Osborne Wins Championship League Darts
Posted on October 23rd, 2009
COLIN OSBORNE claimed his first major title with a 6-4 victory over Phil Taylor to win the 2009 Championship League Darts.
Osborne avenged his loss to Taylor in the final of June’s UK Open with an accomplished performance to see off the world number one and claim the £10,000 first prize at Crondon Park GC in Essex.
Osborne finished second to unbeaten Taylor in the Winners Group table after the eight-played league phase, before seeing off Mervyn King 6-1 in the semi-finals and Taylor in the decider.
He made an ideal start to the final with a 129 finish, and also missed two darts at double eight for the second leg before Taylor landed double four to level.
A brace of double top finishes put him 3-1 up before Taylor posted an 11-darter to pull back the fifth.
Double top from Osborne gave him a 4-2 cushion, only for reigning champion Taylor to crank up the pressure with a pair of 11-dart finishes.
Taylor left himself 74 to break throw in the ninth leg, but Osborne produced a superb 142 checkout on double 11 to lead 5-4.
And a missed bullseye from Taylor in the next gave the Derby-based star his chance, taking out 68 on double four for the title.
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Championship League Darts Group 8
Posted on October 21st, 2009
ADRIAN LEWIS ended two years of disappointment in Championship League Darts by winning Group Eight of the tournament on Wednesday.
Lewis competed in five groups last year without winning one, and had missed out on a place in the final in each of the seven previous groups this time around.
However, he backed up his first placed finish in the Group Eight table by coming through the play-offs to take the last remaining spot in Thursday’s Winners Group.
Lewis lost to Terry Jenkins and Kirk Shepherd in the league phase, winning his other five matches, before hitting a 170 checkout in overcoming Shepherd 6-1 in the semi-finals.
He then capitalised on missed doubles from van Gerwen to assume a 4-2 lead in the decider.
Double 16 gave van Gerwen a third leg, but a brilliant ten-darter from Lewis put him one leg away from the win at 5-3.
He was waiting on 32 when van Gerwen took the ninth on double ten, but punished two misses from his opponent to finally seal the 6-4 win on double top.
“I’m so relieved it’s untrue,” said Lewis, who has now won £16,700 in this year’s event and £31,950 including last year’s prize money. “After losing in three finals last year I thought it was going to happen again today and Michael kept coming back at me. “But I managed to get it back together in the end and hopefully I can do the same in the Winners Group now tomorrow.”
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Championship League Darts Group 7
Posted on October 21st, 2009
JELLE KLAASEN defeated Kirk Shepherd 6-1 to win Group Seven of Championship League Darts.
In arguably the tournament’s most dramatic day yet, Klaasen came from fourth in the league table following the eight-man group stage to claim victory with play-off wins over Adrian Lewis and Shepherd.
Klaasen was one of five players to finish the group phase on eight league points, with Lewis top, Shepherd second and Wayne Jones finishing third – while Tony Eccles missed out on a semi-final place on a count-back of Legs Won Against Throw to the Dutch ace.
Klaasen then overcame Lewis 6-5 in the semis, holding off a fightback as the Stoke star came from 3-1 and 5-2 down to send their game into a decider.
He then overcame some nervous early doubling in the final to power past Shepherd, who shared the opening two legs but was punished for his own misses as Klaasen took a 3-1 lead.
Shepherd, the 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship runner-up, never recovered as Klaasen won the next three legs to claim his spot in Thursday’s big-money winners group – where a place in the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts next month is also on offer for the finalists.
“I’m very happy to have qualified,” said Klaasen. “It was very close today but I’m pleased with how I played.
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Champ League Darts Group 6
Posted on September 25th, 2009
COLIN OSBORNE defeated nine-dart hero Jelle Klaasen 6-3 to win the final of Group Six in Championship League Darts.
Osborne had competed for the previous three days in the internet-televised tournament, but progressed to the Winners Group for a second successive year with the triumph.
He finished second overall in the day’s league phase, alongside Klaasen and Wayne Jones on five wins, after making a fine start to the day with four straight wins.
He then defeated Jones 6-4 in the semi-finals, before a clinical display saw off debutant Klaasen in the decider.
Osborne took an immediate 3-0 lead in the final, including a 110 finish against the throw, before finishes of 134 and 130 put Klaasen back in the contest.
However, he was left waiting on a finish in the next two legs as Osborne took out 124 on the bull and then double top to lead 5-2.
A 96 finish gave Klaasen a third leg, but Osborne took the next on double five to seal victory and his spot in the Winners Group on October 22.
“I’m finally through at the fourth time of asking and it’s a big relief,” said Osborne, who has won £8,700 so far in the event.
“I started off pretty well today, I was solid and got the points on the board early on and it was good just to get into the semi-finals.
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Champ League Darts Group 5
Posted on September 24th, 2009
WAYNE MARDLE took Group Five glory in Championship League Darts with a 6-3 final victory over Colin Osborne.
Mardle lost out in the third group of last year’s tournament, but ensured a spot in October’s Winners Group of the internet-televised competition with a flourish on Wednesday.
He recovered from a loss to Osborne in the day’s opening games to win five successive games in the league phase, finishing second in the table.
He then edged out Terry Jenkins 6-5 in the semi-finals, and came from 3-2 down to defeat Osborne in the decider.
Osborne had taken a 3-2 lead early on, but was punished for a tired display as Mardle levelled, took the next two legs to lead 5-3 and then sealed victory with a 94 finish of single 18, double 18 and double top.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Mardle. “Last year I was massively disappointed to lose in the third group and my aim was to make it through at the first time of asking today.
“I’ve managed to do that, and it’s a great confidence boost for me going into the Skybet World Grand Prix soon.”
Osborne will now return to compete in a fourth day at Crondon Park GC in Essex on Thursday, as but took home £2,400 for his unsuccessful Group Five attempt.
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Champ League Darts Group 4
Posted on September 23rd, 2009
MARK WALSH defeated Kevin Painter 6-4 to win Group Four of Championship League Darts on Tuesday.
The Hertfordshire ace booked his place in the tournament’s Winners Group for a second successive year following a consistent day at Crondon Park GC in Essex.
Having finished top of the Group Three league table only to lose in the semi-finals last week, Walsh reversed that this time.
He ended the eight-player round-robin phase in fourth spot, but overcame unbeaten leader Terry Jenkins 6-3 in the semi-finals.
Walsh then came from 4-2 down to defeat Painter in the final by taking four successive legs.
Walsh led 2-1 only for Painter to hit a 128 checkout and level, double eight to break throw and then double four in the sixth leg – after hitting seven treble 20s in the leg – to open up a two-leg lead.
Walsh won the seventh and then took out 120 against the throw to level, before punishing a missed double 12 from Painter to move 5-4 up and then seal the win on tops.
“I’m over the moon,” said Walsh. “It was a good day all round and I’m really pleased to have got through to the Winners Group.
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Champ League Darts Group Three
Posted on September 17th, 2009
MERVYN KING claimed victory in Group Three of Championship League Darts with a 6-2 defeat of Vincent van der Voort.
King bounced back from the disappointment of semi-final defeats on the opening two days of the tournament by booking his place in October’s Winners Group in a strong finish to Group Three.
King finished second in the league table following the eight-player group stage, but defeated Colin Osborne 6-1 in the semi-finals and dropped just two legs against van der Voort in a high-quality final.
The Dutchman won the opening leg against the throw to lead, but missed four darts for the second leg, with King checking out double top to level and then producing an 11-dart finish, a 150 checkout and a bullseye to move 4-1 up.
Van der Voort hit seven perfect darts on his way to the sixth leg, which he won in 11 darts, but could do little as King won the next two to seal victory.
King earned £2,900 for the day, on top of £4,100 won in the first two days to take his earnings to £7,000 ahead of the big-money Winners Group next month.
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Champ League Darts Group Two
Posted on September 17th, 2009
Phil Taylor ruthlessly whitewashed Mark Walsh to win Group Two of Championship League Darts.
Taylor bounced back from defeat to James Wade in the Group One final with a flawless second day in the internet-streamed tournament at Crondon Park GC in Essex.
Taylor powered through the eight-player league phase with seven wins in as many games, including whitewashes of Adrian Lewis and Colin Lloyd to pick up the maximum possible £2,100 from £50 per leg won.
He then defeated Mervyn King 6-3 in the semi-finals, and then saw off Walsh in style in the final to take his prize money on the day to £3,300 as well as securing a place in October’s Winners Group.
Walsh was left with little chance in the final, with Taylor taking the first leg comfortably, hitting two 180s in winning the second and double top for a 3-0 lead.
Walsh hit a maximum of his own to leave 36 in the fourth, but missed three darts at double 18 and was punished as Taylor took out double top.
Taylor hit two more 180s in a 12-darter to move 5-0 up, before wrapping up the win on double 16.
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Champ League Darts Group One
Posted on September 16th, 2009
JAMES WADE defeated Phil Taylor 6-4 to win Group One of the Championship League Darts – despite the reigning champion hitting a nine-darter on the 2009 event’s opening day.
World number two Wade booked his place in the Winners Group of the internet-televised tournament in style at Crondon Park GC in Essex, claiming two wins in a highly profitable day.
Wade missed out on a place in last year’s Winners Group but followed up victory over Taylor in the eight-player league phase on Tuesday with a high-quality win in the final.
Two 121 finishes on the bullseye helped Wade into an early 3-1 lead against Taylor, who cut the gap to 4-3 before the left-hander hit two 180s in setting up a potential nine-darter.
Although he missed out on that feat, he took leg eight to lead 5-3 and eventually sealed a 6-4 victory with a fifth maximum of the final and a 100 checkout.
He had earlier overcome Taylor 6-5 in the league phase and topped the table after the round-robin stage, before edging out Mervyn King 6-5 in the semi-finals.
With prize money of £50 per leg on offer in the league phase and £100 per leg in the play-offs, Wade pocketed £3,250 as well as a place in October’s Winners Group.
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Championship League Darts Details
Posted on September 16th, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR and James Wade will meet in the opening round of the 2009 Championship League Darts next Tuesday.
The fixtures for Group One of the tournament, to be screened solely on the internet via a series of ten bookmakers’ websites, have now been confirmed.
The opening day’s action, starting at 11am on Tuesday September 15, will see eight of the world’s top ten players compete in Group One at Crondon Park GC in Essex.
Taylor, who won the inaugural Championship League Darts in 2008, will face current world number two and Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion Wade in their opening fixture.
The eight players will compete in a round-robin format, with matches played over the best of 11 legs with prize money awarded at £50 per leg won.
With play on two boards simultaneously, Chelmsford’s Colin Lloyd will open up against Alan Tabern on board two, with the first round of games then being completed by the meetings of Ronnie Baxter against Adrian Lewis and John Part against Mervyn King.
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Both poker and darts are highly popular pursuits. The games are available online, in fact, that there are organizations dedicated to making sure the rules of video poker and online darts are conformed. Similar to darts having the World Darts Federation, among others, and poker has the Tournament Directors Association. These rules are put into place in highly competitive tournaments, in which as many as hundreds or even thousands of people compete for cash prizes as well as prestige.
