Darts' Greatest Rivalry Continues!

Raymond van Barneveld & Phil Taylor (Lawrence Lustig, PDC)

DARTS' greatest rivalry will resume on the BetVictor World Matchplay stage on Wednesday when Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld clash.

The second round tie at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool could be the final time that the two legends of the sport meet on the big stage ahead of Taylor's impending retirement.

The duo have enjoyed a host of memorable clashes throughout their careers, and journalist Matt Bozeat looks at one which has been judged as darts' greatest ever game.

"Darts' Greatest Games - Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld"

The tungsten titans clash over the best of 21 legs in the second round of the BetVictor World Matchplay in Blackpool.

Taylor is aiming for a 16th title before he leaves the Winter Gardens stage for the last time – and the match with Van Barneveld has been dubbed 'El Classico' by Sky Sports.

Taylor reached the second round with a 10-5 win over Gerwyn Price, his 95th win in 103 matches at his favourite venue, while Van Barneveld held off a Joe Cullen fightback to win 10-8.

The rivalry between Taylor and Van Barneveld has lit up darts over the past decade and their 2007 PDC World Championship final in 2007 tops the list of 'Darts Greatest Games' compiled by freelance journalist Matt Bozeat.

Bozeat, who has contributed to The Sun, Daily Star and Sunday Mirror, says the consensus among the experts and players he spoke to was that the Taylor-Barneveld epic at the Circus Tavern had to be at number one in a list that also includes greats Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and Bob Anderson.

Van Barneveld wiped out a 3-0 deficit in sets to snatch victory in a sudden death final leg.

The Dutchman has contributed the foreword to 'Darts Greatest Games' that includes interviews with 16 World Champions, and said: "I often get asked what the favourite match of my career has been, or which game I enjoyed the most, and I'm so proud that I can look back over more than 25 years and have so many great memories.

"Coming over to the PDC in 2006 gave me my chance to play against Phil on a regular basis, and I was desperate to prove myself against the greatest player ever.

"I'm proud to think that I've done that, and although Phil's won more than his share of our games since we've got a wonderful rivalry, a great friendship and so much respect for each other."

Of that final, Van Barneveld adds: "I was 3-0 down in sets but I didn't panic, I had to stay calm and believe in myself, the 180s came and the doubles, and then I won the sudden-death leg.

"The reaction in the Netherlands was unbelievable and people still talk about that game everywhere we go in the world. It makes me so proud to look at the picture of me on my office wall holding that trophy."

Bozeat has spent the last five years writing the book, his second about darts after 'Darts Miscellany,' and said: "The major problem I had was choosing which matches to leave out.

"The standard is so unbelievably high in the PDC these days, there are great matches in every single tournament.

"Darts produces so much drama and I’ve done my best to capture that in ‘Darts Greatest Games.'"

'Darts Greatest Games' is available from Amazon and all good bookshops.