Taylor Claims Midlands Players Championship

PHIL TAYLOR defeated Colin Lloyd to win Saturday's Midlands Players Championship in Telford.

Taylor claimed his fifth title in seven events during March, and made it four successive wins on the PDC Pro Tour.

He edged out Lloyd in straight sets in the final, with all three sets going the distance.

Taylor took the first with winning legs of 12 and 14 darts, and came from behind to take the second in 11 darts.

Lloyd also led in the third after Taylor missed four darts at a double, only for six misses in the next to cost the Essex man dear.

Taylor then landed a maximum in the next before taking out 86 in two-darts for another 11-darter and the title.

Taylor earlier came from behind to win against Denis Ovens and Kevin McDine - producing winning legs of 11 and 16 darts in the deciding set of each game.

He then won an all-Stoke semi-final against Mark Frost in straight sets, taking out

Frost battled bravely and was sat on 36 after nine darts in the last leg before a 126 checkout gave Taylor the win.

Lloyd came from two sets down to edge out Carlos Rodriguez in a deciding leg at the last 32 stage, and then produced a superb ten-darter to win the deciding leg of his quarter-final clash with Raymond van Barneveld, having hit an 11-darter to stay in the game by winning set four.

Lloyd, who has already won two Blue Square UK Open Regional Finals this year, overcame Alan Tabern 3-0 in the semi-finals.

Mark Walsh missed double 12 for a nine-dart leg against impressive newcomer Louis Blundell, who had earlier knocked out Andy Hamilton.

McDine included seven perfect darts in one leg of his 3-0 win over Roland Scholten, settling for a ten-darter as he progressed to face Taylor.

Adrian Gray saw off James Keogh with a 167 finish in his winning leg of their last 32 contest before losing out to Tabern.

Denis Ovens missed one dart at double top for a 116 finish in the deciding set to defeat Taylor - only to see the 13-time World Champion land an 11-darter to stay in the match and then win the game with a 15-darter.

Frost surpassed his recent run to the quarter-finals of the Blue Square UK Open North-West Regional Final by reaching the semis, including Kevin Painter, Brendan Dolan and Vincent van der Voort among his victims.

Midlands Players Championship
Preliminary Round

Graeme Stoddart 3-2 Russell Mason 
John Quantock 3-0 Miloslav Navratil
Nigel Birch 3-0 Gary Blades
Darren Whittingham 3-0 Geoff Daniels 
Nick Fulwell 3-2 Darren Green 
Chris Allen 3-1 Michael Smith 
Darren Johnson 3-0 Mark Layton 
Carlos Rodriguez 3-1 Peter Walford
Chris Cooper 3-0 Jason Crawley 
Jamie Robinson 3-0 Pat Orreal 
Scott Kirchner 3-1 Gary Barnett
Chris Beeston 3-1 Lee Williams
Kevin Dowling 3-0 Sean White
Richard McLaughlin 3-2 Gary Mawson 
Andy Howarth 3-1 Jason Barry
Pete Allen 3-0 Dave Ansell
Ian Critchett 3-2 Glyn Humphries
Martyn Turner 3-1 Steve Maish
Tom Wilson 3-2 Ian Lever 
Eddie Lovely 3-1 Stuart Holden
Alan Green 3-0 Peter Edmonds
Colin Monk 3-2 Dennis Smith
Kevin McDine 3-1 Gary Welding 
Wayne Atwood 3-0 John Daws
Chris Daglish bye (Simon Craven withdrew)
Dave Smith 3-0 Karl Loiseau
Steve Evans 3-1 Jamie Harvey
Steve Smith 3-2 Mick Savvery 
Jan van der Rassel 3-0 Mark Jodrill 
Dave Ladley 3-2 Kevin Harris
Ben Burton 3-1 Stuart Stubbs
Jamie Caven 3-1 Steve Hine 
Peter Wright 3-1 Martin Burchell
Ricky Williams 3-2 Andy Relf

First Round
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Owen Caffrey
Chris Thompson 3-0 Graeme Stoddart
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 John Quantock
Nigel Birch 3-1 Alan Reynolds
Matt Clark 3-0 Colin Osborne
Scott Marsh 3-1 Dan Cook
Chris Mason 3-0 Darren Whittingham
Gary Noonan 3-0 Nick Fulwell
Wayne Mardle 3-1 Darren Latham
Lee Palfreyman 3-2 Jelle Klaasen
Chris Allen 3-2 Mick McGowan
Darren Johnson 3-2 Robbie Newland
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Simon Whatley
Jonathan Overton 3-2 Jamie Kelling
Carlos Rodriguez 3-1 Alex Roy
Chris Cooper 3-0 Isen Veljic
John MaGowan 3-1 Terry Jenkins
James Keogh 3-0 Stephen Hardy
Adrian Gray 3-2 Jamie Robinson
Scott Kirchner 3-1 Steve Grubb
Alan Tabern 3-0 Sean Dowling
Jim Leighton 3-0 Chris Sargeant
Andy Smith 3-1 Chris Beeston
Kevin Dowling 3-0 Andy Mason
John Part 3-0 Ian Eames
Matt Sheehan 3-2 Jon Archer
Wayne Jones 3-0 Richard McLaughlin
Andy Howarth 3-1 Arron Monk
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Geoff Wylie
Tony Ayres 3-0 Richard Plowman
Mervyn King 3-1 Pete Allen
Ian Jopling 3-2 Ian Critchett
Phil Taylor 3-0 Alan Caves
Martyn Turner 3-0 Andrew Gourlay
Tom Wilson 3-1 Alan Warriner-Little
Eddie Lovely 3-0 Ben Simpson
Denis Ovens 3-0 Robert Watson-Lang
Joey Palfreyman 3-0 Danny King
Mark Dudbridge 3-1 Alan Green
Colin Monk 3-0 Ian Walters
Roland Scholten 3-0 John Kuczynski
Fraser Hill 3-1 Derek Box
Kevin McDine 3-1 Steve Beaton
Wayne Atwood 3-2 Lionel Sams
Peter Manley 3-2 Tom Martin
Ian Branks 3-0 Jimmy Dunlop
Wes Newton 3-0 Chris Daglish
Dave Smith 3-0 Shayne Burgess
Andy Hamilton 3-1 Lee Holden
Louis Blundell 3-2 John Ferrell
Mark Walsh 3-1 Steve Evans
Chris Hook 3-2 Steve Smith
Barrie Bates 3-2 Ken Dobson
Tony Eccles 3-1 David Platt
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Jan van der Rassel
Dave Ladley 3-0 Kevin Reade
Brendan Dolan 3-1 James Wade 
Mark Carter 3-1 Kelvin Painter
Dave Askew 3-1 Ben Burton
Jamie Caven 3-1 Steve Cusick
Kevin Painter Bye (Gary Witcombe)
Darren Sutton 3-0 Jimmy O'Regan
Kirk Shepherd 3-2 Peter Wright
Mark Frost 3-1 Ricky Williams

Second Round
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Chris Thompson
Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Nigel Birch
Matt Clark 3-0 Scott Marsh
Chris Mason 3-1 Gary Noonan
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Lee Palfreyman
Darren Johnson 3-2 Chris Allen
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Jonathan Overton
Carlos Rodriguez 3-1 Chris Cooper
James Keogh 3-2 John MaGowan
Adrian Gray 3-0 Scott Kirchner
Alan Tabern 3-0 Jim Leighton
Andy Smith 3-2 Kevin Dowling
John Part 3-0 Matt Sheehan
Wayne Jones 3-1 Andy Howarth
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Tony Ayres
Mervyn King 3-1 Ian Jopling
Phil Taylor 3-0 Martyn Turner
Tom Wilson 3-0 Eddie Lovely
Denis Ovens 3-1 Joey Palfreyman
Mark Dudbridge 3-1 Colin Monk
Roland Scholten 3-0 Fraser Hill
Kevin McDine 3-2 Wayne Atwood
Peter Manley 3-2 Ian Branks
Wes Newton 3-1 Dave Smith
Louis Blundell 3-1 Andy Hamilton
Mark Walsh 3-0 Chris Hook
Barrie Bates 3-2 Tony Eccles
Vincent van der Voort 3-1 Dave Ladley
Brendan Dolan 3-0 Mark Carter
Dave Askew 3-1 Jamie Caven
Kevin Painter 3-0 Darren Sutton
Mark Frost  3-2 Kirk Shepherd
Losers £75

Third Round
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Michael van Gerwen
Matt Clark 3-0 Chris Mason
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Darren Johnson
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Carlos Rodriguez
Adrian Gray 3-2 James Keogh
Alan Tabern 3-1 Andy Smith
Wayne Jones 3-1 John Part
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Mervyn King
Phil Taylor 3-0 Tom Wilson
Denis Ovens 3-2 Mark Dudbridge
Kevin McDine 3-0 Roland Scholten
Peter Manley 3-0 Wes Newton
Mark Walsh 3-1 Louis Blundell
Vincent van der Voort 3-1 Barrie Bates
Brendan Dolan 3-2 Dave Askew
Mark Frost 3-1 Kevin Painter
Losers £150

Fourth Round
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Matt Clark
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Wayne Mardle
Alan Tabern 3-1 Adrian Gray 
Wayne Jones 3-2 Ronnie Baxter
Phil Taylor 3-2 Denis Ovens
Kevin McDine 3-2 Peter Manley
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Mark Walsh
Mark Frost 3-2 Brendan Dolan
Losers £300

Quarter-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Alan Tabern 3-2 Wayne Jones
Phil Taylor 3-2 Kevin McDine
Mark Frost 3-1 Vincent van der Voort
Losers £600

Semi-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Alan Tabern (2-0, 2-1, 2-1)
Phil Taylor 3-0 Mark Frost (2-1, 2-0, 2-1)
Losers £1,250

Final
Phil Taylor 3-0 Colin Lloyd (2-1, 2-1, 2-1)
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500