McCoy's Premier League Darts Night Five

BARNEY MOVES CLEAR IN McCOY'S PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS TABLE AS TRIO LOSE UNBEATEN RECORDS

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD moved clear at the top of the McCoy's Premier League Darts table as Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Robert Thornton lost their unbeaten records and Adrian Lewis won his first game of the season at Nottingham's Capital FM Arena.

Dutch star van Barneveld continued his brilliant start to the season with a 7-5 defeat of Andy Hamilton in Nottingham, picking up his fourth win of the campaign.

Hamilton shared the opening eight legs of the game, but van Barneveld won the next two to ensure a minimum of a point at 6-4, and after the Stoke ace hit back to force a decider he sealed victory with a fine 11-dart finish.

"I'm over the moon," said van Barneveld. "I'm really happy with my form and hopefully I'm on course to finish in the top four because the semi-finals is my aim.

"I'm very focused and I still believe that every week's a final, so I'm really pleased to have won four out of five and be on eight points.

"When Andy broke my throw to pull back to 6-5, I thought he was going to get a draw because he had the throw in the last leg, but I relaxed in the last leg and hit an 11-darter."

Van Barneveld now sits a point clear of James Wade in the table, after the 2009 champion continued his own run of good form with a 7-1 rout of previously unbeaten Robert Thornton.

Wade took out two 121 checkouts and finished seven doubles from nine attempts, and averaged a superb 105.73 to pick up his third win of the season.

"It was good," said Wade. "I felt comfortable and although I got a little bit nervous in mid-game I'm happy with how I played.

"I know there's more to come still and I'm happy to win because Robert has been playing well. I'm enjoying it, practising hard and it's showing in my game again.

"My finishing's good, but what's more apparent than ever is that my scoring's starting to be there and it's all starting to come together."

Reigning Premier League champion Phil Taylor also saw his unbeaten record slip away as 2011 winner Gary Anderson came from 2-0 down to edge a 7-5 win.

The Scot hit two 13-dart legs to get himself into the game and also took out a 100 finish as he clawed back level, and after the pair found themselves locked at five-all it was Anderson who took the game's final two legs for his second win of the year.

"It's a great boost to beat Phil," said Anderson. "I've played Phil a lot of times and been hammered so I'll take this - but I thought I was going to throw it away at one point and it was great to finally hit that double ten.

"I usually struggle on double ten but they were pretty good tonight. My game's still not where I want it to be on stage and the game I'm producing in practice isn't coming out on stage yet.

"I had a shaky start, but I shut my eyes and the darts seemed to go in!"

Taylor admitted: "I missed some doubles there and Gary hit some great doubles of his own, and he beat me fair and square. It's a long season and there's a lot of games left, and I'll look to put it right next week."

World number two Adrian Lewis picked up his first win of the season and also condemned Michael van Gerwen to his first Premier League defeat with a 7-4 victory.

Lewis took command by winning four of the opening five legs, and hit five 180s as he went on to close out a much-needed triumph.

"Michael's been the best player in the world for the last six months, so I'm very proud to go up there and beat him," said Lewis. "He didn't make a great start and I had to jump on that.

"I knew it was going to be tough and I had to show my class tonight, and I thought I did that. I've been practising brilliantly and not performing on stage, and it has tested me.

"I felt like the world was on my shoulders and everyone expects a lot of me, which is understandable, but I've got my first couple of points on the board now."

Australian ace Simon Whitlock was the night's other winner, as he came from 4-1 down to take a 7-5 victory over Wes Newton, hitting finishes of 116 and 120 along the way to a second win of the season.

"That's a very important victory because a couple of guys underneath me in the table had wins tonight," said Whitlock. "When Wes went 4-1 up I dug deep, I never gave up and I'm pleased with the result.

"I did a couple of good finishes under pressure there and the 120 was massive for me. It gives me a lot of confidence and I'm quite happy with that."

The results leave Lewis only a point behind Newton at the bottom of the table, with Hamilton, Whitlock and Anderson on four points.

Van Barneveld tops the standings with eight points, one ahead of Wade and two clear of Taylor, van Gerwen and Thornton, who have six points from their opening five matches.

The McCoy's Premier League Darts continues next Thursday at the Manchester Arena, with tickets still available by calling 0844 847 8000 or through www.mcr-arena.com.

Click here to see a video interview with Adrian Lewis following his victory at the PDC's YouTube Channel

Watch Live
All McCoy's Premier League Darts nights will be shown live on Sky Sports HD from 7pm.
Coverage is also live through RTL7 in the Netherlands, Sport1 in Germany, OSN across the Middle East and Fox Sports in Australia.
LIVEPDC.TV International Pass subscribers can also watch live coverage at LIVEPDC.TV , along with highlights on a 24-hour delay.

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McCoy's Premier League Darts
Week Five
March 7 - Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
James Wade 7-1 Robert Thornton
Raymond van Barneveld 7-5 Andy Hamilton
Adrian Lewis 7-4 Michael van Gerwen
Phil Taylor 5-7 Gary Anderson
Wes Newton 5-7 Simon Whitlock

Latest League Table

Match Information
James Wade v Robert Thornton
0-0 - James Wade will throw first
1-0 - Wade kicks off with two 140s and takes out 81 on double 13 to win the opening leg.
2-0 - Thornton misses tops to finish 135, and Wade takes out 72 on double 12 to break throw.
3-0 - Double ten sees the 2009 champion move three legs clear.
4-0 - Wade opens with a 180 and finishes 85 on tops to maintain a brilliant start, averaging over 104 after four legs.
5-0 - Thornton lands a 180, his first of the game, but misses two darts at double 12 to finish 81, and Wade punishes him by hitting tops.
6-0 - Wade finishes 121 on double 14 to ensure that he will take at least a draw out of the match.
6-1 - Thornton keeps his hopes alive by winning a first leg of the game on double top.
7-1 - Wade hits a second 180 of the game and finishes 121 on double 14 for a second time to complete a brilliant victory, averaging 105.73.

Match Stats

Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton
0-0 - Raymond van Barneveld will throw first
1-0 - Hamilton opens the game with a 180 but van Barneveld takes the opening leg on tops.
1-1 - Hamilton kicks off another leg with a maximum, and takes out double five - with his fifth dart at a double - to level.
2-1 - van Barneveld takes out 71 on double 16 to move back ahead.
2-2 - van Barneveld posts a 180, but misses double eight and four to finish 76 as Hamilton steps in to hit double nine.
3-2 - van Barneveld lands double four to edge himself in front and avoid a potential break of throw.
3-3 - Hamilton fires in a third maximum, and hits tops to level again.
4-3 - van Barneveld lands his second maximum and then takes out 121 on double 14 to move back ahead.
4-4 - Hamilton hits a 177 to leave 32 before squaring the game once again by hitting double 16.
5-4 - van Barneveld hits his third 180, and when Hamilton misses the bull for a 170 checkout the Dutch ace returns to pin tops.
6-4 - van Barneveld leaves 36 with another maximum, and when Hamilton is unable to take out 128, he returns to post double nine to break for the first time.
6-5 - Both players hit 180s, with Hamilton first to a finish but missing two darts at doubles only for van Barneveld to miss tops - for the match - to take out 106, as the Stoke ace hits double four to break back and force a decider.
7-5 - van Barneveld opens the final leg with his sixth 180 of the game, and adds a 137 and a 140 before finishing double 16 for an 11-darter to seal a superb victory, as both players end the game with ton-plus averages.

Match Stats

Adrian Lewis v Michael van Gerwen
0-0 - Adrian Lewis will throw first
1-0 - Both players hit 180s, and Lewis takes out tops for a 14-darter to settle any early nerves.
1-1 - Lewis misses two darts to break throw, and van Gerwen levels on tops.
2-1 - Lewis opens with a 180 and finishes double eight for another 14-dart leg.
3-1 - Lewis breaks throw for the first time, initially missing double 16 for a 108 finish only to return after van Gerwen fails to close out the leg, with the Stoke ace hitting double eight with his third dart.
4-1 - van Gerwen hits a 180, but Lewis takes out 87 on double 18 to move three legs clear.
4-2 - The Dutchman hits double four to hit back.
5-2 - The pair trade 180s, and Lewis takes out 60 on tops once more to move closer to his first point of the season.
5-3 - van Gerwen lands double eight to cut the gap to two legs again.
6-3 - Lewis hits double eight to give himself a first McCoy's Premier League Darts point in 2013 - and celebrates with a relieved smile!
6-4 - Both players hit 180s, and when Lewis misses one match dart at tops the Dutch ace hits double ten to keep his hopes alive.
7-4 - Lewis posts his seventh maximum before landing double 14 for his first victory of the campaign.

Click here to see a video interview with Adrian Lewis following his victory at the PDC's YouTube Channel

Match Stats

Phil Taylor v Gary Anderson
0-0 - Phil Taylor will throw first
1-0 - Taylor takes the opening leg on double five.
2-0 - Taylor breaks throw with double four.
2-1 - Taylor misses double 16 and Anderson posts double 18 to get off the mark.
2-2 - Anderson hits tops at the first time of asking to level the game - meaning that he has hit his last four darts at a double after being restricted to just two darts last week against Robert Thornton.
3-2 - Taylor regains the lead with a fine 12-darter, scoring 134, 180 and 137 before landing double 16.
3-3 - Anderson hits a 180 and finishes 100 in two darts to level again.
4-3 - Taylor finishes 28 to nudge himself back ahead.
4-4 - Taylor lands a 180 to leave 102 after nine darts, but narrowly misses double 16 as Anderson steps in to finish tops to square the game.
4-5 - Anderson breaks throw to move ahead for the first time, finishing 60 on double ten.
5-5 - Anderson misses double ten to finish 100, and Taylor finishes 71 on double 16 in two darts to break back and level.
5-6 - Anderson hits a 174 but initially misses his chance to earn a point, only for Taylor to miss one dart at tops and allow the Scot to post double five to ensure a minimum of a draw.
5-7- Anderson misses tops for a 120 finish, but Taylor is unable to take out 156 as the 2011 champion lands double ten with his final dart to seal victory, and end Taylor's unbeaten start.

Match Stats

Wes Newton v Simon Whitlock
0-0 - Wes Newton will throw first
1-0 - Double 16 sees Newton take the opening leg.
2-0 - The Fleetwood ace breaks throw to double his advantage.
2-1 - Whitlock opens with a maximum and takes out 116 on tops to win his first leg.
3-1 - Newton lands a 180 and finishes 65 on tops to break throw again.
4-1 - Newton adds another 180 and tops to move three legs clear.
4-2 - Whitlock this time pins double top as he cuts the gap.
4-3 - Newton misses double top for a 119 finish - the first time in the game either player has been off-target - and Whitlock takes out 120 to break throw.
4-4 - Newton leaves 16 but sees Whitlock finish 74 in two darts to level the contest.
4-5 - Double eight sees Whitlock take the lead for the first time.
4-6 - Newton opens with a 180 but missed doubles allow Whitlock to hit a key double ten to secure a point.
5-6 - Whitlock hits a 180, but after two misses from Newton the Australian is off-target with two darts at double 15 for the win, and Newton lands double three to force a deciding leg.
5-7 - Whitlock is first to a finish after hitting a fifth 180 of the game, and double ten sees Whitlock claim a point.

Match Stats