The Second Half of the Season Kicks Off in Cardiff

The Welsh capital is treated to some Premier League action this week, with their football team wobbling some-what, they might just have to make the most of it this Thursday.

The Machine v The Flying Scotsman

James Wade has looked completely out of his depth at times this tournament, last week against Phil Taylor certainly being one of those times, and he is deservedly bottom of the league at the half way point.  Although he has looked it, The Machine can’t be out of his depth in this competition as he narrowly lost in the final last year and lifted the trophy the year before, but he is very much out of form.

His confidence looks unbelievably fragile for a man who has won six majors in the PDC and at the minute he is a sitting duck for anyone in form.  Sometimes you can question his motivation, but it was emphasised by the Sky commentary team last week that he was really up for his game with The Power, just to be swept aside.

The Flying Scotsman is on a three game losing run, only matched by Webster in the (lack of) form table.  These have come in extreme circumstances though, as losing to Taylor and Barneveld when they’re on form is no disgrace, and of course the events in Scotland are mitigating. 

Anderson hasn’t been playing badly, and put in a good performance in Crawley over the weekend which suggests he is in a pretty good rhythm.

I can’t look past Anderson for this one I’m afraid.

Prediction: Wade 3 – 8 Anderson

Betting Tip:  Safe Bet is Anderson most 180s, but it’s only 8/15

                                Wade under 95 average is 5/6

Priestley’s Pick: Anderson has lost the last 3 weeks and James is having a shocker of a season so far. If both players brought their A game then this could be a classic.  James needs a performance to turn his season round but I think Anderson will bounce back with a win. Anderson to win 8-4

The Bull v The Wizard

These two men will be confident of making a push and nicking the last semi-final spot, but this game could go a long way to boosting and crushing the hopes of either man.

Jenkins has performed better than many would have predicted and sits in sixth spot and not a million miles from fourth at all.  He showed more of his battling qualities last week in snatching a draw from Lewis, and expect to see much more of that this week.

Whitlock looked very good last week as he comprehensively dispatched Webster, but he hasn’t quite hit the heights he did last year.  His previously unerring finishing ability has deserted him to an extent, but even not at his very best he has still been good enough to pick up three wins and lie in fifth position.

I would expect The Wizard’s scoring ability to just be slightly too much for The  Bull, although there won’t be too much in this at all I should think.

Prediction: Jenkins 5 – 8 Whitlock

Betting Tip: Whitlock winning at half time is evens

                                 Whitlock most 180s is 4/6

Priestley’s Pick: Terry was involved in the 1st draw of the season last week while Whitlock picked up another win. Both players need the points and a good draw from Terry last week coming from behind will give him confidence. I think that Simons finishing will be enough to take the win from the Bull. Whitlock to win 8-5

The Power v Barney

Well this one might not be on last due to where it’s being played, but it is unquestionably the highlight for everyone outside of Wales who’ll be watching on the television.  I built up the earlier clash between the two men quite heavily and it didn’t live up to expectations, but this week we could have a real classic on our hands.

Barney is looking as good as he has done for a long, long time and that means very good indeed, and Taylor is also clearly back to near enough his very best.

The key to the match will be the first six legs.  If the Dutchman can hold his own throw and go in level, or even ahead at the break then the game will go the distance and be a thriller.  If, however, he loses legs early on when throwing first, as he did in the earlier encounter, then we could be in for another let down.

It is impossible to doubt Taylor in this form, it is almost certain he will come up with at least an 100 average, and the pressure is on Barney to do the same and try and match him, and I think he’ll have the crowd on his side which might just help him do that.

I just can’t bet against an on-form Phil Taylor though.

Prediction: Taylor 8 – 6 Barney

Betting Tip: Barney 180s over 3.5 is 5/4

Priestley’s Pick: What a treat for the Welsh fans. Both players are playing extremely well of late and riding high in the league table. I still think Phil will have the edge but if Barney gets off to a good start anything could happen. Taylor to nick the match but I would not be surprised with any result. Taylor to win 8-6

Jackpot v Webby

The World Champ is really being put through the ringer by the PDC as again he has to face a real home favourite, this time in the form of Wales’ finest, Mark Webster.

Lewis will be happy with his fourth spot which he occupies currently, but he is very vulnerable to those below him in that position so will be looking to put some daylight between him and Whitlock in fifth.

He has played pretty well throughout the tournament, but with not enough flashes of the brilliance we know he possesses.  He is second in the tournament average, only below Taylor, which shows he isn’t throwing too badly at all, and a tweet from Russ Bray earlier in the week suggested that he is very much in rhythm this week.

Webster, on the other hand, has been very up and down.  Three losses in a row sees him sitting in seventh place and he was pretty abject last time out against Whitlock.  However, he will take confidence from his win against Lewis earlier in the tournament, which was easily his best performance so far and saw him averaging 110.

Webby knows he can beat Jackpot, but he will have to replicate that performance he put in back in Exeter, which I’m not sure he’ll be able to do, despite the crowd’s backing.

Prediction: Lewis 8 – 4 Webster

Betting Tip: You can get 8-4 at 7/1

                                Draw half time/Lewis full-time is 9/2

Priestley’s Pick: Another fixture in which Lewis will face a partisan crowd. After how he reacted in Glasgow I think that this was the making of Adrian even more than his World Championship win. Webster will be looking to impress his home following and if he sets off well the crowd could carry him to victory. A close game but Lewis will score his way to the win. Lewis to win 8-5 

Well me and The Menace are inseparable in our predictions this week for the very first time.  Maybe this will be the first time we get four out of four.  Get your money on folks at 11/2 with SkyBet.

Taylor & Barney Wins Set Up Massive Match For Next Week

A couple of thrashings and the first draw of this years Premier League offered up yet another cracking night of darts, this time in the fair city of Brighton.

Webby 2 – 8 The Wizard

Australia met Wales in the first match of the evening in Brighton, and it was fireworks at the seaside from one man, but a damp squib from the other.

It was a pretty shoddy start to the match as both men struggled to get going in the first leg, but it was the Australian who pinched it following two missed darts at tops from Webster for the earliest of breaks.  This seemed to give him the confidence he needed as he then emphatically held his own throw by finishing on 140.

Webster got on the scoreboard on his own throw to keep in touch, but Whitlock showed what form he was in again in the fourth leg as he hammered in his second ton-plus by taking out 120.  His finish of 80 in the fifth leg won’t go down in the ton-plus column, but was equally good as he only needed one dart at tops to break Webby again and open up a three leg lead.

If the Welshman’s confidence wasn’t shattered already, the last leg before the break certainly finished him off as he missed three clear darts at tops to let Whitlock back in.  Needing just five, The Wizard hit d1, 1, d1 to leave Webster flabbergasted and more importantly 5-1 down at the break.

The Wizard wasn’t letting up after the interval, hitting a 140 and a 180 to break Webby again and open up a five leg lead.  Unsurprisingly he had no problem holding his own throw in the eighth leg and go 7-1 up.  Webster looked like he did against Anderson when he performed similarly badly but he did console himself to some extent by taking the next leg, but unfortunately it was only his second of the night.

It was his last as well as Whitlock comfortably wrapped up the win in just the tenth leg to get back to winning ways. 

This was a really bad result for Webby as it seems no one is going to beat Taylor or van Barneveld at the minute, so you really need to pick up points elsewhere, and taking a thrashing from Whitlock is not what he needed.  It’s certainly not over yet for the former World Champ, but he can’t afford any more performances like that.

The Wizard looked somewhere near his best in that contest, possibly because of the lack of pressure exerted on him and he keeps in touching distance of the top four by moving on to six points.  He averaged just over 100, and hit 50% of his doubles, which we know he can improve on, and if he does then he’ll be a match for anyone.

Jackpot 7 – 7 The Bull

The first draw of this year’s tournament finally came about in the 26^th game of the competition and in all honesty didn’t come in the match we expected.

It was a cracking start to the contest from the World Champ as he kicked off the match with a hat-trick of three figure scores and duly won the first leg.  It evened out very quickly though as both men were throwing fairly nicely, averaging in the late nineties and holding their own throws well as the score moved on to two a-piece.

Things changed in the fifth leg though as The Bull notched up a maximum and despite a brave effort from Lewis, the first break of the match went the way of Jenkins.  The lead didn’t last long though as the first ton-plus finish of the match was produced by Jackpot as he polished off 101 to immediately break back and go in level at the break.

It looked like Jenkins was the one to come out firing after the interval as he hit a 180 in the seventh leg, but Lewis powered back to hold his own throw.  The Bull then hit another, his third, maximum of the night in the following leg, but followed it with just a score of 21 and managed to gift it to Jackpot who opened up the first two leg lead of the contest.

Lewis banged in a maximum which led to him emphatically holding throw in the ninth, and it was looking like the World Champ could well stroll to victory as he won his fourth leg in a row.

The Bull kept his hopes alive though as he took just two darts to eliminate 81in the tenth and reduce the deficit to two legs.  The pressure was kicking in on both men though in the next as Lewis missed four darts at a double to hold throw, Jenkins himself missed four but finished d5 with his fifth to break throw and move within one leg.

The Bull had found his form as he comfortably held his own throw in the twelfth, Jackpot made no mistake himself though as he secured at least a draw by winning the thirteenth.  The pressure was on Jenkins to take the draw and he wasn’t about to crumble as he hammered in a 180 with his first three darts which gave him plenty of time, which he took to finish on d5 and pick up the point.

It’s fair to say that the draw was a better point for Jenkins than it was for Lewis, but that’s’ not to say that The Bull didn’t deserve his point as it was a fairly even contest.  Jackpot holds on to the much sought after fourth place and he is going to have to battle hard to hang onto it.  Jenkins isn’t far away and is proving people wrong who suggested he wouldn’t compete this year.  A couple more good results will see him really challenge for the play-offs.

Barney 8 – 5 The Flying Scotsman

 

As good a game as we were expecting, and it went the way I picked it, against the odds I might add.  The Dutchman looks as good as he has done for quite some time, and it really is a pleasure to see.

The match didn’t start too well for the men from Den Haag as he missed six darts at a double on his own throw in leg one and let Anderson in to break at the first opportunity.  The Scot looked like he was going to cash in as he polished off 77 to hold throw in the second and open up daylight early on.

Barney wasn’t going to go three behind and his d10 in the third steadied his nerves.  Anderson was missing big numbers early on which was strange, and he missed three darts to go 3-1 up which let his opponent back in to break and level things up at two all.  The 5-time World Champ then made it three on the spin to take the lead for the first time.

Anderson levelled it up in style though as he hit the first maximum of the contest and then finished off 121 on the Bull to go in level.

It was Barney that stormed out of the blocks when the pair returned to the oche though as he held through and then a trademark d18 gave him a break in the eighth.  He repeated the act in the next to move 6-3 up and he was looking fantastic.

The Flying Scotsman was not going to give up though as a 13-darter gave him the tenth leg and then he opened up the eleventh with a maximum and a ton-forty.  He duly wrapped up the leg in just eleven darts to put the pressure back on Barney by making the score 6-5.

This was as close to the winning line as Anderson got though as he fluffed Shanghai to let Barney in and break throw to guarantee at least a point.  He then had no trouble in holding his own throw and taking the game 8-5.

Barney is looking mighty impressive right now, and he is as convincing as he has been for two or three years arguably.  His real test is next week against Taylor, and if he can get something out of that then we know for certain that the best of Barneveld is really back.

Anderson is in a little bit of trouble as this is his third loss in a row which will be worrying him.  He’s not playing too badly so it’s not disastrous, but a win against Wade next week is crucial to get his plans back on track.

The Power 8 -1 The Machine

This was not the tight contest we’ve seen from these two in the past, but more a demonstration of how important form and confidence is in the sport, as last year’s beaten finalist looks less and less like making the top four.

Taylor’s scoring from the off was very good, and in fact good enough that he could afford four misses at a double without Wade getting to one.  The Machine didn’t look too bad as he looked to hold his throw in the second, hitting three ton-plus scores and then very narrowly missing two double tops to check out 100, but one mistake is usually all it takes against The Power who made it 2-0.

The Power showed his opponent how to do it In the third finishing off 100 on two tops which meant he’d only hit three figure scores in the leg.  The maximum he’d hit in the same leg was his third of the game already having notched up one in each so far.  Wade though showed some class in the fourth as he finished off 81 to get a point on the board, although he wasn’t to know this would be as good as it got.

Taylor was imperious from here on in as he finished off 121 on the bull in the fifth which moved his average on to just over 108.  Wade just had one shot at the Bull to hold throw in the sixth which he narrowly missed, but again this is all it takes against the great man who finished off forty to go 5-1 up.

Twelve darts was all Taylor needed in the next, including the 180^th 180 in the league this year.  Another maximum in the eighth saw yet another break from The Power to put him on the hill and he comfortably finished it off in just nine legs to dish out an absolute hammering to the 2009 champ.

Phil Taylor is unquestionably back to his best now after his world record average in Holland was followed up with 105.7 here in Brighton.  He is back where he belongs at the top of the table by two points and he will be looking to extend this lead when he meets second placed Barney next week in Cardiff.  I’d like to think the Dutchman can give him a real challenge, but in this mood, Taylor isn’t going to lose to anyone.

Wade, in comparison, is in deep, deep trouble as he sits at the bottom of the table with a whopping  -22 leg difference.  His sheer talent means we won’t rule him out of pinching fourth spot yet, but with his next two games being against Anderson and Lewis, it isn’t looking good for a very faulty Machine.

Holland v Scotland in Brighton as Premier League reaches half time

The Premier League hits its half-way point in sunny Brighton and the table could really start to take some definitive shape.  Taylor looks to exert his dominance further and Barney and Anderson will do battle to keep up with him.

Webby v The Wizard

Level on four points and a -7 leg difference going into this contest, you would think that something has got to give, unless of course we finally get the draw me and Dennis have been predicting for so long.

This contest is a strong candidate to finish seven apiece as the stats clearly display, but it entirely depends on which side of each player turns up.  Both men have turned in excellent displays so far this tournament, but both have been pretty woeful at times.  Webster against Lewis was probably the best display of anyone so far, but against Anderson and to an extent Jenkins he was well below par.  Whitlock in one game managed to go from pole to pole as he got off to a flyer against Jackpot but slumped to a fairly limp end.

If one is firing and the other isn’t then it could be quite one sided, but if both find some form or equally both are struggling, then it should be very tight.

Both will be viewing this as a must win game in an attempt to break out of the bottom four and the pressure will be on, but under similar pressure I just can’t call it.

Prediction: Webster 7 – 7 Whitlock

Betting Tips: Webster high checkout is 11/10 – he’s been cracking on the ton-plusses so far

                Draw is 10/3

Priestley’s Pick: A repeat of the 2008 BDO World final. Webster came out on top on that occasion but I think Whitlock will shade this encounter. Both players have had a topsy turvey season and will be crying out for a bit of consistency. Whitlock to win 8-6

Jackpot v The Bull

The World Champion proved last week, if there were any remaining doubters that he has matured into a real contender for this title.  It seems odd to suggest that the reigning World Champ wouldn’t be a contender, but he did have to prove it to some, and he certainly has done that.

Lewis will have hopefully put all that went on in Glasgow behind him now and is just concentrating on getting back in front of a relatively normal crowd and throwing his best.  He should take a lot of heart from coming out of the lion’s den with a big win and could really come out firing off the back of it.

Terry has looked good in patches so far this tournament, but has also been completely swept aside at times and I fear it could be another one of those evenings for The Bull.  If he can hit one or two maximums early on and hold his own throw then he has a great chance because he is a quality player, but I fancy Lewis to take this one.

Prediction: Lewis 8 – 3 Jenkins

Betting Tip:  Over 6.5 180s is 4/5 – think this is a cert

Priestley’s Pick: A great performance from Adrian last week under trying circumstances. Although he should not have had to put up with the trouble it will have done wonders for his character. Terry will have to be at his best to contend with the scoring power of Lewis. Lewis to win 8-4

Barney v The Flying Scotsman

Well this for me should be the highlight of the evening as second and third place square-off to try and keep in touch with the man at the top of the table.  Both have shown great form so far this tournament and very much deserve to be where they are in the league and it should be a very close encounter.

There were some worries about Gary after what happened last week, but a strong performance in the RTL7 International Masters took him to the semis and will have allayed any fears of a loss in confidence.  Unfortunately though for The Flying Scotsman, Barney showed even better form by going one better and reaching the final.

Fans really have been treated to the best of van Barneveld over the last few weeks, which is a pleasure to see, especially as it wasn’t entirely expected.  He has been brilliant, except against Taylor, in the league, and has been in sparkling form in the weekend tournaments as well.

If both men continue to play as they have been then this could be something really special and again it’s incredibly tough to call, but I’m going to resist the temptation of going for another draw.

Prediction: Barneveld 8 – 6 Anderson

Betting Tips: Barney high finish is 5/6

                Anderson half time/Barney full time is interesting at 25/1

Priestley’s Pick: Gary has suffered back to back loses and I can’t see it getting any easier for him against the in-form Barney. Ray’s confidence seems to be back and I can see this been a humdinger of a game. We are due a draw this season and I think this will be it. Draw.

The Power v The Machine

Having just talked up the previous game as the stand-out contest of the evening, here is another one that has the potential to steal the show, but unfortunately it’s hard to have confidence in James Wade to make it the match it could be.

Last year these two served up arguably the best televised final ever as only two 9-darters from Taylor could secure him the win, but I’d be very surprised if he needs to perform such heroics in Brighton to pick up the win.

The Power averaged an incredible 113.6 in the final of the RTL7 International Masters on Monday, the highest ever in a televised final.  He really is back to his best now and unfortunately for everyone else, when he’s at his best there’s only one way a match is going to end.

Having said this, if Wade can produce his best darts then he will push the great man all the way, but there isn’t too much evidence to suggest he will do this.  I fully expect a power surge to short circuit the machine.

Prediction: Taylor 8 – 3 Wade

Betting Tip: 5-1 Taylor at the break is 100/30

Priestley’s Pick: A welcome win for James last week. Is this the start of his return to consistent form? If it is then he needs to hit the ground running against Phil. Another top display from The Power last week. If the Wade I know turns up then this could go either way but I think Phil will edge it. Taylor to win 8-6

My four picks bring you back a tempting looking 21/1, whilst SkyBet reckon Dennis’ differing selections are more likely as you’ll only get 14/1 with them for his four.

Still reckon Adrian Lewis at 11/4 is a cracking bet for most league 180s, he’s on 23, two behind Anderson, but I think he’s going to power on now.

Shameful scenes in Scotland, but the World Champ prevails

A stunning night of darts completely overshadowed by disgraceful actions from the crowd, which ultimately back-fired as Anderson slumps to two defeats in two.

The Bull 6  - 8 The Machine

With the opening contest of the night being an all English affair it took some appropriate headwear from The Bull to get the Scottish crows on his side and that’s all it took for him to get the cheers and The Machine to be on the wrong end of the boos.

It looked like the stick from the crowd might get to Wade as he threw poorly in the first leg and was quickly 1 – 0 down.  This didn’t last long though as he held his own throw comfortably in the second and then hammered home a 127 finish to break Jenkins early on.  The next two went with throw, but Jenkins missed a dart at tops to break back in the sixth which cost him dearly as Wade stepped up to take out the same double and go in at the break 4 -2 up.

Things got even better for The Machine as he mechanically hit two double tops after a single twenty to finish off 100 and break The Bull again to open up a three leg lead.  A second successive 100 finish saw Wade hold his next throw and move into a commanding 6 -2 position.

Jenkins then showed he could do exactly what Wade could as he finished off 100 in the same exhibition style as The Machine did earlier on two double tops and notch up his third led.  This seemed to be a lack of concentration from Wade who seemed happy to lose on his opponents throw, but this lethargy continued into the next leg as Jenkins comfortably broke throw and took the score to 6-4.

Jenkins was suddenly on fire as he smashed home a 12-darter to take his deficit to just one leg, but Wade finally snapped back into life as he held his own throw to secure himself at least a point.  The Bull put some serious pressure on Wade by making it 7-6 in the thirteenth leg and then missed double ten as he looked to take out 140 for the draw.  This one miss was all Wade needed to capitalise on and he stepped up for tops to pick up his second win of the campaign.

Both men have been struggling in the tournament so far and it was always going to be a close contest which it proved to be.  Incredibly Wade has managed to win it with just an 85.8 average which will not happen often, but his finishing of 62% was the reason he picked up the two points. 

It was a mixed bag from both players and if neither improve on this form then I can’t see either making the semis.

Barney 8 - 4 Webby

The huge support that Barney receives in Scotland did not take long at all to have some effect as the Dutchman conjured up two 180s in the very first leg of the night, and then a third in the second although Webster took out 100 to keep the score level after two legs.

The next three legs went with throw including a 120 finish from Webby and a 121 from Barney, but the 5-time World Champ emphatically had the last word before the interval as he took out 161 in stunning style to lead 4-2 at the break.

The huge finishes just kept coming when the two returned as Barney took leg seven with a 116 finish.  Webster showed he was still there though with a 180 and then a double 9 finish to keep the deficit at just two.

Barney didn’t look like losing anything on his own throw though as he hit his fourth 180 and moved closer to the finishing line.  Both men opened up the tenth leg with maximums but it was Webster who claimed it with a cracking 11-darter.

The eleventh leg was the first time Webster had a dart at a double on a Barney throw and it was only one at the Bullseye which he narrowly missed.  This let the Dutchman back in and he didn’t disappoint his adoring fans, securing himself the draw, and he only needed one more leg to make it two points and wrap up an impressive victory.

Raymond really looks to be in hot form this tournament and is looking like a real certainty for the semis if he can keep this up.  A near enough 101 average, three ton-plus finishes and 47% finishing is top stuff and will win a lot of games.

Webster didn’t play badly at all and shouldn’t be too disheartened by the result, if he keeps plugging away he could still be the one to pinch fourth place.

The Wizard 5 – 8 The Power

The world number one continued his sparkling form with yet another excellent win against Simon Whitlock who was not throwing badly himself, but with The Power on or near enough on his A game then he was just too much for the Aussie.

The match started strangely with the first two legs going against the throw, including a 12-darter in the first leg from Taylor.  It seemed to have stabilised as both men held their own darts to take the contest to two a piece, but a missed dart at double 18 was a mistake Whitlock couldn’t afford to make in the fifth leg as Taylor capitalised to break him again.  The Power proved that one dart was enough to take out a double as he nailed double top to go in at the break 4-2 up.

The break didn’t seem like it was going to improve things for the Australian as Taylor stepped up straight away to break him again and open up a three leg lead.  However, Whitlock showed he was going to do anything but crumble as he notched up his third 180 and took out 77 to break straight back and keep within reach.

The bizarre amount of legs against the throw continued though as again Whitlock spurned one chance at a double which you can’t afford to do against The Power who duly took the chance that he was given to take it to 6 – 3, despite a fourth 180 from The Wizard.  But yet again Taylor couldn’t win a leg despite throwing first as he missed darts at double 8 and Whitlock moved in to show him how to take out the same finish.

Whitlock finally held his own throw in the eleventh led though and got back within one at 6 – 5 and it looked like the match was going to go the distance.  Taylor had other ideas though as he wrapped up the match in the next two legs as yet again The Wizard couldn’t hit his double first dart which is what cost him the game really.

The Power seems to be back to not his very best, but near enough to it for him to win pretty much every game he’ll play in this tournament.  His finishing wasn’t quite right, but with an average of over 103 then he can afford the odd missed double.  Once he’s in form, it’s hard to see him dipping out of it, so you’d have to predict top spot for Taylor at this juncture.

The Wizard should not be too downhearted at all after that performance.  To take three legs off Taylor against the throw is quite some achievement and if his doubles had been slightly more accurate he could have pinched a point or even two.   He faces Webster next week, and that will be crucial in deciding where he will finish in the league.

Jackpot 8 – 3 The Flying Scotsman

Well this was the match that everyone was waiting for, but it was not the show piece that everyone was hoping for, thanks to the actions of a minority of mindless fans.  It was fully expected that Gary Anderson would receive raucous support and Adrian Lewis would be on the wrong end of some boos, but what unfolded was unexpected and completely un-called for.

As early as Jackpot’s walk-on the trouble began as beer and other missiles were thrown at the world champ as he headed for the stage.  The atmosphere clearly affecting both men as the first leg was a shocker, but the most shocking of all was when Lewis was hit by something whilst on the oche about to throw.  Unsurprisingly he missed double tops and Anderson took the leg.

The Scot seemed to be harnessing the crowd’s support as he then took the second and third legs but this again was shrouded in controversy as Lewis again was forced to stop mid-throw after being hit by missiles.

The barrage, both verbal and physical didn’t halt in the fourth leg, but Lewis seemed to finally have got to grips with it as he impressively eliminated 111 to put his first leg on the board.  He then finished on the bull to break for the first time and cut the deficit to one before holding his throw comfortably to bring it back to 3-3.

It was anybody’s guess what would happen when the two men returned but it was Lewis who continued to prosper in the face of adversity immediately breaking again to go into the lead for the first time.  By this point it seemed Anderson was the one to crumble under the pressure from the crowd as he missed five darts at a double in the eighth leg to let Lewis, again after a lengthy pause, hit double 4 to move 5-3 up.

If the match hadn’t been affected by it already the turning point came in the ninth leg when again Lewis had to stop as objects were thrown.  Anderson by this point had had enough as well as he himself refused to throw, then went and picked up the coin that was thrown and pocketed it whilst remonstrating with the crowd.  He then missed 3 darts at tops, arguably on purpose, to let Jackpot back in for another leg.

By this point the Scot was so disgusted with the crowd he was barely trying in the last two legs and duly lost them both.

The match, in the end, was completely overshadowed by the outrageous behaviour of some members of the crowd who embarrassed themselves, their city and Scotland as a whole with their shocking display.  Full credit has to go to both players who battled on regardless, and I do feel extremely sorry for Gary Anderson who will be completely disillusioned with things now as what will have been his most eagerly anticipated event has been completely ruined.

Lewis looking to ruin the party in Scotland

The Premier League enters its sixth week, and things are about to get noisy as the boys roll into the always fiery atmosphere of Glasgow.  Expect boos to ring out and flags to be waving as the English lads are in for a rough ride, although The Menace doesn’t think there’ll be smiles on too many Scottish faces when the dust settles.

The Bull v The Machine

The bottom two in the table square off in what both will be viewing as a must win game to keep their hopes of a semi-final berth alive.  There is no doubt who will be going into the match really believing they will win it though, and that is Mr Jenkins. 

A stunning performance, and easily the best of his tournament so far, from The Bull last week will have patched up his previously fragile confidence and has kept him in the chasing pack.  It was a performance that came from nowhere and left Webster in his wake very convincingly.  He’ll be heading to Glasgow believing that he’s going to move onto six points and really give the semi-finals a good crack, however he isn’t favourite with the bookies and that seems strange due to the form of his opponent.

The opponent I speak of is a man that is performing, well, well below par this campaign and should not be propping up the table, but unfortunately for him he is.  He was very visibly frustrated as he got trounced by Barney last week, and it seems like he is in a rut both mentally and technically.  His averages are well below what they should be, and what seems to be happening is that if he goes a break down in a match, there is no way he will make any kind of comeback.

It’s going to be a tight one and if Wade can come out firing then he has got a great chance of winning, but if he struggles early on then he could be in for another disappointing evening.  It’s a very tough one to call, but I think The Machine might just have sorted himself out for this, and if he can handle the boos that are inevitably going to come his way then I think he can pinch it.

Prediction: The Bull 5 – 8 The Machine

Betting Tip: You can get 8/1 for Wade to win 8-5 with SkyBet.

Priestley’s Pick: A brilliant performance by Terry last week just when he needed it. Another defeat for James. Both players needing a win but I think James is due to hit form. Wade to win 8-5

Barney v Webby

This is another match that sees a big winner from last week face someone who was on the wrong end of a 

heavy defeat.

The Dutchman looked excellent last week against Wade, and apart from his non-performance against The Power has generally been convincing throughout the competition.  He seems calm and relaxed on stage and this has shone through in his results as he sits third place in the table. 

Barney has been made favourite for this match and you can see why as he has been playing superbly, and has avoided the loss of form I predicted after his loss to Taylor.

Webster, in contrast, has been very up and down so far.  Last week’s performance was a very poor one indeed, especially after his stunning win over Lewis the week before.  It’s hard what to expect from the Welshman as it seems there are two Webster’s that can turn up on a Thursday night.

If Webster can pull out another one of his top performances then it will be a very close game, but I can’t see him doing enough to stay with Barney over the piece.

Prediction: Barney 8 – 4 Webster

Betting Tip: Webster over 2.5 180s is 4/7 and I fancy he’ll do it

Priestley’s Pick: Barney produced a good performance last week and Mark let himself down after impressing the week before. I think last week’s win will set Barney on a roll. Barney to win 8-5

The Wizard v The Power

This is the first of two World Championship final rematches that the fans in Glasgow will be treated to, and certainly could be an excellent contest.

Taylor’s win against Anderson last week cemented the fact that he is very much still the main man on the scene and will be unquestioned favourite for every contest he is involved in.  Ever since his thrashing at the hands of Lewis in week one he has been back to his imperious best and is only not top of the table due to leg difference.  You can’t see him losing to anyone at the minute if he carries on playing this way.

The Wizard, in comparison, was not firing last week at all and took a pasting from Adrian Lewis that he will be keen to make amends for.  His average was still decent but bizarrely his finishing has gone from arguably the best in the game to pretty shoddy in general (17% last week) and this is nowhere near good enough to win games at this level.

If Whitlock has sorted this out then he has the talent to at least hold his own through throughout the contest and he will have the crowd very much on his side, but it’s a very big ask to beat Taylor when he’s on form and I don’t think he’ll do it.

Prediction: Whitlock 5 – 8 Taylor

Betting Tip: Draw at interval, Taylor win is 9/2

Priestley’s Pick: The hard games are coming thick and fast for Phil. Barney, Anderson now Whitlock. If the Whitlock from two weeks ago turns up then we are in for a game but I think Phil’s going to be too strong. Taylor to win 8-5

The Flying Scotsman v Jackpot

This would probably be the highlight of the night wherever it was being played, but with the contest taking place in Glasgow then it is undoubtedly the one that everyone is looking forward to the most.  The atmosphere throughout the night will be raucous and Barney and Whitlock will have been cheered on with gusto, but the roof will really be blown off when Anderson appears.

The Scot played fantastically last week and was incredibly unlucky to lose to the world number one so his credentials were certainly not harmed too much as he matched him almost to the end of the encounter.  The issue for him will be the whole new type of pressure that will arise from performing in front of his own fans.  Yes he will be spurred on, but he is a man who suffers from nerves, and with everyone him to win he might struggle.

Lewis was back to his best in Manchester, with his finishing especially incredibly impressive.  Anderson will still be favourite for the game, but there are only two men who I think could give him a proper challenge in Glasgow, and one of them is Jackpot.  If he continues his good streak of form which he appears to be in then he could take the Scot all the way.

It may well be close, but I think Anderson should hold on to win it.

Prediction: Anderson 8 – 6 Lewis

Betting Tip: Over 8.5 180s is 11/10

Priestley’s Pick: Anderson lost his 1st match last week but that was against Taylor so no shame there! Another fine performance from Adrian last week and I think we are due a draw. Draw

My four picks will bring you a fairly small 11/1 and that reflects that of all the weeks so far I reckon this is the most predictable, but I could well be proved horribly wrong.  Dennis going for the draw in the night’s main event would take the odds way up to 30/1 so that could be worth a go.

Adrian Lewis is currently 11/4 to produce the most 180s in the league, and I think this is a decent punt as he is only 2 behind Anderson and this could change very quickly indeed.