The Machine 8 - 5 The Wizard
The night in Sheffield kicked off in supreme style as two men still with serious hopes of grabbing a play-off spot squared off and the Aussie looked to lay a marker down right from the off as he won the first leg with a 170 finish. It was £1000 in the back pocket of The Wizard straight away, but that wasn’t what he’d come for he’d come for the two points.
Wade had other ideas though as he kicked off the second leg with a maximum and won it by finishing off 80. Whitlock hit his first 180 of the match in the third, but The Machine showed he can finish on the bull as he pinched the third leg. He didn’t have to pinch anything in the fourth as he hammered home 112 to go three up.
Wade flinched in the fifth missing three darts at tops to let The Wizard take the leg, but he wasn’t going to miss his trusty double 10 before the break as he made it 4-2 and gave the Aussie a lot to think about.
Both men struggled on their return to the oche but it was Whitlock who stumbled over the line to claim the leg against the throw and really put the Wizard amongst the pigeons. Up next though, he missed five darts at double on his own throw, including busting his score which you just don’t see at this level, and was two legs down again.
The Machine then held throw and was three up, Whitlock wasn’t giving up though as double 10 gave him the tenth leg and he made it even more interesting needing just one dart at tops to take out 80 and go within one leg at 6-5.
The Wizard’s charge ended in the twelfth though as he missed four darts to level things up and Wade capitalised to secure at least a point. This seemed to dent Whitlock’s confidence and he missed his twentieth dart at a double in the final leg to let Wade in again to win the game 8-5.
It wasn’t the highest quality of game with the averages only 88.5 and 90.8 to Wade and Whitlock respectively, but it was a very entertaining one which the crowd in Sheffield lapped up. These two are in a real scrap for fourth place now – GAME ON!!
Webby 1 - 8 The Flying Scotsman
This was only ever going one way I’m afraid, no one was backing Webby, and everyone was right as he took another hammering at the hands of The Flying Scotsman, with things looking especially ominous as Anderson smashed in a 136 finish to win the first against the throw.
The Scot took the second and then capitalised on Webster’s first missed double to then go three up. The Welshman did stem the tide in the fourth though getting a leg on the board with double tops.
This proved to be a pretty lowly highpoint for Webby though as he missed an incredible eight darts at doubles in the fifth to let a misfiring Anderson in to win it on double 2. This was the only invitation Gary needed though as 13-darter saw him go 5-1 up at the break.
Webster then topped his previous record by missing 9 darts at a finish and Anderson, who was also struggling, took it on double one. After that debacle Anderson wasn’t in the mood to mess about and took the last two legs without allowing Webby a go at a double and bagged an 8-1 victory.
Webster’s confidence seems shot and he is all but out of the tournament now, only a minor miracle will see him qualify for the play-offs. Anderson on the other hand is back on course to qualify with ease, and I fully expect him to do so.
The Bull 2 - 8 The Power
Just like the last one there was no money on going on one man for this contest and again everyone knew what they were doing as Taylor swept aside Jenkins very easily.
The Power wasn’t quite at his best in the early exchanges but he still managed to finish off 72 and 65 to be two up in no time. Jenkins kicked off the third leg with the 250th maximum of the tournament and then was very close to taking out 170, but you can’t afford to miss anything against an in-form Taylor who stepped up and took out 130.
The world number one reeled off the next three and went in at the break a full 6-0 up with very real hopes of the first whitewash of the tournament. The Bull wasn’t having any of it though as he polished off 61 in style with just two darts and reduced his arrears to five legs.
Taylor wasn’t deterred though comfortably winning the eighth leg, but a third 180 from Jenkins helped him keep the game alive at 7-2. It was barely breathing in truth though as Taylor hit his third maximum and
finished off 63 to win yet again.
Taylor is indomitable at the minute and if he is on any two figure score he is near enough guaranteed to get it. He’s not the biggest 180 hitter in the league but it’s his scoring around the board that’s incredible and is what wins him so many matches. The Power is still on, but The Bull may well be put out of his misery next week.
Barney 8 - 3 Jackpot
The final match of the night could have been the highlight, but was a bit of an anti-climax in the end. Raymond van Barneveld won’t mind though as he cantered to victory and left Lewis reeling.
Things started well for the Dutchman as he comfortably held throw in the first and then lit up a pretty shocking second leg by finishing on the bull to go two clear.
Jackpot just about claimed the third as both missed great chances to take it earlier on as the standard of the game was dropping well below what was expected of these two great players. Lewis proved his quality in the fourth though as he took out 136 to level things up and looked like he was starting to find some rhythm.
This seemed to wake Barney back up as well though as he got five darts into a 9-darter, eventually going out in 13 to go back in front. The Dutchman was then gifted the sixth leg as Jackpot missed six darts to win it, with Barney eventually grabbing it on double 7.
The interval didn’t slow the 5-time World Champ down as the first leg back he won in style with a 156 finish. He then narrowly missed a 148 finish, but Lewis was ready to pounce and did so with double 8 to make it 5-3.
Both players had an absolute shocker in the ninth leg which was no better than legs I play in my local, and much like one of my games Barney finish on double 1, but most importantly this put him 6-3 up. Lewis seemed to have capitulated by this stage as Barney then comfortably broke throw to go four up and then was in a comfortable position as he finished off 70 in the last to wrap up the game 8-3.
The game was one of the lowest quality of the whole tournament which was quite a surprise, neither player averaging over 87, but Barney won’t care as he marches on towards the play-offs. The World Champ is in trouble though as he is now in a real scrap for fourth place and will have to rediscover his form very quickly.
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