Raymond van Barneveld is heading for Wembley for the Premier League Play-Offs!
And Unicorn’s World Champion Adrian Lewis is all but there as well……he produced a golden spell to beat Terry Jenkins, while Barney was in irresistible form against Gary Anderson.
Meanwhile, Phil Taylor ended James Wade’s hopes of qualifying with an 8-4 win in a brilliant match.
Lewis’s leg difference is far superior to Simon Whitlock and the Australian plays Taylor in Newcastle, so Lewis really can start planning for Wembley!
So Gary Anderson’s first match under the Unicorn banner ended in defeat….but for Barney – a place at Wembley and the pair will do battle yet again in those semi-finals!
The Scot was livid with his performance….Barneveld wasn’t complaining, as he completed the double over Anderson.
“But it will count for nothing at Wembley,” Barney said. “I played well and Gary struggled but we all know how different it will be in that semi-final.”
The first eight legs went with throw…..3-3 at the break and it was all action.
An 86 check-out gave Anderson the opening leg after two misses from the Dutchman, but Barney levelled despite two 180s from the Scot in the next!
In fact both were missing too many doubles…..but the key moment came in the 9th leg….Anderson would you believe, missed eight darts at doubles and Barneveld broke. He didn’t look back.
Two maximums helped Barney win the next two legs and he wrapped up victory as Anderson missed more chances in the next….Anderson hit only four from 20 attempts.
Lewis had to win and in the end, he did it in style…..well below par at the start, but despite averaging only 87 over the first six legs, he managed to go in at the break all square.
It was a different Lewis after that break…..five consecutive legs, including finishes of 100, 112 and 144 and it was job done.
A point against Anderson in Newcastle will make absolutely sure, but he can probably lose and still qualify.
“It would be great to get another go at Phil in the semi-finals,” he said. “I have beaten him at the O2 and I know I can do it again, but let’s just wait and see!”
Taylor averaged 109.36 in beating Wade, who himself posted a 103 average at the end…..but in the end, Wade’s poor start to the PL season has cost him.
After ‘The Machine’ took the opening leg, Taylor hit back with a brilliant 157 finish and seized the initiative after Wade missed doubles in the next.
Taylor ‘powered’ himself to 3 consecutive legs…..Wade won another but 3-2 became 5-2, before the World No.4 clinched two more….at 5-4 Taylor was under pressure to perform and he did just that, with three more legs to claim his 12th consecutive win!
He hit five 180s to four from Wade.
So it looks like Taylor against Lewis and Barneveld v Anderson in an all Unicorn semi-final line-up!
In the other match at the BIC in Bournemouth, Mark Webster stopped the rot after eight consecutive defeats, as he picked up a deserved draw against Simon Whitlock.
Week 13 results:
Simon Whitlock 7-7 Mark Webster
Gary Anderson 4-8 Raymond van Barneveld
Terry Jenkins 3-8 Adrian Lewis
James Wade 4-8 Phil Taylor
Latest Premier League Table:
1 – Phil Taylor 24pts
2 – Gary Anderson 16pts
3 – Raymond van Barneveld 16pts
4 – Adrian Lewis 13pts
5 – Simon Whitlock 11pts
6 – James Wade 11pts
7 – Terry Jenkins 8pts
8 – Mark Webster 5pts
Week 14 schedule Newcastle:
Adrian Lewis v Gary Anderson
James Wade v Terry Jenkins
Mark Webster v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Simon Whitlock
By STUART PYKE in Bournemouth
Photos courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC