PHIL TAYLOR'S run of success in the Bobby Bourn Memorial Players Championship continued with victory in Saturday's tournament at the Winter Gardens.
Taylor has won the pre-World Matchplay event - named in memory of the late PDC official - for five successive years, after another superb display of darts.
He dropped only one set in the final against Adrian Lewis, and won his three sets without reply against his former practice partner to warm up in style for the defence of his Stan James World Matchplay title and suggest that he is returning to top form.
Taylor took out 79 to in the opening leg of the match, and then punished a poor leg from Lewis, on his own throw, to take out double eight for the first set.
Lewis kicked off the second set with a maximum, but Taylor replied in kind and broke the throw again with a 12-darter.
Lewis hit back with a 12-darter of his own, including a second 180 of the game, and then added a third on his way to the deciding leg, punishing two missed darts from Taylor to land double ten and level the match.
An 11-darter from Taylor put him ahead in set three, and three missed doubles from Lewis allowed him to move 2-1 up in the game.
Lewis was also off-target on double top for the opening leg of set four, with Taylor stepping in to move 1-0 up with a two-dart 84 finish.
He then wrapped up the win in style, opening the next leg with a 180 followed by scores of 140 and 135, before taking out double 16 for victory.
Taylor produced some outstanding darts early in the day to soar past Kirk Shepherd, Jason Clark, PDC newcomer Chris Thompson and Steve Smith, and defeated long-term rival John Part 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
Perhaps his toughest game came in the semi-finals, as Wayne Atwood pushed him to a deciding fifth set.
Atwood's run followed his success on Friday night when he qualified for the World Darts Trophy, and he whitewashed fellow Welshman Barrie Bates in the quarter-finals.
Wales' Richie Burnett completed a good day for his fellow countryman with an early win against number ten seed Andy Hamilton.
Terry Jenkins and Roland Scholten were other leading players to fall at the first hurdle, losing to Bob Crawley and Dave Smith respectively.
Lewis knocked out World Champion Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 in the quarter-finals, and failed to drop a leg in his semi-final rout of Alan Tabern.
Bobby Bourn Memorial Players Championship Results
First Round
Kirk Shepherd Bye (Graham Harrison)
Geoff Wylie 3-1 Paul Williams
Chris Thompson 3-0 Owen Caffrey
Kevin McDine 3-0 Lee Palfreyman
Steve Smith 3-0 Aaron Turner
Jason Crawley 3-1 Gary Blades
Colin Monk 3-1 Martyn Turner
Alan Reynolds 3-0 Dave Ladley
Steve Brown 3-2 Chris Allen
Stuart Dutton def Barry Fleetwood
Wayne Atwood 3-0 Andy Callaby
Peter Allen 3-1 Matt Sheehan
Richard McLaughlin def Kieran Leal
Vincent van der Voort def Jimmy Mann
James Barton 3-2 Mark Tiller
Mark Carter 3-1 Brian Cathcart
Jamie Caven 3-2 Lyndon Davies
Alan Green 3-0 Ben Burton
Kieran Lennon 3-0 Mark Jodrill
Dean Wiltshire 3-0 Lionel Sams
Mervyn King 3-0 Vernon Sheppard
Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Darren Moulsley
Ron Meulenkamp 3-2 John MaGowan
Mark Holden 3-0 Neil Wild
Robert Watson-Lang 3-0 Chris Sargeant
Shane Passey 3-0 George Dearman
Dale Newton 3-1 Tony Martin
Ian Branks 3-2 Darren Williams
Paul Cooper 3-1 Carl Myers
Kevin Harris def Chris Dale
Nick Fulwell 3-1 Steve Cusick
John Ferrell 3-0 Matt Ward
Steve Grubb 3-0 John Scott
Mark Frost 3-0 Barry French
Steve Hine 3-0 Robbie Parker
Second Round
Phil Taylor 3-0 Kirk Shepherd
Jason Clark 3-0 Geoff Wylie
Steve Maish 3-0 Stephen Leek
Chris Thompson 3-0 Peter Evison
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Jimmy Dunlop
Kevin McDine 3-1 Ray Farrell
Chris Mason 3-0 Simon Craven
Steve Smith Bye (Jim Leighton)
John Part 3-0 Fred Boddey
Darren Latham 3-1 Jason Crawley
Alan Warriner-Little 3-2 Matt Clark
Colin Monk 3-1 Jelle Klaasen
Dave Smith 3-1 Roland Scholten
Tony Eccles 3-2 Alan Reynolds
Dennis Smith 3-0 Chris Hook
Steve Brown 3-0 Lee White
Bob Crawley 3-2 Terry Jenkins
Alan Caves 3-2 Stuart Dutton
Bob Anderson 3-1 Matt Jackson
Wayne Atwood 3-0 Dave Pugh
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Graeme Stoddart
Jamie Harvey 3-2 Peter Allen
Wayne Jones Bye (Mark Robinson)
Gary Welding 3-1 Richard McLaughlin
Peter Manley 3-1 John Quantock
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Andy Howarth
Mark Walsh Bye (Mick Savvery)
James Barton 3-0 Robbie Green
Barrie Bates Bye (Andrew Coulter)
Gary Barnett 3-1 Mark Carter
Denis Ovens 3-0 Darren Johnson
Jamie Caven 3-2 Gary Noonan
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Alan Green
Sean Palfrey 3-1 Kieran Lennon
Dave Askew 3-0 Nigel Peden
Dean Wiltshire 3-0 Brian Whybrow
Kevin Painter 3-1 Ken Dobson
Mervyn King 3-2 Adrian Gray
Colin Osborne 3-0 Kevin Hill
Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Ian Eames
Adrian Lewis 3-2 Jonathan Overton
Ron Meulenkamp 3-1 Ian Lever
Kelvin Painter 3-0 Mick McGowan
Mark Holden 3-1 Rico Vonck
Richie Burnett 3-2 Andy Hamilton
Toon Greebe 3-1 Robert Watson-Lang
Andy Smith def Michael Barnard
Dave Honey 3-2 Shane Passey
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Mark Layton
Dale Newton 3-1 Martin Whatmough
Steve Beaton 3-0 Nigel Langton
Tony Randell 3-1 Ian Branks
James Wade 3-0 Jon Archer
David Platt def Paul Cooper
Wes Newton 3-2 Garry Spedding
Kevin Dowling 3-0 Kevin Harris
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Nick Fulwell
John Ferrell 3-1 Darrell Thorpe
Alex Roy 3-0 Kevin Reade
Mark Lawrence 3-1 Steve Grubb
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Brian Jones
Mark Frost 3-1 Chris Beeston
Alan Tabern 3-0 Henry O'Neill
Steve Hine 3-0 Andrew Davies
Third Round
Phil Taylor def Jason Clark
Chris Thompson 3-0 Steve Maish
Kevin McDine 3-1 Andy Jenkins
Steve Smith 3-1Chris Mason
John Part 3-0 Darren Latham
Colin Monk 3-2 Alan Warriner-Little
Tony Eccles 3-2 Dave Smith
Steve Brown 3-1 Dennis Smith
Bob Crawley 3-2 Alan Caves
Wayne Atwood 3-0 Bob Anderson
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Jamie Harvey
Wayne Jones 3-1 Gary Welding
Peter Manley 3-1 Vincent van der Voort
Mark Walsh 3-0 James Barton
Barrie Bates 3-2 Gary Barnett
Denis Ovens 3-0 Jamie Caven
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Sean Palfrey
Dave Askew 3-1 Dean Wiltshire
Mervyn King 3-2 Kevin Painter
Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Colin Osborne
Adrian Lewis 3-1 Ron Meulenkamp
Kelvin Painter 3-1 Mark Holden
Toon Greebe 3-2 Richie Burnett
Andy Smith 3-1 Dave Honey
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Dale Newton
Steve Beaton 3-0 Tony Randell
James Wade 3-0 David Platt
Kevin Dowling 3-2 Wes Newton
Colin Lloyd 3-0 John Ferrell
Alex Roy 3-2 Mark Lawrence
Mark Frost 3-1 Ronnie Baxter
Alan Tabern 3-0 Steve Hine
Losers £75
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 3-0 Chris Thompson
Steve Smith 3-2 Kevin McDine
John Part 3-1 Colin Monk
Tony Eccles 3-1 Steve Brown
Wayne Atwood 3-1 Bob Crawley
Wayne Mardle 3-1 Wayne Jones
Peter Manley 3-1 Mark Walsh
Barrie Bates 3-2 Denis Ovens
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Dave Askew
Mervyn King 3-1 Michael van Gerwen
Adrian Lewis 3-1 Kelvin Painter
Andy Smith 3-0 Toon Greebe
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Steve Beaton
Kevin Dowling 3-1 James Wade
Alex Roy 3-2 Colin Lloyd
Alan Tabern 3-2 Mark Frost
Losers £150
Fifth Round
Phil Taylor 3-0 Steve Smith
John Part 3-0 Tony Eccles
Wayne Atwood 3-2 Wayne Mardle
Barrie Bates 3-1 Peter Manley
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Mervyn King
Adrian Lewis 3-2 Andy Smith
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Kevin Dowling
Alan Tabern 3-0 Alex Roy
Losers £300
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 3-1 John Part
Wayne Atwood 3-0 Barrie Bates
Adrian Lewis 3-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Alan Tabern 3-1 Dennis Priestley
Losers £600
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 3-2 Wayne Atwood
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Alan Tabern
Losers £1,250
Final
Phil Taylor 3-1 Adrian Lewis (2-0, 1-2, 2-0, 2-0)
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500