Adrian Lewis showed tremendous character to beat Gary Anderson on a night when the behaviour of a small element of the crowd in Glasgow left a bad taste in the mouth.
It was hard for both players after what was a terrific night of darting entertainment but Lewis showed maturity beyond his years to win eight consecutive legs.
It was also tough for Anderson, who had such high hopes on home soil….beer was thrown and items were thrown onto the stage.
Anderson just completely lost his way after leading 3-0 and Lewis displayed a lot of bottle to come through and win.
Team Unicorn’s World Champion was clearly rattled at the start after his rough reception and when the Scot raced into a 3-0 lead, it looked like being a bad night at the office.
But Lewis deserves great credit….he didn’t react to what was happening off the stage and stayed focused on his darts….a 111 finish, then 84 on the bull and after three misses from Anderson, the Unicorn man levelled at the break.
Anderson lost concentration, as his dream night turned into a nightmare….Lewis remained focused and clinched victory with that amazing run of eight consecutive legs.
He hit five 180s along the way and is now fourth in the table…..in the end, his darts did all the talking.
That defeat for Anderson meant Phil Taylor took over at the top of the Premier League after a narrow win over Simon Whitlock.
It was the tale of missed doubles, as both players missed a host of chances, but Taylor hit when it mattered, in a match of eight breaks of throw!
Taylor’s average was 103 – enough for a 5th straight win.
“I missed a lot of doubles to let Simon in,” he said. “I am pleased with the win. It was steady if unspectacular and don’t forget it is all about getting to Wembley for those semi-finals.”
Taylor won the opening leg against the throw in 12 darts but the Aussie hit back to lead 2-1….but Taylor meant business and a run of four consecutive legs put ‘The Power’ in control.
Whitlock briefly threatened but missed important doubles, despite getting to within a leg of Taylor at 5-6…..the Unicorn man hit a fifth 180 and won it on D20 to hit the Premier League summit.
Well, it was an emotional Raymond van Barneveld, as he admitted he was “humbled” by the support he received from the 6,500 crowd in Glasgow.
Barney recorded his fourth win of the Premier League, with a fabulous performance and an average of 104 in his victory over Mark Webster.
It was vintage Barneveld, with a host of 180s and ton plus finishes….he was determined to put on a show for the fans and he didn’t disappoint.
“What an incredible night. That is one of the most amazing experiences in all my time playing darts,” he revealed.
“I certainly got a bit emotional and it is nights like this that make me realise how lucky I am. I loved every minute of it!”
Well, he was simply sensational…..the Dutchman started the match by hitting back-to-back 180s in winning the first leg. In fact, both players produced some great darts.
The Welshman levelled at 1-1 with a 100 check-out and again at 2-2 with a 120 finish….but not to be outdone, Barneveld took out 121 on D8, then a brilliant 161 on the bull to break throw and a 116 finish made it 5-2.
There was no coming back for Webster….not with Barney in this mood. Two more 180s took his match tally to five and a really impressive 8-4 victory.
We witnessed a terrific all Unicorn clash between James Wade and Terry Jenkins….Wade won it – just – but stays bottom of the table on leg difference behind ‘The Bull’ who could have snatched a draw in the end!
Wade though, on four points, is back in the hunt as he silenced the boo boys and certainly got back on track…..and it was some game!
After Jenkins won the opening leg on throw, Wade took control, as he raced into a 6-2 advantage, hitting three 180s, a 12 darter, a 127 finish and a terrific 100 check-out, hitting two double ‘tops’
Jenkins was missing doubles and in the end, those chances cost him dear…..but he did make a real fist of it, coming back to put real pressure on Wade…..Jenkins himself nailed a 100 finish with two double ‘tops’ and he won three legs on the spin to get it back to 6-5.
Wade stopped the rot with a crucial D10 to go 7-5 up after just missing the bull for a 167, but Jenkins stayed alive by winning the 13th leg….and in a dramatic finale, ‘The Bull’ missed D10 for a 140 check-out and a draw, only to see Wade clinch only his second win of the Premier League on D20.
Week six results:
Terry Jenkins 6-8 James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld 8-4 Mark Webster
Simon Whitlock 5-8 Phil Taylor
Gary Anderson 3-8 Adrian Lewis
By STUART PYKE
Photos courtesy Chris Sargeant