Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts - Night Two

REPORTS, reaction and stats from the second night of the 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts.

Defending champion Phil Taylor grabbed his first win of the campaign against Adrian Lewis, while James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld maintained their 100 percent starts with wins.

The night's final game produced a thrilling draw between Peter Manley and Wayne Mardle.

Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Night Two, Plymouth Pavilions
John Part 4-8 Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade 8-6 Terry Jenkins
Phil Taylor 8-4 Adrian Lewis
Peter Manley 7-7 Wayne Mardle

Pictures courtesy Chris Sargeant/PDPA

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RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 8-4 JOHN PART

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD produced another superb second-half display to power past John Part 8-4 and grab a second successive Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts victory.

The Dutchman won five of the final six legs in taking victory against Wayne Mardle in week one, and repeated the feat to see off the World Champion in Plymouth.

The duo were locked at the interval when the first six legs were shared.

But van Barneveld grabbed the first break in leg seven, and pulled clear at 7-3 before sealing victory.

"I was very relaxed," admitted van Barneveld. "Last week I'd had a month off and was nervous but I felt very comfortable tonight.

"After the break I pulled away and I'm very pleased to beat the World Champion 8-4 - John's a true champion and I like him as a person."

Van Barneveld landed an 11-darter - including two 180s - in the second leg of the game and a 177 score set up a double 18 finish in the fourth as he matched Part blow-for-blow in a high scoring opening.

Part landed a maximum of his own on his way to leg five, but would ultimately pay the price for missed doubles in the next three legs.

He missed the bullseye for a 125 finish in the sixth leg, allowing van Barneveld to level, and was the punished for misses on double 16 and double eight as the Dutchman hit the front.

A miss on double ten in leg eight allowed van Barneveld to put daylight between the paid, and two double top finishes saw him take a 7-3 lead.

A 180 from Part left him 24 in the next, and he returned to land double 12 after van Barneveld wired double 18 for a 156 finish which would have sealed the win.

However, the five-time World Champion wrapped up two more points on double 16 at the first attempt.

"I never got into my stride or got into a groove and I've got to look at the reasons and work on it," admitted Part.

"Raymond didn't hit too much but it didn't happen for me tonight."

Match Stats

John Part	4-8	Raymond van Barneveld
8	100+	16
7	140+	6
2	180	2
30.60	Ave1	31.45
91.81	Ave3	94.34
38	High Finish	50
0	LWAT	2

JAMES WADE 8-6 TERRY JENKINS

JAMES WADE continued his winning start to the 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with an 8-6 win over Terry Jenkins.

Wade ended Phil Taylor's unbeaten run in the tournament with a final-leg victory in Glasgow last week, and repeated the feat against Jenkins.

Jenkins - last year's runner-up - again showed his battling spirit to come back from 5-1 down, but left himself too much to do in the final outcome.

Wade produced some fine darts to move from 1-1 to 5-1 in the blink of an eye, including a 13-darter and a clinical 87 finish to twice break Jenkins' throw.

Jenkins came back from the break inspired, landing double top for two 80 finishes and a 104 checkout to cut the gap to 5-4.

Two successive legs from Wade earned him at least a point at 7-4, but Jenkins took leg 12 to stay in the game and then punished four missed darts for victory from his opponent to send the match into a decider.

Both started slowly before trading 180s to leave the scores locked at 198, but Wade found an extra gear to land five superb darts - hitting 128 to leave 70, which he finished in two darts for the win.

"It's going well so far," said Wade. "Terry keeps coming back, maybe I gave him too much but he's a battler.

"I didn't finish him off and it wasn't my best performance, but it's a win and that's all that matters."

Match Stats

James Wade	8-6	Terry Jenkins
17	100+	23
9	140+	5
3	180	2
29.43	Ave1	29.78
88.29	Ave3	89.34
87	High Finish	104
4	LWAT	3

PHIL TAYLOR 8-4 ADRIAN LEWIS

PHIL TAYLOR bounced back to winning ways in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with an 8-4 defeat of Stoke rival Adrian Lewis.

Taylor saw his unbeaten record in the tournament ended last week in Glasgow, but responded in style against his former practice partner.

He scored superbly throughout, hitting six perfect darts in one leg, and produced some fine finishing in the second half of the contest to grab his opening win of 2008.

He took an early 2-0 lead and landed back-to-back maximums in the third leg, only for Lewis to punish five missed doubles to get off the mark.

The 23-year-old levelled and went into the break at 3-3, only for Taylor to take the next two following the restart to move 5-3 up.

Lewis hit six perfect darts in the ninth leg, and although a potential nine-darter went begging he won the leg in 11 darts to cut back to 5-4.

The duo traded maximums in the next, with Taylor taking out 68 on double four, and three misses from Lewis in the next allowed him to move 7-4 up.

Taylor then ensured his first win for over a month with a 77 finish on double five.

"I really enjoyed that," said Taylor. "Adrian played really well and the scoreline maybe flattered me a little bit.

"He missed a few doubles but so did I. I know what I'm doing wrong and can put that right.

"It's a new challenge for me with the new darts and I'm loving it."

Match Stats

Phil Taylor	8-4	Adrian Lewis
12	100+	12
8	140+	4
4	180	5
31.90	Ave1	32.26
95.71	Ave3	96.79
77	High Finish	93
4	LWAT	2

PETER MANLEY 7-7 WAYNE MARDLE

PETER MANLEY picked up a second successive draw in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts in a 14-leg thriller against Wayne Mardle in Plymouth.

Manley secured a point against World Champion John Part in his opening game, and produced a fine display of finishing against Mardle - hitting seven of eight attempts at a double to earn a point.

However, a fine last leg from Mardle saw him snatch a draw, his first point of the 2008 campaign.

The lead changed hands four times in a thrilling contest, with Mardle breaking the throw in the opening leg before finishes of 74 and 61 put Manley ahead.

Mardle took the next two to edge back in front, only for a double salvo from Manley - as he lived up to his 'One Dart' nickname - to put him 4-3 up.

Mardle levelled on double eight and the next four legs went with the throw to leave the duo locked at six-all going into the final two legs, with both players averaging over 97.

Manley missed his first double of the game in the 13th leg, on tops before landing double ten to take a point, but slow scoring in the decider gave Mardle his chance - and he landed double ten for the draw.

"I was 7-6 down so I'm happy to get the draw," said Mardle. "I played well but Peter was outstanding, his game is hitting doubles and he did that very well.

"I'm playing with lots of confidence and am off the mark now, and a draw was a fair result."

Manley admitted: "I'm pretty pleased with my finishing but am not getting to grips with the final leg at the moment."~

Match Stats