COLIN LLOYD won the Stan James World Matchplay in style with a 170 finish after the best display of his career propelled him to a 18-12 victory over John Part in a packed Winter Gardens, Blackpool on Saturday night.
Lloyd, the PDC World No.1 showed just why he is top of the tree and if there were still any doubters out there who believed it was a false position, they have surely been put to bed now.
Lloyd, who averaged over 100 throughout most of the match, was in absolutely inspirational form and even on on-song Phil Taylor would have struggled to live with him in this mood.
In the process of this win Jaws also broke the record for the number of 180's hit throughout the week which was previously held at 38 by Phil Taylor. Lloyd hit 40 and unbelievably he managed 15 in the final.
Part didn't play badly, he averaged 95, but Lloyd was just inspired. He checked out his doubles at 50% and won it in style with a 170 finish.
"I played well tonight," admitted Colin afterwards, "but it was only because I knew that I'd have to because the form John has been in recently nothing else would have been good enough. It takes two players to make a great final and John is a true champion.
Lloyd, who has been accused in the past of being slow out of the blocks, tore into Part from the off and threw four maximums in the opening three legs as he raced in to a 3-0 lead and he never relinquished it over 30 legs of pulsating darts.
"Somebody once said that 180's don't win matches," continued Lloyd, "But they don't half do some damage. Whenever John looked like stringing a few legs together, I tried to reply with a maximum and I think it hurt him a bit."
Lloyd led 9-6 after 15 legs but despite from a late wobble he really put the game out of Part's reach with a run of nine out of 12 legs.
He had checkouts of 124, 104 and the 170, he threw an 11 and 12 dart legs and admitted after that it was by far and away his best performance on TV.
"Over the last year I've had some great matches on TV what with the Grand Prix and the Premier League, but I can honestly say that I have never scored as consistently as that and finished so well in front of the cameras before.
"I know I didn't perform in the Premier League final but with the records I've broken tonight I'd like to say 'Have That Phil!' He's a good friend of mine but tonight is my night."
Part, as ever, was gracious in defeat and full of praise for the new World Matchplay Champion.
"I felt like I'd already won this tournament after beating Phil again but the way Colin played tonight has made me feel a little better," he said.
"It felt like he missed nothing and he just kept on pounding the treble and even playing Phil doesn't feel like that.
"The averages must have been special tonight and as hard as I tried, I couldn't get near him. He's proved once and for all that he is the World No.1."
The last word went to the new World Matchplay Champion though.
"Whatever I do in the future I have now won two titles with the word World in them and nobody can ever take them away," he added.
"This is special and I'm going to savour this for a long time."