Championship League Darts

OSBORNE IS NEW CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE DARTS WINNER!

COLIN OSBORNE claimed his first major title with a 6-4 victory over Phil Taylor to win the 2009 Championship League Darts.

Osborne avenged his loss to Taylor in the final of June^s UK Open with an accomplished performance to see off the world number one and claim the £10,000 first prize at Crondon Park GC in Essex.

Osborne finished second to unbeaten Taylor in the Winners Group table after the eight-played league phase, before seeing off Mervyn King 6-1 in the semi-finals and Taylor in the decider.

He made an ideal start to the final with a 129 finish, and also missed two darts at double eight for the second leg before Taylor landed double four to level.

A brace of double top finishes put him 3-1 up before Taylor posted an 11-darter to pull back the fifth.

Double top from Osborne gave him a 4-2 cushion, only for reigning champion Taylor to crank up the pressure with a pair of 11-dart finishes.

Taylor left himself 74 to break throw in the ninth leg, but Osborne produced a superb 142 checkout on double 11 to lead 5-4.

And a missed bullseye from Taylor in the next gave the Derby-based star his chance, taking out 68 on double four for the title.

"It^s a great feeling," admitted Osborne, who totalled £24,800 prize money for the tournament after competing in four league groups and the Winners Group.

"It^s hard enough to beat Phil anyway but always even harder in the final, so that^s the icing on the cake for me.

"I thought I played well all day and kept it going in the final. I took out the 129 in the first leg and had chances to lead 2-0, and when I went 3-1 up I knew I could have been even further ahead.

"But it^s not over until it^s over and Phil came back at me well, but I managed to get over the finishing line."

Osborne has had a disappointing time since the UK Open, losing in the first round of the last three televised tournaments, but hopes to continue this form into the forthcoming European Championship and Grand Slam of Darts.

"I put myself under a lot of pressure after the UK Open but hopefully now I can kick on for the rest of the year," he added.

"I^ve proven to myself that if I play as well as I can do, I can beat anybody, and now I have to keep doing that."

Osborne suffered just two defeats in the league phase, to King and Taylor, but avenged those in claiming his victory.

Taylor won all seven of his league matches, dropping just 11 legs in the process and whitewashing Mervyn King.

"I’m obviously disappointed to lose in the final, but Colin was the better man and deserved the win," said Taylor. "He played really well and took some great finishes out.

"I’ve had a good run in this and hopefully it will stand me in good stead for the European Championship next weekend."

King - the 2008 Championship League Darts runner-up - finished third in the table, but failed to regain his best form in the semis and ended on £13,000 for the tournament.

James Wade bounced back from losing his first three games to edge out Adrian Lewis for fourth place in the table on leg difference.

Wade, who had defeated Taylor to win Group One last month, lost to the world number one 6-2 in the semis, but still takes home £9,550 prize money.

Lewis ends the 2009 Championship League Darts as the second highest money-earner, claiming £19,500 after playing in all nine days of the tournament, finally winning Group Eight on Wednesday to book a Winners Group spot.

Mark Walsh won just two games on the day, while Jelle Klaasen and Wayne Mardle picked up one win apiece.

Championship League Darts was streamed solely on the internet via a series of ten bookmakers’ websites around the world. Prize money of £100 per leg was on offer in the Winners Group league phase and £200 per leg in the play-offs, with additional prize money of £10,000 to the champion, £5,000 to the runner-up and £2,500 each to the losing semi-finalists.

In total, £175,400 has been paid out across the nine days of the tournament, which featured 29 players in eight groups, with each group’s champion progressing to Thursday’s Winners Group.

CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE DARTS WINNERS GROUP RESULTS

FINAL LEAGUE TABLE

WINNERS GROUP PRIZE MONEY

2009 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE DARTS – FINAL PRIZE MONEY