Darts:Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts - Night 14 Round-Up
PHIL TAYLOR secured first place in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts table with victory over Mervyn King as the league phase finished on Thursday night.
Taylor took an 8-2 victory against King in the pair^s final league match - with the result setting them up to meet again in the semi-finals at Wembley Arena on May 25.
The other semi will see second-placed James Wade take on Raymond van Barneveld, who drew with Terry Jenkins at the CIA to win a third placed finish.
"I^m delighted to finish top," said Taylor. "It^s been the hardest Premier League ever - but I^m not done yet and I can^t wait for the semi-finals.
"This result won^t matter when I play Mervyn in the semi-finals, it^s a knockout game and a fresh start.
"Mervyn has been a great asset to the Premier League this season and he^s going to be some player to beat. He^ll go away and work on his game for the semi-finals, and I^ve got to do the same."
Taylorwas in ruthless form to open up a 4-0 cushion against King, and though the world number six took two of the next three there was little chance of a recovery as the defending champion finished with a 106 average.
Jenkins had earlier come from 4-1 down to lead against van Barneveld before the Dutchman shared the spoils to jump above King into third.
The point saw Jenkins leapfrog John Part to finish fifth in the table and take £32,500 prize money - while the top four travel to Wembley to compete for the £125,000 winner’s cheque.
Cardiff
also welcomed Welshman Mark Webster to the stage for one of two Challenge Matches, although he lost 7-3 in a battle of former Lakeside Champions with Jelle Klaasen.
Scottish ace Gary Anderson impressed in the other contest, hitting a 107.40 average in defeating Part 7-4.
Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Week 14 - C.I.A., Cardiff
Jelle Klaasen 7-3 Mark Webster (Challenge Match)
John Part 7-4 Gary Anderson (Challenge Match)
Raymond van Barneveld 7-7 Terry Jenkins
Mervyn King 2-8 Phil Taylor
Play-Offs - 6pm, May 25, Wembley Arena
James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Mervyn King
Best of 19 legs
Followed by Final
Best of 25 legs
Tickets: 0870 060 0870
Final League Table
(after 14 weeks)|
P |
W |
D |
L |
+/- |
Pts |
|
|
Phil Taylor |
12 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
+30 |
18 |
|
James Wade |
12 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
+15 |
17 |
|
R v Barneveld |
12 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
+5 |
13 |
|
Mervyn King |
12 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
+6 |
12 |
|
Terry Jenkins |
12 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
-9 |
9 |
|
John Part |
12 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
-23 |
9 |
|
Jelle Klaasen |
12 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
-24 |
6 |
JELLE KLAASEN 7-3 MARK WEBSTER
JELLE KLAASEN ended his debut Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts season with a 7-3 victory over Welshman Mark Webster in their Challenge Match.
Klaasen finished the league phase bottom of the table after just one win and four draws from his 12 matches - but showed his quality to see off Webster.
Webster was drafted in to appear in front of his home country crowd after Wayne Mardle^s absence through illness, and led 2-1 before the Dutchman took command with five straight legs.
Webster, a former Lakeside Champion, looked composed in his first televised appearance since joining the PDC, landing double top for the opening leg and a two-dart 64 to lead 2-1.
Klaasen levelled in 12 darts and then took out 72 on tops to break throw and lead for the first time.
Two double 16 finishes established a 5-2 lead for the young Dutchman, and he took out 80 with Webster waiting on 32 to move a leg away from the win.
Two missed darts at double eight in the next allowed Webster to delay victory by landing double five, but Klaasen^s scoring power took him clear with two 140s in leg ten, and double six earned the triumph.
"It was a good game and I^m pleased with the result," said Klaasen. "We both missed a few doubles but I think I was the better player.
"To finish the Premier League with a win is nice and I^m happy with it. I^ve enjoyed the last three months and it^s been a great experience, and hopefully I^ll be back next year."
GARY ANDERSON 7-4 JOHN PART
GARY ANDERSON staked his claim for a place in the 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with a 7-4 win over John Part in their Challenge Match in Cardiff.
Andersonstepped in to take on Part after Wayne Mardle was ruled out of the final weeks of the Premier League through illness, and hit a 107.40 average and five 180s in a quality display.
He opened the match in style with a 13-darter to break Part^s throw, and doubled the lead in 12 darts with an 81 finish.
Part matched Anderson with a maximum in the third, which the Canadian won in 13 darts, before the pair shared 180s once more in the fourth, which was won by Anderson on double top after three missed doubles from the world number four.
A two-dart 70 finish from Part saw him take the fifth in 14 darts, and the next two were shared before Anderson edged 5-3 up with a 121 finish on the bullseye.
He also landed a fifth 180 of the match in the next, only for Part to respond with a 12-darter which featured his third maximum.
Anderson
took leg ten for a 6-4 lead, and sealed the win on double four after Part opened the next with another 180 but missed two darts to stay in the contest.
"To play well on stage is a big relief," said Anderson, making his first televised appearance since joining the PDC in February.
"I was very nervous beforehand but it was a brilliant experience. I had a couple of weeks to prepare for this and it^s paid off.
"It^s hard for the players who have come in for the Challenge Matches because when you^re not on that stage week-in and week-out it^s very hard.
"I^ve not played on a stage like that since Lakeside and it was nerve-wracking because there were a few thousand more people!
"I^d love to play in this every week, especially in Scotland!"
Anderson
impressed with 107.40 average - but believes he would need to improve if he is to regularly challenge the likes of Phil Taylor for major honours.
"It could have been better!" said Anderson. "When I practice, I^m not happy unless I^m hitting 110-plus.
"Phil Taylor puts in some big, big averages and my scoring, I reckon, is as good as his - but he is a killer with his finishing, anything from 130 upwards."
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 7-7 TERRY JENKINS
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD shared the spoils with Terry Jenkins to secure third place in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts.
Van Barneveld needed to claim a point from his final league game to jump above Mervyn King into third, but looked set to pick up both when he took a 4-1 lead.
Jenkins hit back to lead 5-4, and took out 120 in the deciding leg to claim a draw.
Van Barneveld opened the match with a brilliant ten-darter, and hit a second 180 in leg two - only for Jenkins to reply in King and take out 41 on double top.
Van Barneveld landed double ten for the next leg, double 18 to break throw in the fourth and then double 16 to lead 4-1 after the pair again traded maximums.
Two misses at double 18 from van Barneveld allowed Jenkins in for the sixth leg, and further wayward finishing from the Dutchman allowed the world number five to land a 14-darter and cut the gap to 4-3.
A 12-darter saw Jenkins level, before he took out double ten to punish further misses from van Barneveld and lead for the first time in the game.
Jenkins landed back-to-back 180s in the next leg, but wasted five darts at a double as van Barneveld stopped the rot on double nine.
Jenkins left himself 16 in the next leg with a 171 score, only to be denied a dart as van Barneveld hit double four to go 6-5 up.
A sixth 180 of the match helped Jenkins level again in the next, but he was punished by van Barneveld in leg 13 - missing double top in single five before the world number three took out tops to secure at least a draw.
But Jenkins was stronger in the deciding leg, and took out 120 to secure a point, which sees him end the season in fifth place, jumping above John Part.
"I dug in there and it paid off," said Jenkins. "I was 4-2 down at the break but it could have been 6-0.
"There was a lot of pressure on both of us with how things could have turned out and I^m happy with how it turned out.
"I played pretty well during most of the Premier League and just a few doubles in the early games have cost me a place in the play-offs, but hopefully I can win a place in next year^s tournament."
Van Barneveld said: "I was hitting everything for five legs but then missed a few doubles.
"Terry^s a great player and he came back fantastically, and in the end I think I was lucky to get a draw.
"But I^m in the semi-finals now and that^s the main thing, and it^s a new day when I play James Wade at Wembley."
PHIL TAYLOR 8-2 MERVYN KING
PHIL TAYLOR secured first place in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts table with 8-2 victory over Mervyn King as the league phase finished on Thursday night.
Taylor was in ruthless form, taking the first leg against the darts with scores of 134, 180 and 137 helping to set up a double eight finish for a 12-darter.
He hit double 16 to extend the lead and then took advantage of two misses at double top from King to land the same bed for a 3-0 cushion.
A 177 score in the fourth left 28, with Taylor taking out double 14 at the third time of asking to move 4-0 up.
Taylor
missed five darts to extend the lead even further, with King getting off the mark on double eight but then missing the bull to halve the deficit to allow the defending champion to hit double eight with his sixth dart at a double for a 5-1 lead.
Double nine saw King take the seventh leg, but Taylor responded with five perfect darts to open the next leg, which he took in 12 darts on double 16.
A 14-darter edged him 7-2 up, and he landed a fourth maximum of the contest in the next in sealing victory.
"I^m delighted to finish top," said Taylor. "It^s been the hardest Premier League ever - but I^m not done yet and I can^t wait for the semi-finals.
"This result won^t matter when I play Mervyn in the semi-finals, it^s a knockout game and a fresh start.
"Mervyn has been a great asset to the Premier League this season and he^s going to be some player to beat. He^ll go away and work on his game for the semi-finals, and I^ve got to do the same."