ten saw Wade prevent defeat, he then took leg nine to send the match into a decider and took out 81, with Painter sat on a finish to grab a point.
A 6-0 win for Ronnie Baxter means that Colin Lloyd joins "The Rocket" in being eliminated from the tournament in Group Two. Baxter was in simply sensational form, producing arguably the performance of the day, which included seven perfect darts in one leg - which he took in ten.
Mervyn King takes a 6-4 win over Wayne Mardle in a final-leg thriller - meaning he takes second place in the final league table on legs won against the throw from Kevin Painter. Mardle led 2-1 and 3-2 before King took out 158 in style to take a 4-3 cushion. A 121 bullseye finish saw Mardle level, but missed doubles in the next two legs allowed King back in to take victory,
Semi-Finals
Kevin Painter and Alan Tabern edged through to the final with thrilling 6-5 semi-final wins.
Painter took out 124 to lead against King and was 2-0 up before moving out to 4-2, only for King to find his range on the treble 20, hitting two 180s in taking a 5-4 advantage. However, Painter took out 101 on double 16 to send the game into a decider, and out-scored King when it mattered before finishing 76 on double top for the win.
Tabern's game with Hamilton proved even closer, with there never more than one leg between the pair. Hamilton broke in the opening leg before Tabern hit back with two legs of his own. Hamilton landed a 117 checkout to level at three-all, while the pair were locked at five-all going into the decider. Tabern, who had the advantage of throw, pulled clear and left 32 after 12 darts, and though he missed three at double 16 he had the breathing space to return and hit the bed for victory.
Final
Alan Tabern sneaked past Kevin Painter to win Group Two in Championship League Darts with a 7-6 victory. Painter made an ideal start to the final by taking a 2-0 lead, as Tabern missed doubles, before the St Helens man took out 109 to get off the mark. Painter won leg four on double ten after further misses from Tabern, who took the fifth and then pulled level at three-all when Painter, who began the next with scores of 180 and 177 to set up a potential nine-darter, missed eight darts at a double. Tabern won the seventh leg on double eight, with Painter sat on 40, before the pair shared the next five to send the game into a decider. Painter set up a 100 checkout, but never got a shot as Tabern landed an 84 finish on double six for victory to earn a place alongside Phil Taylor in the Winner's Group in October - Painter returning for Group Three on Monday September 22.