McCoy's PLD Night 11 Preview

WORLD CHAMPION Adrian Lewis is looking to shock McCoy's Premier League Darts leader Phil Taylor as the tournament visits the BIC in Bournemouth on Thursday.

Lewis has taken two wins and a draw from his four Premier League meetings with Taylor since he became World Champion at the start of 2011.

The Stoke youngster's stalemate with Taylor in a thrilling game on the opening night of this season remains the only point which the world number one has dropped so far this season.

And Lewis is looking to mark his return to action - having had a break last week following playing twice in Cardiff in the absence of Gary Anderson - by inflicting Taylor's first defeat of the season.

"It was weird not being in Sheffield and watching on the TV but I had a good break and I'm raring to go again," said Lewis, who has won three of his last four Premier League matches.

"This is going to be a really tough game because everybody knows how well Phil's playing, but you have to believe in yourself. I can turn him over, I've done it before and I'll do it again.

"If I go up there and average 105, maybe I'll get beaten, but I know I've got a lot more gears in me."

Taylor has already sealed his Play-Off place at The O2 in London next month, but is determined to maintain his brilliant form ahead of that climax.

"I'm really looking forward to playing Adrian," said Taylor. "Everyone else is under pressure to qualify and Adrian's under pressure to beat me.

"Adrian's World Champion but he can do a lot better than he has done so far this season and he's going to come out firing - but I want to set my stall out by winning every game and keeping everyone else under pressure."

The sold-out night in Bournemouth also features a clash between second-placed Simon Whitlock and resurgent Raymond van Barneveld, who sits joint-third with James Wade and hit a nine-dart finish in winning both Speedy Services UK Open Qualifiers in Barnsley last weekend.

"Simon is a great player," said van Barneveld. "I played him on Saturday and was 3-0 down and won 6-5, even though he started with a 180 in the last leg.

"We always have close games, he's a fantastic player and he averaged 103 last week so I've been warned.

"I've got to prepare myself right because I've still got four games left and my target is to get four or six points to make sure I qualify."

Australian ace Whitlock has won his last two matches since being defeated 8-0 by Wade in Cardiff last month, and is relishing the challenge of playing the Dutchman.

"Every time we play it's a ding-dong battle," said Whitlock. "We've put on some good shows in the last couple of years and I think this will be another.

"We all love Raymond and it makes darts interesting again with him playing well. Barney is a five-time World Champion and he had a bad couple of years, but it is good to see him play well again."

He sits two points clear of Wade and van Barneveld and three ahead of fifth-placed Adrian Lewis heading into week 11, and added: "Every week is important from now on - every point or two points is very big.

"I think I need four more points to make sure I make the semis because I think I need a minimum of 15 points."

2009 champion Wade is bidding to take another step towards winning a place in the Play-Offs when he meets World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton.

"A win against Andy could stretch the table out but the way I've been playing, anything can happen," said Wade. "I've got a tournament average of 95 and against everyone else it's not good enough.

"Andy's doing well, as is Kevin Painter. It's their first year in the Premier League and it's hard, and they're both there or thereabouts on points, and in the first four or five weeks Andy played really well."

Hamilton defeated Wade 8-5 when they met on the opening night of the season in Manchester, but has won only once since before taking a draw from last week's clash with reigning champion Gary Anderson.

"I was happy with a draw last week and I took a couple of good finishes out, but it could have been better," said Hamilton.

"I was 4-2 up at the break and I relaxed in the middle of the match, but I'm a fighter and I'm still trying to get into the top four.

"If James has any chances he'll have to take them because I'll be on be there on his tail and I'll take them."

The night's other game sees reigning champion Anderson play Kevin Painter in a game which both players need to win in order to keep their Play-Off hopes alive.

Anderson picked up only one point from his two matches in Sheffield last week as he played his game in hand after missing the league night in Cardiff to attend his father's funeral in Scotland.

"It's hard for me to get going and Andy Hamilton's going through the same thing after losing his father recently, so I know how he feels," said Anderson. "Each week as it gets further away it will get better.

"I'm working hard in practice and hopefully my game will come right on stage, but the bad start I had to the season didn't help me.

"I'll just give it my best and try to pick up as many points as I can in the remaining weeks. I'm not even looking at the table - all I know is that Phil's on top!"

Coverage in the UK is live on Sky Sports 1HD from 7pm, and will also be shown in Holland on RTL7, Germany on Sport1, across the Middle East on OSN and in Australia on Fox Sports, as well as through www.LIVEPDC.TV.

McCoy's Premier League Darts
Week 11
April 19 - BIC, Bournemouth

Raymond van Barneveld v Simon Whitlock
Gary Anderson v Kevin Painter
James Wade v Andy Hamilton
Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
Tickets: SOLD OUT

Week 11 Match Odds, courtesy of www.williamhill.com
Raymond van Barneveld v Simon Whitlock
6/5 Raymond van Barneveld
9/2 Draw
6/5 Simon Whitlock

Gary Anderson v Kevin Painter
8/13 Gary Anderson
9/2 Draw
5/2 Kevin Painter

James Wade v Andy Hamilton
4/7 James Wade
5/1 Draw
5/2 Andy Hamilton

Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
1/3 Phil Taylor
11/2 Draw
4/1 Adrian Lewis
William Hill are the official betting partner of the McCoy's Premier League Darts

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