It was a moment to savour….a landmark magical moment in the career of Gary Anderson, as he won his first PDC ‘Major’ at Wembley.
The Scot was crowned ‘King’ of the Premier League, as he beat Adrian Lewis 10-4 to collect the prized trophy and the little matter of a winner’s cheque for £125,000
But after losing three TV finals in the PDC, including of course the World Championship, this title will mean everything to the Scot.
And what a month it is turning out to be! Just three weeks after joining Team Unicorn, Anderson finally wins a big one…..the first Scot to win a ‘Major’ since Robert Thornton took the World Masters back in 2007.
On a dramatic night at Wembley Arena, Phil Taylor was dethroned by Lewis in an amazing semi-final, while Anderson ended the hopes of Raymond van Barneveld, as the Dutchman’s PL semi-final jinx struck again.
But the night belonged to Gary Anderson…..after so many near misses, arguably the most naturally talented player in the world, finally won a massive PDC title….it is his third ‘Major’ – remember that he won the International Darts League and World Darts Trophy in 2007.
“It won’t sink in for a bit,” Anderson admitted. “I have waited a long time for this and after so many disappointments, it means everything. The money is a bonus, but the trophy and the title mean much much more!”
Anderson added: “I have had a few near misses, but hopefully this will be the first of many. It is a very special feeling.”
Lewis, who was simply sensational in beating Taylor, was magnanimous in defeat.
“Well done to Gary….it was only a matter of time before he won a big one and this was his night. Obviously I am disappointed with the way I played in the final, especially after the performance against Phil, but I was slow out of the blocks and that cost me, I’m afraid.”
Anderson endured a few nervous moments in crossing the finishing line, but he wasn’t to be denied.
He was always going to take some stopping as he raced into a 5-1 lead at the break, including two breaks of throw….he produced three 180s, an 11 darter, a 12 darter and a 121 finish on the bull….it was that good!
Two 13 dart legs followed, two more 180s and Lewis had no answer to the barrage of scoring. In the blink of an eye, 4-1 became 9-1 and ‘The Flying Scotsman’ was on the brink.
But the nerves kicked in….not surprising really, as he missed four darts to win 9-2 and Lewis pulled a couple of legs back.
Anderson then blew another five darts at ‘tops’ and D10 – but finally he did it – nailing D10 on his 10th match dart to win the Premier League!
It may well turn out to be a landmark night in the career of Gary Anderson…….Adrian Lewis will be bitterly disappointed – especially after his dazzling display to beat Taylor.
Anderson averaged 100 in the final and took his tournament tally of 180s to 79 – a Premier League record.
Well, finishing in 3rd place will be small consolation, but Taylor came from 2-4 and 4-6 down to beat Barneveld 8-6 to pick up £50,000 in prize money, while the Dutchman pocketed £40,000
But in those semi-finals, Taylor was stunned by the brilliance of Lewis. The 5-times PL Champion simply never got going but take nothing away from Lewis, who raced into a 3-0 lead.
‘The Power’ looked like he was back firing when he won two legs, but he missed two darts at D10 for 3-3 and Lewis didn’t need asking again! The young man won four consecutive legs to take him to the brink and in one leg, he hit seven perfect darts!
In the end a 6th 180 and D18 sealed the famous win….he averaged 104.63 to Taylor’s 99.58 but Lewis’ finishing won him the match. He hit eight doubles from only 12 attempts.
And spare a thought for Barney…..a 5th Premier League semi-final defeat after it looked like he had done all the hard work, because the Dutchman was 4-1 in front.
The turning point came in the 6th leg when Barneveld missed one dart at D16 for another break of throw and a 5-1 lead….it was a pivotal moment, because Anderson got in the groove to reel off four consecutive legs and move ahead for the first time.
He was hitting 180s for fun, but Barney wasn’t finished….he kept coming back and a brilliant 137 finish drew him level at 6-6….The Scot though hit back-to-back 180s to take his tally to seven to break the throw and D18 won him his spot in the final.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
Phil Taylor 3-8 Adrian Lewis
Raymond van Barneveld 6-8 Gary Anderson
3rd Place Play-Off:
Phil Taylor 8-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Final:
Adrian Lewis 4-10 Gary Anderson
By STUART PYKE (twitter @stuartpykesport)
Photos courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC