Raymond van Barneveld’s long wait for a Premier League win over big rival Phil Taylor goes on.
Taylor won the all Unicorn showdown in Cardiff 8-3 with an average of 104.52 and it is now 12 PL matches without a win for Barney against his old adversary.
‘The Power’ is four points clear at the top of the table, with Barneveld dropping to 3rd with 10 points but he now has a worse leg difference than Gary Anderson.
Barney was actually on course for a 9-darter in the second leg of the match, as he hit seven T20s, but just wired his attempt at T19.
“I really thought he was going to do it,” said Taylor. “He is getting close to being back at his very best and it is good to see.”
“But I am really enjoying myself right now and it is a good feeling. I look forward to playing every week!” he added.
Barneveld didn’t do a lot wrong to be honest but he couldn’t put pressure on the Taylor throw
The Dutchman’s seven perfect darts came in the second leg when he levelled the match and at 2-2. He was very much in the game….but Taylor’s first maximum and a brilliant 122 finish on the bull saw Taylor break the throw to lead 4-2. It was a pivotal moment.
At that stage, Barneveld had remarkably hit more T20s than single 20s!
But Taylor won five successive legs to open out a 7-2 advantage…..Barney hit a terrific 119 finish to get a leg back but Taylor won it with his sixth match dart on D4 after a third 180.
Adrian Lewis remains in fourth spot, but he is now just a point behind Barneveld and Anderson.
Unicorn’s World Champion ruined Welshman Mark Webster’s big night on home soil to gain sweet revenge!
A month ago, Webster thrashed Lewis 8-2 in Exeter, but Lewis demolished the PL debutant 8-1 with a brilliant display.
“I am throwing well at the moment,” he said. “I knew Mark would be under a bit of pressure with us being in Wales, so I just kept focused and my finishing was excellent.”
You can say that again!
Lewis had a 73 per cent check-out success rate and he looked on course for a whitewash as he won seven straight legs, before Webster got a chalk on the board.
Webster’s chance went when he missed eight darts at doubles in losing the first three legs and Lewis put his foot on the gas!
Finishes of 128 and 84 followed and D14 won it with an impressive average of 101.
James Wade stays bottom of the table after suffering a 6th defeat in eight Premier League games and he now needs something extra special to reach the semi-finals.
To be fair, he probably deserved a draw against Gary Anderson, but the Scot won the last two legs to end his three-match losing streak and it’s a massive ask for the Unicorn man to reach the play-offs.
But it just isn’t happening for Wade at the moment as he desperately strives to rediscover his best form….he averaged 92, with Anderson on 101.5 and that proved to be the difference.
The first four legs all went with throw, as Wade took out 62 and 102 to hold throw after Anderson missed darts on both occasions….the pattern was then reversed with the next four legs all won against the darts, including a fantastic 141 finish from Wade.
He then edged in front but the pivotal moment came in the 10th leg, when Wade missed three darts for clear daylight and a 6-4 lead and Anderson pinched it for five apiece…..Wade won the next but had to watch as Anderson won the last three legs to claim a crucial win.
A fourth 180 helped him to make it 6-6 and the World Championship runner-up then hit two more maximums to nail a brilliant 11 darter to break the throw and despite a fifth 180 from Wade in the final leg, Anderson hit ‘tops’ to win the match.
New darts but same old story for Terry Jenkins, who will be hugely frustrated by his 8-3 defeat at the hands of Simon Whitlock…..and it is fair to say that he also needs a big turnaround in fortunes if he is to challenge for a spot in the play-offs.
He hit four 180s in the opening five legs as he fought back from 0-2 down, but crucially he missed four darts to make it 3-3 and Whitlock stepped in to break…..and the Aussie didn’t look back after that.
Twice, Whitlock just missed the bull for 170 check-outs but he was always in control and Jenkins couldn’t match the Australian in the scoring stakes.
And a fourth maximum was followed by a terrific 122 finish on the bull to seal an emphatic victory.
Week 8 results:
James Wade 6-8 Gary Anderson
Simon Whitlock 8-3 Terry Jenkins
Phil Taylor 8-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Adrian Lewis 8-1 Mark Webster
By STUART PYKE
Photos courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC and Chris Sargeant