Premier League Darts Night Ten

REIGNING Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion James Wade narrowly missed out on ending Phil Taylor's unbeaten streak this season on a dramatic night at the Sheffield Arena.

Wade continued his push for a play-off place with a draw against league leader Taylor, but paid the price for one missed match dart as the world number one came from 5-2 and 7-4 behind to snatch a point.

Unusually, Taylor failed to hit a 180 in the contest - with Wade posting seven - but a timely 171 score in the deciding leg set up double eight as he ensured his play-off place.

Wade now sits two points behind a trio of players who occupy the other three play-off places behind Taylor, with Mervyn King, Ronnie Baxter and Simon Whitlock locked on 11 points.

King and Baxter shared the points with a draw in Sheffield, as King won a deciding leg to silence Baxter's fans in the majority of a 5,000-plus crowd in Sheffield.

Whitlock, meanwhile, hit finishes of 121, 100 and 154 in taking an 8-6 win over Raymond van Barneveld, although he was made to sweat by a gutsy fightback from the Dutchman, who trailed 6-1 and 7-3 before missing two darts for a draw in the deciding leg.

The defeat leaves van Barneveld bottom of the table, with Terry Jenkins ending a six-game losing run with an 8-5 defeat of Adrian Lewis to complete a league double over the Stoke youngster.

Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Week Ten - Sheffield Arena
Terry Jenkins 8-5 Adrian Lewis
Ronnie Baxter 7-7 Mervyn King
James Wade 7-7 Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld 6-8 Simon Whitlock

Latest League Table

	P	W	D	L	+/-	Pts
Phil Taylor	10	8	2	0	+38	18
Mervyn King	10	4	3	3	+8	11
Ronnie Baxter	10	4	3	3	+3	11
Simon Whitlock	10	5	1	4	+2	11
Adrian Lewis	10	4	1	5	-4	9
James Wade	10	3	3	4	-5	9
Terry Jenkins	10	2	2	6	-21	6
R v Barneveld	10	2	1	7	-21	5

TERRY JENKINS 8-5 ADRIAN LEWIS
TERRY JENKINS ended his six-game losing run in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with an 8-5 win over Adrian Lewis at the Sheffield Arena.

The 2007 runner-up had picked up his only other win this season in week three in Belfast, when he defeated Lewis, and completed a league double over the Stoke star to keep alive his slim play-off hopes.

Jenkins made an ideal start to lead 4-1, and found another gear after Lewis levelled to win four of the final five legs.

Jenkins took the game's opening leg on double six, after Lewis had missed double 11 for a 142 checkout, although a 112 finish saw the youngster level, after hitting a second 180 in as many legs.

The league's bottom-placed player settled any nerves with a 76 finish in the third, and broke with a fine 116 finish to lead 3-1, with double ten in the next moving him three legs clear.

Lewis posted double top to reduce the gap, and broke Jenkins' throw with a 13-darter in the seventh leg before levelling thanks to a 180 and a double two finish.

Double ten edged Jenkins 5-4 up, and he punished a missed bullseye from Lewis to break again before a 56 finish ensured a point at 7-4.

He missed darts for the match in the next as Lewis posted double ten to stay alive, but once again a missed bullseye proved costly, with Jenkins returning to hit double ten and claim the points.

"It's a relief to get the win because it's been hard for me in the last few weeks," said Jenkins. "There's been a lot of pressure but I always believe in myself and know what I can do if I strike form.

"I'm still confident I could reach the play-offs but I've left myself a lot of hard work to do. I've been a bit down and things haven't been going right for me, but I've got a chance now."

Match Stats

Terry Jenkins	8-5	Adrian Lewis
25	100+	15
9	140+	7
2	180	3
31.11	Ave1	30.63
93.33	Ave3	91.88
116	High Finish	112
2	LWAT	1

RONNIE BAXTER 7-7 MERVYN KING
MERVYN KING snatched a dramatic draw with Ronnie Baxter in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts as the pair maintained their play-off challenge at the Sheffield Arena.

The duo entered week ten locked in second place in the league table, and shared the spoils to remain set inside the top four.

Baxter made an electric start, hitting finishes of 101 and 96 to win the game's opening two legs, but a missed double 16 allowed King in to open his account in the third.

King levelled with a 96 finish of his own, and landed a third maximum of the match in breaking throw on double ten to lead 3-2.

A 122 finish from Baxter saw him square the game, only for King to take out 74 and then double two to punish missed doubles from his opponent in the next two, giving him a 5-3 cushion.

The next two legs were shared to put King a leg away from a point, but missed bullseyes in the next two legs allowed Baxter to level.

He then produced a second successive 12-darter to regain the lead and move 7-6 up, ensuring a minimum of a point, only to be denied the win in the deciding leg - missing double 18 for victory before King posted double ten for the draw.

"After being 6-4 down I'm pleased to get a point, and I came back well," said Baxter. "The draw was probably a fair result in the end and it keeps me in there.

"With four games to go the top four places are still in the balance, but I'm sure me and Mervyn will still be in there at the end."

King silenced the 5,000-strong Sheffield crowd - who cheered Lancastrian Baxter throughout - by snatching a point, and admitted: "It's frustrating to be booed like that but it could prove to be an important point for me.

"Ronnie's a great player and we always have good games, and I played okay despite knowing I can do a lot better. Even though we're still second and third it's a precarious position because of the players just behind us, but it's still in our hands."

Match Stats

Ronnie Baxter	7-7	Mervyn King
15	100+	17
11	140+	9
3	180	4
31.79	Ave1	31.38
95.36	Ave3	94.15
122,101	High Finish	102
3	LWAT	3

JAMES WADE 7-7 PHIL TAYLOR
PHIL TAYLOR dramatically kept alive his unbeaten run in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts, denying James Wade victory at the Sheffield Arena to snatch a draw in the deciding leg.

Reigning champion Wade looked set to take victory when he led 7-4, but paid the price for not closing out the win as the world number one showed his champion qualities to battle back for a draw.

Wade opened superbly to take a 2-0 lead, hitting a 14-darter in the opening leg before taking out the second against the throw in 11 darts, thanks in part to the first of seven 180s in the game.

He also hit a maximum in the third, but Taylor finished 81 to get off the mark before levelling on double 12 with Wade waiting on 24.

Wade took the next two legs in 13 and 14 darts to lead 4-2, hitting a further three 180s before then posting double five to return from the break and move three legs clear.

The pair shared the next four legs as Wade, thanks to four top for another 14-darter, ensured at least a point at 7-4.

Taylor hit double six in the next to keep alive his hopes of a comeback, and then punished a missed double 16 for a 103 finish, and victory, with double four to force a deciding leg.

And Taylor, typically, produced a killer blow with a 171 score to lead 16, with Wade unable to check out 145 before the four-time Premier League champion claimed the draw.

"The 171 was a massive shot and I'm delighted in many ways to have got a point out of this game," said Taylor. "James has got loads of guts and it's great to see him playing well again.

"He played superbly tonight and it was a really difficult game for me. I think he maybe started thinking about the win at the end, and when it was 7-4 I knew if I could break him I could get a point, and I did that."

Wade admitted: "I played well in patches but I wasn't good enough to win it at the end because I let go of the opportunity.

"I feel my form is coming back and hopefully it's not too late for me to force my way into the top four. I've got to keep going now."

Match Stats

James Wade	7-7	Phil Taylor
20	100+	21
7	140+	15
7	180	0
33.50	Ave1	32.97
100.51	Ave3	98.92
81	High Finish	81
2	LWAT	2

SIMON WHITLOCK 8-6 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
SIMON WHITLOCK strengthened his Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts play-off challenge with an 8-6 win over Raymond van Barneveld, who almost made a miraculous comeback to snatch a point in Sheffield.

Australian Whitlock hit eight from nine attempts at a double in defeating van Barneveld in Belfast earlier this season, and was in similarly clinical mood in storming into a 6-1 lead.

He also led 7-3 before van Barneveld took a hat-trick of legs to force a decider - but missed two darts to grab a draw before Whitlock prevailed.

Whitlock made a stunning start, taking out finishes of 121 and 100 for back-to-back 12-dart finishes, before van Barneveld won the third in 14 darts to get off the mark.

Double eight - after missing the bullseye for a 170 finish - gave Whitlock a third leg, and he sensationally checked out 154 to move 4-1 up, claiming a £1,000 bonus in the process by posting the night's highest finish.

He landed a third maximum of the game in taking the sixth leg, and a superb 11-darter pushed the Australian into a 6-1 advantage.

Van Barneveld won the next with a clinical two-dart 70 finish, hitting his first dart at a double since the third leg, and a 13-darter set the comeback in motion.

Whitlock posted back-to-back maximums in the next, with an 11-darter ensuring at least a draw when he led 7-3.

But he was left waiting on a finish in the next three legs as van Barneveld showed superb spirit in landing two pressure double ten finishes as well as double 16 for a 13-darter against the throw.

That saw him force a deciding leg, but when faced with another 70 finish his accuracy on double eight deserted him with two darts, and Whitlock hit the same bed to convert a 68 checkout and a crucial win.

The two points see Whitlock move joint second with Mervyn King and Ronnie Baxter, and crucially clear of Adrian Lewis and James Wade in the battle for play-off spots, as well as almost ending van Barneveld's top four hopes in leaving the Dutchman bottom of the table.

"I was probably a bit lucky to get the win in the end but it's a great result for me," said Whitlock. "When I was 6-1 up I started thinking that an 8-1 win would be fantastic but Raymond doesn't lie down.

"He always plays well against me and he came back brilliantly. He nearly pinched a draw but I held on.

"I'm playing one week at a time and trying to win each game, but to be joint second is a good position to be in."

Match Stats