The 26-year-old from Stoke claimed the first major title of his career back in January, creating history by hitting the first nine-dart finish in a World Championship final during his 7-5 defeat of Gary Anderson.

Lewis returns to Alexandra Palace to open the World Championship amongst five games being played in Thursday’s opening session.

The world number two plays Nigel Heydon in his first round game, with the undertaker from Leamington Spa having taken a 6-5 victory in their most recent clash during a Players Championship in Dublin in October.

“It will be very tough and I think I’ve got one of the hardest first round draws,” said Lewis. “He’s had a fantastic year and beat Gary Anderson in the Grand Slam recently.

“Nigel’s a good player and he had a good result when we last played but it’s different up on the World Championship stage. I’ve been practising really hard and I’m going to be ready to come straight out of the blocks at him.

“I’m excited about getting back to Alexandra Palace and can’t wait to get back on stage.”

Lewis’ nine-darter proved the highlight of a memorable final on January 3 when he claimed the £200,000 title, and he admitted: “It was very special and I think everybody who plays darts wants to win a World Championship title and hit a nine-darter.

“Half-way through the game I forgot about it because I knew I had to go on and get the win and keep going at Gary.

“I was 6-3 up I think and he had a couple of good sets to come back to just one behind, but I had a good final set and won it 3-0. It was a massive step in my life.

“I’ve been putting the work in and there’s no reason why I can’t retain it. I’m very confident and I’m going into the tournament with a lot of expectation because I know what I’m capable of.”

The 15-day tournament kicks off when Derby’s Jamie Caven meets Holland’s Roland Scholten, the 2004 UK Open champion who is challenging to return to the world’s top 32 after overcoming serious shoulder problems.

Essex’s Paul Barham – who finished second in the PDC Unicorn Youth Tour this years to qualify for a televised debut – then takes to the stage in a preliminary round clash with Hong Kong’s Scott MacKenzie, with the winner of the best-of-seven-leg contest meeting Wayne Jones in the night’s final game.

Mark Webster, a semi-finalist in the last two years at Alexandra Palace and the conqueror of reigning champion Phil Taylor on New Year’s Day, then faces Richie Burnett in an all-Welsh battle.

Webster, 28, reached the final of the Cash Converters Players Championship on Sunday – losing to Kevin Painter 13-9 in the final – and has jumped up to sixth in the PDC Order of Merit with his performances in 2011.

“Alexandra Palace has been a great venue for me in the last couple of years and hopefully I can go a step further this year and win the competition,” said Webster.

“I want to build on my success this year in the World Championship and if I can become World Champion then the defeat against Kevin on Sunday will be forgotten.

“I rarely dwell on results and I’ve got to put that behind me now and move on because it’s a big game; Richie’s a class player and a dangerous opponent.”

Phil Taylor, the 15-time World Champion and tournament favourite at Evens with sponsors Ladbrokes, enters the fray on Friday night when he meets the winner of the preliminary round clash between Japan’s Haruki Muramatsu and Dennis Nilsson, a former winner of Sweden’s Strongest Man.

“It’s a different challenge not knowing who your first round opponent is but I’ll be concentrating on making sure my preparation is right,” said Taylor.

“I know Muramatsu qualified a couple of years ago and is a good player, and Dennis might throw me off the stage if I beat him! I’ve got to make sure I get the job done and then I can go and prepare for the second round after Christmas.

“This year I can go in there aggressive and attack because I want to win and I’ve got to fight for it. I’m there to win the World Championship, not to worry or feel sorry for anybody else.”

Friday’s second night also sees June’s UK Open finalist Wes Newton playing Belgian debutant Kurt Van De Rijck, Co Stompe meeting St Helens’ young prospect Michael Smith and in-form Justin Pipe – a three-time Players Championship winner this autumn – plays Australian Sean Reed.

Saturday sees two sessions take place at Alexandra Palace, with former Lakeside Champions Jelle Klaasen and Steve Beaton kicking off the afternoon and evening’s action respectively against Peter Wright and Magnus Caris.

Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld plays Northamptonshire-based newcomer James Richardson on Sunday night, with 2005 runner-up Mark Dudbridge taking on Dave Chisnall, the former Lakeside Championship finalist who has impressed in his debut year on the PDC circuit in 2011.

Last Sunday’s Cash Converters Players Championship winner Kevin Painter, the 2004 World Championship runner-up to Taylor, will begin his challenge for a second successive major title when he plays Arron Monk on Monday night, with world number three James Wade, Mervyn King and Andy Hamilton also in action.

Scotland’s Gary Anderson, the runner-up to Adrian Lewis 12 months ago, faces Germany’s Jyhan Artut amongst four games on Tuesday, with last year’s semi-finalist Terry Jenkins playing either Joe Cullen or Serbian debutant Oliver Ferenc.

The first round concludes on Wednesday December 21, with three-time World Champion John Part playing John Henderson and Simon Whitlock making his return from a broken bone in his ankle against Dennis Smith.

The Australian, who reached the final at Alexandra Palace two years ago, was injured at the end of October but is now out of a cast and has been practising for two hours a day in advance of his battle with Swindon’s Smith.

The pre-Christmas play in the World Championship concludes with two evenings of second round games on Thursday and Friday, with play resuming on Tuesday December 27.

After the second round concludes and third round is played, the quarter-finals take place on Friday December 30, with the semi-finals on January 1 and final on January 2.

A record number of over 40,000 fans are expected to descend upon Alexandra Palace throughout the course of the 15 days, with tickets still available through www.seetickets.com/darts or by calling 0844 871 8807.

Fans who have been unable to secure a ticket for a sold-out session can still purchase tickets through viagogo, the Official Ticket Exchange Partner of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship at www.viagogo.co.uk.

Hospitality packages are available to watch the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship in style, including two-course meal, complimentary drinks and exclusive reserved seating, and can be purchased from the PDC Head Office on 08712 501 180.

A total of 72 players from 24 countries are competing in the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship, including Portugal, Serbia and Malaysia for the first time, with the £1 million prize money including £200,000 for the champion.

There is also a £10,000 bonus on offer for a nine-dart finish during the event, with Ladbrokes offering odds of 11/8 for a player to repeat the feat, which has achieved for the past three years in the World Championship, with Raymond van Barneveld (2009 and 2010) preceding Adrian Lewis in hitting a perfect leg.

Ladbrokes World Darts Championship
Outright Odds
Courtesy Ladbrokes.com, correct at 4pm December 14 2011
Evs – Phil Taylor
17/2 – Gary Anderson
8/1 – Adrian Lewis
11/1 – James Wade
28/1 – Mark Webster
33/1 – Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld
40/1 – Wes Newton
50/1 – Paul Nicholson
66/1 – Mervyn King, Dave Chisnall, Terry Jenkins
100/1 – Mark Walsh, Justin Pipe
125/1 – Co Stompe, Andy Hamilton, Wayne Jones
150/1 – Ronnie Baxter, John Part, Vincent van der Voort, Kevin Painter, Colin Lloyd
200/1 – Bar

Schedule of Play
Preliminary (P) and First Round
Thursday December 15 (7pm)
Jamie Caven v Roland Scholten
Paul Barham v Scott MacKenzie (P)
Mark Webster v Richie Burnett
Adrian Lewis v Nigel Heydon
Wayne Jones v Barham/MacKenzie

Friday December 16 (7pm)
Justin Pipe v Sean Reed
Haruki Muramatsu v Dennis Nilsson (P)
Co Stompe v Michael Smith
Wes Newton v Kurt Van De Rijck
Phil Taylor v Muramatsu/Nilsson

Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session (12pm)
Peter Wright v Jelle Klaasen
Dietmar Burger v Christian Perez (P)
Ronnie Baxter v Steve Farmer
Robert Thornton v Ian White
Alan Tabern v Burger/Perez

Evening Session (7pm)
Steve Beaton v Magnus Caris
Kevin Munch v Lee Choon Peng (P)
Vincent van der Voort v Mark Hylton
Paul Nicholson v Mensur Suljovic
Denis Ovens v Munch/Choon Peng

Sunday December 18 (7pm)
Brendan Dolan v Kim Huybrechts
Connie Finnan v Warren French (P)
Mark Dudbridge v Dave Chisnall
Raymond van Barneveld v James Richardson
Mark Walsh v Finnan/French

Monday December 19 (7pm)
Andy Hamilton v Antonio Alcinas
Per Laursen v Petri Korte (P)
Mervyn King v Geoff Kime
Kevin Painter v Arron Monk
James Wade v Laursen/Korte

Tuesday December 20 (7pm)
Colin Lloyd v Darin Young
Joe Cullen v Oliver Ferenc (P)
Colin Osborne v Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson v Jyhan Artut
Terry Jenkins v Cullen/Ferenc

Wednesday December 21 (7pm)
Andy Smith v Scott Rand
Devon Petersen v Jose de Sousa (P)
John Part v John Henderson
Simon Whitlock v Dennis Smith
Steve Brown v Petersen/de Sousa

Second Round
Thursday December 22 (7pm)
Jones/Barham/MacKenzie v Caven/Scholten
Lewis/Heydon v Thornton/White
Newton/Van De Rijck v Pipe/Reed

Friday December 23 (7pm)
Walsh/Finnan/French v Painter/Monk
Wade/Laursen/Korte v Wright/Klaasen
Baxter/Farmer v Ovens/Munch/Choon Peng

Tuesday December 27
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Jenkins/Cullen/Ferenc v Stompe/M Smith
Webster/Burnett v Part/Henderson
van der Voort/Hylton v Hamilton/Alcinas

Evening Session (7pm)
van Barneveld/Richardson v Dolan/Huybrechts
Taylor/Muramatsu/Nilsson v Dudbridge/Chisnall
Nicholson/Suljovic v Tabern/Burger/Perez

Wednesday December 28
Afternoon Session (1pm)
King/Kime v Osborne/van Gerwen
Whitlock/D Smith v Beaton/Caris
Lloyd/Young v A Smith/Rand

Evening Session (7pm)
Anderson/Artut v Brown/Petersen/de Sousa
Third Round
Lewis/Heydon/Thornton/White v Jones/Barham/MacKenzie/Caven/Scholten
Newton/Van De Rijck/Pipe/Reed v Jenkins/Cullen/Ferenc/Stompe/M Smith

Thursday December 29
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Webster/Burnett/Part/Henderson v Walsh/Finnan/French/Painter/Monk
Wade/Laursen/Korte/Wright/Klaasen v Baxter/Farmer/Ovens/Munch/Choon Peng
van Barneveld/Richardson/Dolan/Huybrechts v Nicholson/Suljovic/Tabern/Burger/Reed

Evening Session (7pm)
Whitlock/D Smith/Beaton/Caris v King/Kime/Osborne/van Gerwen
Taylor/Muramatsu/Nilsson/Dudbridge/Chisnall v van der Voort/Hylton/Hamilton/Alcinas
Anderson/Artut/Brown/Petersen/de Sousa v Lloyd/Young/A Smith/Rand

Quarter-Finals
Friday December 30
Order of Play TBC
Afternoon Session (2pm)
2x Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (7.30pm)
2x Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals
Sunday January 1 (7.30pm)
Order of Play TBC

Final
Monday January 2 (8pm)

Format
Preliminary Round – Best of seven legs (no tie-break)
First Round – Best of five sets
Second Round – Best of seven sets
Third Round – Best of seven sets
Quarter-Finals – Best of nine sets
Semi-Finals – Best of 11 sets
Final – Best of 13 sets
All sets are the best of five legs.
All matches using the sets format will have a tie-break situation in the deciding set only, where the final set must be won by two clear legs until the score in that set reaches 5-5. Should that situation occur, then a sudden-death leg will be played, before which the players will throw for the bull to determine who throws first in the sudden-death leg.

Prize Fund

In addition, should any player hit a nine-dart finish during the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship, he would receive a £10,000 bonus. If more than one nine-dart finish is hit, the £10,000 is shared on a pro-rata basis.

Source PDC/Lawrence Lustig

Two of Brendan Dolan (250/1), John Henderson (125/1), Mark Hylton (125/1) and Richie Burnett (150/1) will definitely be in the semis and outside of that quartet did anybody else honestly predict that?

Only three seeds survive and two of those (Phil Taylor and Mark Webster) play each other. James Wade is the other and he tackles Andy Smith (100/1).

The unpredictability this week is highlighted by our Beat the Tipster competition where everybody is struggling to call it right. The average points per match is currently 1.5. Usually the average is close to or above 2. To put it into perspective the 2011 World Matchplay averaged 1.9 and three previous World Grands Prix have averaged 2.0, 2.3 & 2.5. Proof that this week has not gone as the majority expected. Only two players are averaging over 2 points per game so Craig Jackson & Petri Rasmus are rightly leading the way in the race for our fantastic Bulls prizes.

There are some odds and head to heads below for you to see if you can have a better go at working it all out than us. Good luck!

Mark Webster contained his debut nerves and overcame Andy Hamilton to set up a Last 16 meeting with Alan Tabern. The Saint hasn’t had a great 2011 so Webby (1/3) will be confident of reaching the quarter finals and a 4-1 head to head record in the Welshman’s favour would seem to back this up. You can get 11/4 on Tabern if you fancy the upset though.

Mark Hylton has had a fine year and has progressed well since going full time. He takes on Simon Whitlock on Thursday in what will be the first meeting between the two. Odds of 3/1 for Hylton are mightily tempting with Whitlock the rightful favourite but a measly 2/7.

The third debut victor is John Henderson and the big man tackles in form Wes Newton for a quarter final berth. Newton goes off 2/7 favourite and Hendo will need to control his rocking chair action to deliver for his backers at 3/1. The head to head between the two shows that Henderson has yet beat Newton in the two games they’ve faced each other.

Vincent van der Voort was over the moon at finally getting his first Dublin win when he beat Kevin Painter on Monday. If he is going to notch up his second win he will have to do it the hard way as James Wade stand in his path. Wade is 1/3 favourite and has a commanding 10-2 head to head record. That means van der Voort has beaten Wade twice and if you think he can do it again he is good value at 11/4.

Elsewhere, the grudge continues but is being watered down with every meeting. Phil Taylor now holds a 6-2 record against Paul Nicholson and The Asset is a 7/2 underdog to make it 6-3. Taylor is the shortest price of the last 16 at 1/4.

Raymond van Barneveld likes this stage and looks a good bet for the quarter finals if the bookies are right. Barney is a 2/7 shot with his opponent, Andy Smith, 10/3 underdog. The head to head is 3-1 in Barney’s favour.

Richie Burnett is rolling back the years and has split the top half of the draw wide open with his defeat of Gary Anderson. He takes on Denis Ovens in the Last 16 and the bookies have them both at evens. The head to head has Ovens nudging it at 3-2 so this one looks too close to call.

The last match to look at is John Part (1/3) versus Brendan Dolan (11/4). Part has been threatening a good run in a major all year; could this be the one? Dolan has never got past this stage but the head to head stands at one apiece so this could be closer than the odds suggest.

Round Two Matches

Round One Stats

Highest Average – 102.26 (Phil Taylor)
Lowest Average – 75.02 (James Wade)
Most 180s – 8 (Dave Chisnall)
Least 180s – 0 (Alan Tabern, Colin Lloyd, Mervyn King, William O’Connor, Steve Brown)
Highest Checkout – 170 (Jamie Caven) | 164 (Phi Taylor) | 158 (Simon Whitlock)
Highest Checkout % – 71% (Phil Taylor) | 67% (Vincent van der Voort)

Taylor has won the previous three stagings of the European Championship since the tournament was introduced in 2008, defeating Adrian Lewis, Steve Beaton and Wayne Jones in the respective finals.

The 50-year-old from Stoke has drawn debutant qualifier John Michael, a Greek player who will be making his first televised appearance, in Thursday’s first round, with the game over the best of 11 legs.

Taylor retained his World Matchplay title for a fourth successive year in Blackpool last week, defeating James Wade in the final, and is targeting a repeat of that success in the ITV4-televised event in Germany.

“I was delighted to win the World Matchplay and my target now is to keep hold of the European Championship title too,” said Taylor, who is unbeaten in 15 previous matches in the event.

“I’ve enjoyed this event for the last three years and it’s my plan to make it four in a row.

“I don’t know much about John but I’ve seen him a couple of times and he’s a good player. In a short format I know I’ll have to be on top of my game on Thursday and will have to start well.”

The PDC’s top 16 players are joined by eight Players Championship Order of Merit qualifiers and eight European Order of Merit qualifiers in the event, with Greek ace Michael earning his place by virtue of his displays in Players Championships held in Germany, Austria and Holland earlier this year.

Thursday’s eight first round games feature the 16 players in the top half of the draw, and include world number four Gary Anderson up against Derby’s Jamie Caven, a quarter-finalist in last year’s European Championship.

Simon Whitlock, the number five seed, takes on Austria’s Mensur Suljovic as he looks to bounce back from his quarter-final defeat to Andy Hamilton in the World Matchplay, which saw him lose nine successive legs from 15-8 up to lose 17-15.

The night also features a clash between the players ranked eighth and ninth in the world, Mark Webster and Terry Jenkins – who was a semi-finalist in last year’s European Championship.

The tournament will open when Mervyn King plays Dutch ace Co Stompe, while Justin Pipe meets Paul Nicholson, Alan Tabern faces Colin Lloyd – also a semi-finalist in the 2010 European Championship – and Canada’s three-time World Champion John Part takes on Peter Wright.

Friday sees World Champion Adrian Lewis take on Vincent van der Voort, having defeated the Dutchman 13-5 in the second round of the World Matchplay, while number three seed James Wade takes on Magnus Caris.

Wade won June’s UK Open and was the runner-up in the World Matchplay, and said: “I’ve been in good form recently but I can’t take anything for granted because Magnus is a good player with a lot of experience, and I have to make sure I perform well on Friday.”

Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld takes on Andy Hamilton, who reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay last week in a return to form which saw him move back into the world’s top 16 and qualify for the European Championship.

Wes Newton is the other seeded player in the bottom half of the draw, having risen to seventh in the world following his quarter-final appearance in the World Matchplay.

The in-form Fleetwood ace takes on Andy Smith in the first round, having defeated the same opponent 10-2 in his opener in Blackpool recently, but said: “It will be a different game on Thursday and I’m expecting a tough test from Andy.

“He’s been playing well this year and is very dangerous in the short format, but I’m happy with how I’m playing and looking forward to it.”

Friday also sees Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts make his debut in a major TV event when he plays Spain’s emerging Antonio Alcinas, with both players having performed well in the European-based events this year.

Dutch pair Jelle Klaasen and Michael van Gerwen take on Dave Chisnall and Ronnie Baxter respectively, while last year’s runner-up Wayne Jones meets Mark Walsh.

The second round of the £200,000 event will be played across two sessions on Saturday, with the quarter-finals taking place on Sunday afternoon and both the semi-finals and final being played on Sunday evening in one dramatic session.

Coverage of the PartyPoker.net European Championship is live in the UK on ITV4, and will also be screened live in LIVEPDC.TV for International Pass Subscribers.

PartyPoker.net European Championship
First Round Schedule of Play
Thursday July 28
8pm-12am local time, 7pm-11pm BST
Mervyn King v Co Stompe
Alan Tabern v Colin Lloyd
John Part v Peter Wright
Justin Pipe v Paul Nicholson
Simon Whitlock v Mensur Suljovic
Phil Taylor v John Michael
Mark Webster v Terry Jenkins
Gary Anderson v Jamie Caven

Friday July 29
8pm-12am local time, 7pm-11pm BST
Wayne Jones v Mark Walsh
Jelle Klaasen v Dave Chisnall
Ronnie Baxter v Michael van Gerwen
Kim Huybrechts v Antonio Alcinas
James Wade v Magnus Caris
Adrian Lewis v Vincent van der Voort
Wes Newton v Andy Smith
Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton

ENDS

Further Information:
Tournament Draw Bracket
Phil Taylor (1, ENG) v John Michael (GRE)
Mervyn King (ENG) v Co Stompe (NED)
Mark Webster (8, WAL) v Terry Jenkins (ENG)
Justin Pipe (ENG) v Paul Nicholson (AUS)
Simon Whitlock (5, AUS) v Mensur Suljovic (AUT)
Alan Tabern (ENG) v Colin Lloyd (ENG)
Gary Anderson (4, SCO) v Jamie Caven (ENG)
John Part (CAN) v Peter Wright (ENG)
Adrian Lewis (2, ENG) v Vincent van der Voort (NED)
Jelle Klaasen (NED) v Dave Chisnall (ENG)
Wes Newton (7, ENG) v Andy Smith (ENG)
Kim Huybrechts (BEL) v Antonio Alcinas (ESP)
Raymond van Barneveld (6, NED) v Andy Hamilton (ENG)
Wayne Jones (ENG) v Mark Walsh (ENG)
James Wade (3, ENG) v Magnus Caris (SWE)
Ronnie Baxter (ENG) v Michael van Gerwen (NED)

Schedule of Play (times local, BST+1)
Thursday July 28
First Round
8.05pm Mervyn King v Co Stompe
8.35pm Alan Tabern v Colin Lloyd
9.05pm John Part v Peter Wright
9.35pm Justin Pipe v Paul Nicholson
10.05pm Simon Whitlock v Mensur Suljovic
10.35pm Phil Taylor v John Michael
11.05pm Mark Webster v Terry Jenkins
11.35pm Gary Anderson v Jamie Caven

Friday July 29
First Round
8.05pm Wayne Jones v Mark Walsh
8.35pm Jelle Klaasen v Dave Chisnall
9.05pm Ronnie Baxter v Michael van Gerwen
9.35pm Kim Huybrechts v Antonio Alcinas
10.05pm James Wade v Magnus Caris
10.35pm Adrian Lewis v Vincent van der Voort
11.05pm Wes Newton v Andy Smith
11.35pm Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton

Saturday July 30
Second Round
2.10pm Whitlock/Suljovic v Tabern/Lloyd
3.10pm Webster/Jenkins v Pipe/Nicholson
4.10pm Taylor/Michael v King/Stompe
5.10pm Anderson/Caven v Part/Wright

8.10pm Newton/Smith v Huybrechts/Alcinas
9.10pm Lewis/van der Voort v Klaasen/Chisnall
10.10pm Wade/Caris v Baxter/van Gerwen
11.10pm van Barneveld/Hamilton v Jones/Walsh

Sunday July 31
Quarter-Finals
2pm onwards
Order TBC

Semi-Finals
8pm onwards
Order TBC

Final
Approx 10.30pm

Format
First Round – Best of 11 legs
Second Round – Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals – Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals – Best of 21 legs
Final – Best of 21 legs

Prize Fund
Winner £50,000
Runner-Up £20,000
Semi-Finalists £10,000
Quarter-Finalists £7,500
Second Round Losers £5,000
First Round Losers £2,500
Total £200,000
NB – there is no bonus for a nine-dart finish

Previous Winners
2008 – Phil Taylor defeated Adrian Lewis 11-5 (Frankfurt, Germany)
2009 – Phil Taylor defeated Steve Beaton 11-3 (Hoofddorp, Holland)
2010 – Phil Taylor defeated Wayne Jones 11-1 (Dinslaken, Germany)

Draw | Schedule | Roll of Honour | History & Related News | 2010 Results | PDC Preview

Changes are afoot in the PDC; the major tournaments are being sponsored by ever more obscure companies (what the Dickens are Speedy Hire doing sponsoring darts?) and the names no longer roll off the tongue, as the upcoming Sky Bet Mobile World Matchplay demonstrates.

In fact several of the majors do not currently have a sponsor (the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship, World Cup) which reflects the global economy and must be a continual struggle for Barry Hearn and his team to find backers. Watch out for the ‘Domino’s Pizza UK & Ireland Championship League Darts’ coming soon to a laptop near you.

That is all away from the board and regardless of any suspected financial struggles darts is reported to be booming so prize money continues to rise. £400,000 is up for grabs in Blackpool next week, with a quarter of it going to the winner.

The World Matchplay is generally considered to be second only to the World Championship and a favourite of many fans. The ornate majesty of the Winter Gardens is an unlikely darts venue but is a sight to behold and a pilgrimage that all darts fans should experience.

In keeping with the sea change away from the oche there is a strong whiff of change on it. Phil Taylor is no longer the domineering force we have gotten used to and although he still goes off 11/8 favourite with tournament sponsors, Sky Bet, now is the time to take him on in the tournament he loves.

Since Rod Harrington’s back-to-back titles in 1998 & 1999 Taylor has won this event nine times out of eleven to add to his two wins in 1995 and 1997, giving him eleven in total and making this tournament his own.

Interestingly, on the two occasions another name went on the trophy (James Wade in 2007 and Colin Lloyd in 2005) Taylor did not contest the final. The two players who defeated The Power (John Part & Terry Jenkins) went on to lose the final; so knocking out the world’s best player does not always bring home the bacon.

There are two ways to look at the World Matchplay this year – either it is the continuation of the end for the established regime, or it is the beginning of a revival for the likes of Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld. I suspect it is the former and the World Matchplay will see a new name etched on Sunday 24^th July.

Barney has never triumphed in Blackpool, runner up last year is his best finish. The previous year he did not even qualify amidst the infamous kidnap ordeal that eventually came to light. He has never lost to first round opponent, Steve Brown, but there’s a first time for everything and the Dutchman is vulnerable to the fast emerging Bristolian.

Should Barney overcome the tricky first hurdle of The Bomber it is likely to be at least one of Paul Nicholson and James Wade in the next two rounds. Unless the new Unicorn darts that he has been tweeting about (3001 in 27 darts in practice) have transformed his game the world number six will find it difficult to make inroads at the Winter Gardens.

Phil Taylor has not won a major TV tournament in almost a year and is losing his grip on the full house he recently possessed. He is the defending champion of course (he demolished Steve Beaton, Kevin Painter, & Simon Whitlock en route to the final last year), and will go off favourite once more, but his pre-tournament odds lengthen as each one passes.

His first round opponent, by contrast, has had the year of his life. Since turning professional and earning his PDC tour card Mark Hylton has improved with each glimpse we get of him. Qualification for the Grand Slam of Darts in November was followed by reaching the Last 16 of the World Championship and then the quarter finals of the UK Open in June (including a 9-0 whitewash of Andy Jenkins). The world number 39 is making his Blackpool debut but  will provide a stiff challenge for the defending champion. With Mervyn King, Simon Whitlock and Gary Anderson lying in wait, Taylor’s route to a twelfth title looks tough.

So if we are expecting a new name on the trophy, who is on the shortlist?

Straight away we have to include reigning World Champion, Adrian Lewis, and reigning Premier League champion, Gary Anderson, based on form and ability rather than Blackpool pedigree. I’m still not convinced by the consistency of either player and pre-tournament it still feels like a coin toss given Lewis’s struggle to find consistency and Anderson’s recurrent double trouble.

Lewis’s six visits to Blackpool have produced a mixed bag – two first round defeats and best of a semi final – while this will be Anderson’s third attempt and he has yet to get past the Last 16. Both are genuine contenders on ability alone and the bookies have them second & third in the odds. If they hit form, nobody can stop them and a repeat of the Ally Pally final is likely.

Lewis opens against a guy who thrives on the TV stage so Kevin Painter is a tough draw first up. Anderson tackles Andy Hamilton, a player who is surprisingly on the slide and is desperate for a good showing.

Of course it might not be a new name on the trophy; James Wade won it in 2007 and comes into this fresh from lifting the UK Open in which he had to start in Friday’s first round and go on to be last man standing after a gruelling weekend of action.

The Machine is 9/1 fourth favourite and offers good value in the opposite half of the draw to Taylor. His recent mental problems were put well and truly behind him in Bolton and if the smile is still there Blackpool could see more happy times for the world number three. Jamie Caven won’t roll over in round one, however, and the dangerous Dave Chisnall could be lying in wait in round two.

Simon Whitlock’s time will surely come in a major and there is no reason why it can’t arrive this week by the seaside. Heavy scoring and clinical finishing are the Aussie’s trademarks but I suspect the Premier League took some wind out of his sails and my feeling is that he won’t bounce back just yet, recent 9-darters aside. Whitlock is on stage last at 10pm on Tuesday and given his sluggishness with late starts his first round opponent, Peter Wright, will fancy his chances of an upset.

A player at twice the odds of Whitlock who looks a more solid bet is Geordie Aussie, Paul Nicholson. Sky Bet have the Chorley based 11^th seed at 25/1 which looks too good to ignore. Luck of the draw beat The Asset in Bolton where he fell to eventual winner, James Wade, after putting out Anderson and Taylor in successive, exhausting rounds.

Nicholson prepares well, is bang in form, and is reasonably local to Blackpool. His 2010 Blackpool debut ended early with a limp 10-3 defeat to Steve Beaton but he is a very different animal this time around. With a major already to his name, the Players Championship in 2009, a second is in his sights this week.

A Wade-like knack of pulling out the shots and finishes when needed under (sometimes immense) pressure is an ability that will enable Nicholson to stand with the best at the top of the sport and contend in major tournaments. He will have to it the hard way again though as the seeding puts him in the potential path of Barney, followed by Wade, followed by Lewis if he can get past Colin Osborne in round one.

A case can be made for Mark Webster, Terry Jenkins, Mervyn King and Vincent van der Voort (recent VvdV tweet: “Why is darts so easy when you practice? Hope to bring this form to Blackpool”) but I don’t see a winner coming from this quartet in the leg race format of the World Matchplay.

Further down the betting there are three players at 50/1 who are worth keeping a keen eye on; they represent much better value and may well see a little of my money.

John Part’s quality is undoubted and his lean period is over. With titles and solid form in 2011 the twice beaten Matchplay finalist can prolong his fine run by at least matching his 2002 & 2005 final appearances. He tackles Mark Webster in round one which is arguably the tie of the round.

Local boy, Wes Newton, is desperate to do well in his ‘home’ major but has yet to taste victory at the Winter Gardens. Last year’s tie break loss to Alan Tabern was a killer but 2011 has seen The Warrior’s stock rise dramatically. World number eight and UK Open runner up is just reward for being one of the tour’s form players and Newton is a contender again this week. Wes will hope to finally get the ball rolling against The Pieman, Andy Smith.

Final mention goes to a player who has the talent to go a long way and won’t be starting tournaments at 50/1 for much longer. Since finishing as runner up to Martin Adams at Lakeside in 2010 Dave Chisnall has met every new challenge with aplomb.

Chizzy secured his PDC tour card at qualifying school with ease, banged in a 9-darter within weeks, has already claimed some major scalps, and reached the UK Open quarter finals in June. That first title is within reach and it could be a major; it could be this one. Mark Walsh will not be relishing his opening game.

These major tournaments are becoming increasingly difficult to call, as neatly illustrated by Wayne Mardle’s tweeted prediction, “It’s easy to make a case for most of the players; most have a chance.”

This is a reflection of the gap closing between Phil Taylor and the rest. It makes for tricky betting but a much more exciting sport. Long may it continue.

Predictions

Winner – Gary Anderson
Runner up – Paul Nicholson or James Wade
Each way – Dave Chisnall, Wes Newton
First round picks – John Henderson, Denis Ovens, Steve Beaton, John Part

Beat The Tipster!

Don’t forget there is still time to enter our Beat The Tipster competition. This time around we have drafted in a Mystery Guest Tipster as our regular Tipster is on holiday (not in Blackpool).

All you have to do is predict the outcome of all the matches in Blackpool and should you beat our Mystery Guest  Tipster you will be in with a chance of winning a personalised darts shirt or a new set of darts. The Mystery Tipster’s first round predictions are below so get your thinking cap on and perhaps take a cue from our preview above.

Links

World Matchplay Draw | World Matchplay Schedule | World Matchplay Roll of Honour

World Matchplay History & Related News | World Matchplay 2010 Results

World Matchplay PDC Preview

Sky Bet Outright Odds

Sky Bet First Round Matches Odds

A fan’s eye view of the FA Cup of Darts

Setting the scene

Bolton Wanderers FC have bittersweet memories of the FA Cup this year having reached the semi final stage before being thumped 5-0 by Stoke.

With the nets taken down for the summer Bolton’s home, The Reebok Stadium, opens its doors to 172 players and a legion of noisy darts fans as the tournament known as the FA Cup of Darts rolls into town.

The UK Open descends on Bolton every June and the open draw format makes it the most unpredictable, and hence, most exciting major on the PDC calendar.

For an indication of the unpredictability of this event a look at Phil Taylor’s record and the finalists of recent years is telling. Played eight, won four makes it Taylor’s worst major PDC event in terms of success; although he’s hit a few 9-darters at The Reebok.

The eight losing finalists since the first staging in 2003 are an unlikely roll call – Shayne Burgess, John Part, Mark Walsh, Barrie Bates, Vincent van der Voort, Gary Mawson, Colin Osborne and (still finding his PDC feet at the time) Gary Anderson. For most it was their first and, to date last, major final.

The nature of the open draw can be cruel or kind; sometimes giving players a comfortable route through the field, and often pairing together a couple of guys who would much rather not meet so early. The round one clash between Jelle Klaasen and Colin Lloyd is this year’s best example.

It is this ‘open’ format that ensures the eight PDC qualifying events, along with sponsors Rileys & SpeedyHire qualifiers, throw up a field where new faces can make their breakthrough and established names are thrown into the bear pit of the early rounds. James Wade, for example, will be tackling a qualifier, Davey Dodds, in round one on Thursday night due to a string of poor results in the regional qualifiers.

First to four in rounds one and two has echoes of the tournaments of yesteryear where games would often be best of three legs; bish bash bosh and off. The whole set up of the UK Open is geared towards thrills, spills and shocks and with the standard of the PDC on the rise this year should be a cracker.

So that is the back story, hopefully it will help you to care about the main characters in this tale. Your intrepid reporter will be in the thick of the action on Friday and Saturday but first a roundup of Thursday’s action.

Night One – Thursday

The first piece of news to report is that my bets were disastrous; I apologise to all the players I jinxed when saddling them with the BlueSquare kiss of death.

I used BSQ as they had the best selection of first round matches that I could find but they became as sloppy as the rest once the opening batch of games were done. Mind you, given my preceding statement it’s probably a good thing.

Two fallen giants were highlights of the main TV stage on night one – Peter Manley and Wayne Mardle have seen their stock fall dramatically over the past couple of years and although they did enough to qualify for this they were prime upset material.

Mardle managed to progress to round two in spite of a poor performance but Manley could have done with one extra dart each throw as he meekly succumbed to qualifier John Bowles. Manley left the stage smiling, prompting speculation that he knows what many suspect; that we might have seen the last on TV of one of the game’s great entertainers?

Mardle didn’t last much longer, going out with a whimper on an outer board, 4-0 to rising youngster Reece Robinson.

Elsewhere, round one saw the premature demise of Jelle Klaasen, Barrie Bates, Alex Roy, Colin Monk, Steve Hine, Kevin McDine and a recently resurgent Dennis Smith.

Some familiar names managed to sidestep potential banana skins and make it through the first two rounds and into the main draw – Colin Lloyd, John Henderson, Michael van Gerwen, Co Stompe, Steve Beaton,  Dennis Priestley, James Wade, Roland Scholten (2004 champion), Kirk Shepherd all made it safely through.

They were joined in the third round draw by a batch of qualifiers and low ranked players; the likes of Peter Hudson, Michael Smith, Sam Hill, William O’Connor, Joe Murnan, Richard North & Andrew Gilding were walking with a spring in their step and doing their shirt sponsors proud, one of whom, Manley conqueror John Bowles, had a couple of business cards taped to his shirt by opportunistic businessmen.

With midnight approaching and the crowd thinning Wor Sid and the Craft Cockney took to the stage to make the third round draw where a number of tasty ties were thrown up.

The DartsMad duo will be reporting all the action from the thick of the action of rounds three, four and five. The boards are reduced from eight to four to two, and the field is reduced from 64 to 32 to 16 as the magic of the cup is cast. We will do our best to avoid falling into the common traps of adding ‘Big’ before any mention of John Henderson and adjoining ‘Colourful’ with Peter Wright. But first some (probably pointless) predictions.

Weekend Predictions

Given the first night’s tipping disaster it is perhaps foolhardy to make any predictions here but in a Chumbawamba Tubthumping spirit we’ll have a go. First prediction is that it will be totally unpredictable. I’ll have £10 on that please.

It is difficult to look past Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson at the moment. That statement has probably sealed them to be drawn together next round but given a reasonable draw it will be difficult to see past these two for the final, as it was in 2010.

James Wade finished the Premier League campaign in great form and could be one to watch this weekend, along with Paul Nicholson fresh from his Pro Tour wins. Barney looks in good touch, as does Wes Newton, although Newton has a tough task against John Henderson.

John Part has had success on the tour this year and if he gets a good draw he could go deep. The man who defeated Part in the 2004 final, Roland Scholten, is his third round opponent.

As we established at the start there is often an unexpected face in the final and from the vast number of candidates we need to have a look at who has the pedigree or the potential, who is playing well, and who is comfortable with the floor format as well as the TV stage.

For instance, Kevin Painter (loves the TV stage) will struggle against Denis Ovens (loves the floor) on a satellite board in round three, while another good floor player, Mark Walsh, would much prefer to play Mervyn King on an outer board rather than board two, the second TV board. None of this four are comfortable with both or are playing particularly well.

Terry Jenkins might go on this shortlist but runs into Adrian Lewis straight away. Wayne Jones could have a run if the draw is favourable, as could the immensely talented Dave Chisnall. Robert Thornton is another who is finding form again and could sneak under the radar if he avoids the big names.

Of the real outsiders and qualifiers, Andrew Gilding looks to be playing well and will fancy it against an under par Andrew Hamilton. Michael Smith is making good progress in the PDC and looks a good bet to beat qualifier Sam Hill. Mark Dudbridge could be vulnerable against local lad Joe Murnan who will have all the support out on board 6.

• To win: one of Phil Taylor (who else?), Gary Anderson or Paul Nicholson
• Potential finalist: James Wade, Wes Newton, John Part
• Outsiders: Robert Thornton, Dave Chisnall
• Third round tips: Burnett to beat Lloyd, Gilding to beat Hamilton, Hylton to beat Jenkins, Ovens to beat Painter, Murnan to beat Dudbridge.

Stoke ace Lewis needs only to avoid defeat in his World Championship final rematch with Gary Anderson to join the Scot, Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld in next week’s semi-finals at the Wembley Arena.

Lewis sits two points clear of Whitlock in the league table, with the Australian facing reigning champion Taylor in Newcastle as the players complete the 14-week league season.

Whitlock would need Lewis to lose against Anderson and then to defeat Taylor – who is unbeaten since the opening league night back in February – by enough legs to overcome his leg difference with the World Champion.

“It’s mine to lose and I’m confident of getting a result against Gary,” said Lewis. “I enjoy playing him and we’ve had some great games recently.

“I think I’ve done enough to reach the top four, especially with Simon playing Phil, but I want to win against Gary to make sure I’m in the semi-finals.”

Whitlock ended a run of three straight defeats with a draw against Mark Webster last week to keep alive his slim Play-Off hopes, but admitted: “It’s out of my hands.

“All I can do is try my hardest against Phil and if I beat him then the rest takes care of itself. Its hard to prepare for the game knowing Adrian could have won before me to finish off the top four but I’ll just concentrate on myself.

“I’ve enjoyed the season but am disappointed that some missed doubles at crucial times are coming back to haunt me now where the top four is concerned, because I feel at times I’ve been good enough to reach the semis.”

Taylor goes into the game having won his last 12 matches since losing to Lewis on the opening night of the season, and produced a 109 average – his best in this year’s Premier League – in a victory over James Wade last week.

“Even though I’ve qualified for the Play-Offs it’s still an important game and I’ll be giving everything against Simon,” said Taylor.

“I’ve got to keep winning to keep that mental attitude of winning going into Wembley, and also to keep the other players under pressure.

“I’m preparing for the semi-finals and expect to be playing Adrian, but I have to beat Simon to make sure of that.”

Anderson lost a week ago to Raymond van Barneveld, who he will face in the semi-finals at Wembley, and is looking to enter the Play-Offs on a high with victory over Lewis.

“I’m disappointed with how I’ve played against Phil Taylor and Raymond in the last fortnight but I want to put it right on Thursday,” said Anderson, who also saw Lewis come from 3-0 down to win 8-3 when they met in Glasgow in March.

The night in Newcastle also gives the three players out of the running for the Play-Offs, James Wade, Terry Jenkins and Mark Webster, the chance to finish the campaign on a high.

Webster faces van Barneveld in Newcastle having ended an eight-game losing run last week with a draw against Whitlock, and said: “I’m looking forward to playing Raymond.

“I want to build on how I played against Simon last week and hopefully I can get a positive result. I haven’t done myself justice at times but I’m building for the future and want to have a good rest of the year.”

Wade takes on Jenkins in the night’s opening game, having seen his hopes of claiming a Play-Off place for the fourth successive year ended last week when he went down 8-4 to Taylor.

Thursday’s 888.com Premier League Darts will be watched by almost 7,000 fans at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, with a small number of tickets remaining for sale on 0844 493 6666 or through www.metroradioarena.co.uk.

888.com Premier League Darts
Week 14 – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
James Wade v Terry Jenkins
Mark Webster v Raymond van Barneveld
Adrian Lewis v Gary Anderson
Phil Taylor v Simon Whitlock

888sport.com Match Odds
James Wade 8/11, Draw 4/1, Terry Jenkins 21/10
Mark Webster 10/3, Draw 4/1, Raymond van Barneveld 1/2
Adrian Lewis 7/4, Draw 15/4, Gary Anderson 10/11
Phil Taylor 1/4, Draw 11/2, Simon Whitlock 6/1

888.com Premier League Darts
The Battle For Fourth Place
Adrian Lewis v Gary Anderson
Lewis only needs to avoid defeat to secure fourth place.

Phil Taylor v Simon Whitlock
A defeat for Lewis means a Whitlock win would see him move onto 13 points alongside Lewis. The Australian, though, currently trails Lewis by eight legs in leg difference, so would need to overhaul this to take fourth.

What if Lewis & Whitlock finish on 13 points with the same Leg Difference?
The deciding factor in this case would be Legs Won Against Throw (LWAT).
This currently stands at Lewis 26, Whitlock 29.
If LWAT was also equal, then the Overall League Average for each player would be the deciding factor.

Source PDC/Lawrence Lustig

PHIL TAYLOR is hoping celebrate his 100th 888.com Premier League Darts game with a revenge win over Adrian Lewis when they meet at the NIA in Birmingham on Thursday night.

Taylor suffered his heaviest – and only sixth – loss since the Premier League began in 2005 when he went down 8-2 to current World Champion Lewis at The O2 in London on the opening night of this season in February.

The reigning champion has won all nine games since to be the first player assured of a play-off place at Wembley on May 19.

After dropping just eight legs in his last four matches, 15-time World Champion Taylor is now looking to make Stoke rival Lewis pay for his heavy February triumph.

“I’m out for revenge,” said Taylor. “I wasn’t too well the last time we played but Adrian played really well that night and deserved to win.

“In theory I can relax a little bit now because I’ve qualified, but I won’t be doing that. I’m after eight nine-darters against Adrian, and I know he’s capable of hitting them too.

“I want to go out there and batter him. As much as I love him like my own son I’m going to go out there to prove a point; he’s the World Champion, I’m not.”

Lewis has slipped to fifth in the Premier League Darts table with defeats in his last two matches, and admits: “It’s a big match for me if I want to get into the play-offs.

“I’ve been disappointed with the last couple of weeks but I love playing against Phil and hopefully it will bring the best out in me.”

Gary Anderson, who is currently second in the league table, could secure his play-off place on Thursday with a victory over Simon Whitlock, and is in confident mood after defeating Taylor in the final of a Speedy Hire UK Open Qualifier last Saturday.

“Although I’m in second place, there’s still four games left and it can still turn around,” said Anderson. “I’ve got to make sure I win every game and that’s what I wanted to do, whether it’s Simon, Phil Taylor or Raymond van Barneveld.

“I was delighted with how I played at the weekend, especially on Saturday, and beating Phil Taylor – the top dog – is a big boost for me.”

Van Barneveld ground out a victory against Lewis in Sheffield last week, and has a three point gap over the fifth-placed World Champion going into Thursday’s clash with Terry Jenkins.

“Last week I didn’t play at the top of my game and I still got the win, which is important in the Premier League,” said van Barneveld, who celebrated his 44th birthday on Wednesday.

“I’m the number six in the world but I’ve beaten the World Champion twice in the Premier League, 8-5 the first time and 8-3 last week, so I’m really happy.

“There’s a gap of three points between me and him in fifth place but these are all top class darts players and anything can happen each week, we all know what Adrian can do and James Wade is still fighting for a top four place too.”

Wade, the 2009 champion, has defeated Lewis and Whitlock in the past fortnight to move two points away from the top four, and plays Mark Webster in Birmingham.

Webster defeated Wade 8-3 on the opening night in London, but has lost his last three games 8-1 in slumping to the foot of the table.

“I’ve taken advantage of some players who have underperformed in the last few weeks and I’m in the running still,” said Wade. “I’m getting better slowly and in patches I’m playing well.

“It’s been frustrating for me because it’s so close to happening, and when it all comes together a lot of people will be in trouble.”

A limited number of tickets are still available for Thursday’s 888.com Premier League Darts at the NIA in Birmingham, priced at £20 plus booking fee, by calling 0844 338 8000 or visitingwww.theticketfactory.com.

Source PDC/Lawrence Lustig

888.com Premier League Darts
Week 11 – N.I.A., Birmingham
James Wade v Mark Webster
Terry Jenkins v Raymond van Barneveld 
Simon Whitlock v Gary Anderson
Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
Tickets: 0844 338 8000 or www.theticketfactory.com

888sport.com Match Odds
James Wade 8/11, Draw 15/4, Mark Webster 9/4
Terry Jenkins 9/4, Draw 4/1, Raymond van Barneveld 4/6
Simon Whitlock 2/1, Draw 15/4, Gary Anderson 4/5
Phil Taylor 1/3, Draw 5/1, Adrian Lewis 9/2

Latest League Table

Scottish ace Anderson is the only unbeaten player following the opening two weeks of the Premier League Darts season, after defeating Simon Whitlock and Terry Jenkins in his first two matches.

He plays Welsh Webster in Belfast on Thursday, and believes he must retain his ruthless streak to see off the left-hander, who hit finishes of 170 and 160 in a defeat to Phil Taylor last week.

“I always used to struggle when I played players who I was good friends with, and it took a few people to grab me by the throat and say ‘this is your living, there’s no friends on stage’,” said Anderson.

“I have to be more ruthless and if I get a chance to rip his heart out I will, and Mark will be exactly the same.

“Mark’s playing well. He’s packed his job in and is playing darts 24/7, and you can see his game’s come on leaps and bounds.

“He’s always been a good player but now he’s finishing big and scoring a lot more 180s.”

Anderson averaged almost 100 in seeing off Whitlock at The O2 and topped 102 in winning 8-4 against Terry Jenkins last week in Nottingham, and has set his sights on breaking Phil Taylor’s record televised average of 118.66 set at the 2010 UK Open.

“What I’ve done so far is not enough – I want to show people the 120-plus averages,” said Anderson. “That’s what I’m aiming for, to prove it can be done.

“Phil has had the 118 average and I want to smash it.”

Taylor’s bid for a second successive win sees him take on Terry Jenkins in Belfast, after averaging 103 in a superb 8-5 defeat of Webster in Nottingham as he bounced back from an opening-week loss to Adrian Lewis.

“Last week was just what I needed and I’ve got to keep that up now,” said Taylor. “I’m really excited about the challenge of the Premier League again and I’ll be fighting every week.

“I want to get better and more confident each week now, but I can’t look further ahead than playing Terry Jenkins because he’s a real battler and it will be a good match in Belfast.”

World Champion Adrian Lewis will meet Raymond van Barneveld at the Odyssey Arena, with the Dutchman having hit four ton-plus finishes in a brilliant performance to see off Whitlock in Nottingham.

“Last week has given me lots of confidence,” said van Barneveld. “I’ve been working hard and playing well in practice and hopefully I can keep taking it onto the stage.”

Whitlock, meanwhile, will be bidding to claim his first win of the campaign as he enters Thursday’s clash with James Wade as the only player without a point following two weeks.

Wade took out 136 in the deciding leg of his game with Lewis last week to claim an 8-6 victory, but admitted: “I wanted to prove something last week and hopefully I can come back in Belfast with the same attitude.

“If I can have that mentality and feeling every week and every weekend then I would be a very good player, but the stupid thing with me is that I don’t always do that.”

Coverage of the 888.com Premier League Darts will be shown live on Sky Sports HD1 from 7pm on Thursday. PDCtv Subscribers outside of the UK and Ireland can also watch live via www.pdc.tv.

888.com Premier League Darts
Week Three – Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Gary Anderson v Mark Webster
Simon Whitlock v James Wade
Adrian Lewis v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Terry Jenkins

Five-time Premier League Darts champion Taylor suffered his heaviest ever defeat in the competition when he lost 8-2 to Adrian Lewis at The O2 a week ago.

That loss came on the back of a quarter-final exit loss to Thursday’s opponent Webster in the World Championship on New Year’s Day, giving Taylor a double incentive to bounce back in Nottingham.

“It was a really disappointing way to start the season and I’m working hard to put it right,” said Taylor.

“I know I’ll have to improve against Mark because he’s been playing brilliantly recently.

“He’s a great young player who’s talented and dedicated to the game and he deserved to beat me in the World Championship. That’s behind me now and it’s a new game on Thursday.”

Webster had opened his first Premier League campaign in style last week, overcoming 2009 champion James Wade 8-3 at The O2, but is expecting a Taylor backlash in Nottingham.

“I don’t read too much into Phil’s result last week because you don’t lose your quality overnight,” said Webster.

“People say class is permanent and form is temporary, and I think Phil will be fine – just hopefully not on Thursday! Hopefully I can keep playing like I have been and I can get another result against Phil.”

World Champion Lewis is looking to follow up his win over Taylor with victory in his meeting with left-hander Wade, who lost the final five legs without reply against Webster last week but has reached the Premier League’s final for the past three years.

“James has shown his quality so many times and I know he’s wanting to get back to form,” said Lewis.

“He got the win over me in the World Grand Prix final too last year so maybe there will be a bit of revenge on Thursday, but it’s a fresh game and I can’t think too much about that.

“It was great for me to start so well last week but the challenge will be to keep playing that well. It’s about being in the top four at the end of the 14 weeks so that’s my aim.”

The night will open when five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld plays Australian Simon Whitlock, with both players looking to bounce back from defeats in week one.

Two of the opening week’s winners, Terry Jenkins and Gary Anderson, clash in the other game in Nottingham as they look to remain unbeaten.

A number of tickets remain on sale for Thursday’s 888.com Premier League Darts, priced at £20 plus booking fee and available via 08444 124 624 or www.capitalfmarena.com.

888.com Premier League Darts
Week Two, February 17 – Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
Simon Whitlock v Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade v Adrian Lewis
Phil Taylor v Mark Webster
Terry Jenkins v Gary Anderson
Coverage is live in the UK on Sky Sports HD1 from 7pm.