PHIL TAYLOR'S clash with Wayne Mardle will be among the opening day's matches at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts next month.

Taylor and Mardle were drawn alongside former world number one Colin Lloyd in the round-robin phase of the new tournament, which will be held at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall and screened live on ITV Sport.

That duo will face off in the afternoon of Saturday 17 November on ITV1, with World Champion Raymond van Barneveld also in action against Chris Mason in Group A.

The opening day of the tournament sees all 32 players in action in their first of three group games.

Taylor and Mardle have met in three major finals in the past, and 13-time World Champion Taylor said: "It will be a cracking way to start the competition.

"Wayne and I always enjoy playing each other and we've had some great battles over the years. It's only the best of nine legs so it will be very exciting."

Elsewhere in Group E, Lloyd will meet the first of the two final qualifiers from the PDC Order of Merit - currently Ronnie Baxter - while former Lakeside Champion Jelle Klaasen kicks off the tournament at midday against Shaun Greatbatch in Group D.

Saturday afternoon also sees UK Open finalist Vincent van der Voort meet Stoke's Andy Hamilton and in-form James Wade clashes with 2007 Lakeside runner-up Phill Nixon.

Joining the games involving Taylor and Mardle and van Barneveld against Mason live on ITV1 will be Gary Anderson - Scotland's winner of the International Darts League and World Darts Trophy -taking on the second PDC Order of Merit Qualifier - currently likely to be Kevin Painter.

The evening session, beginning at 7pm, will see eight more games take place, including rising star Adrian Lewis against double World Champion Dennis Priestley, Canadian John Part meeting American number one Gary Mawson and Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones versus Welshman Barrie Bates.

Sunday's second phase of round robin matches will see the two winners from Saturday in each group take on each other, and the two losers also clash.

Groups A-D - including van Barneveld, Wade, Klaasen, Terry Jenkins and Peter Manley - will play their final games on Monday 19 November, with Groups E-H - which also includes Michael van Gerwen and Mervyn King alonside the likes of Taylor, Lloyd, Part and Anderson - playing their third matches on Tuesday 20 November.

The top two players following this stage will then progress to the knockout second round.

PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts
First Round - Best of nine legs
Saturday 17 November
Afternoon Session (12pm Start)
Jelle Klaasen (NED) v Shaun Greatbatch (ENG) [Group D]
Vincent van der Voort (NED) v Andy Hamilton (ENG) [Group B]
James Wade (ENG) v Phill Nixon (ENG) [Group C]
Mark Webster (WAL) v Andy Jenkins (ENG) [Group F]
Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Scott Waites (END) [Group H]
Raymond van Barneveld (NED) v Chris Mason (ENG) [Group A]
Phil Taylor (ENG) v Wayne Mardle (ENG) [Group E]
Gary Anderson (SCO) v PDC Order of Merit Qualifier 2 [Group G]

Evening Session (7.00pm Start)
Terry Jenkins (ENG) v Charles Losper (RSA) [Group B]
Niels de Ruiter (NED) v Glenn Power (AUS) [Group C]
Adrian Lewis (ENG) v Dennis Priestley (ENG) [Group A]
Peter Manley (ENG) v Kevin McDine (ENG) [Group D]
Colin Lloyd (ENG) v PDC Order of Merit Qualifier 1 [Group E]
Roland Scholten (NED) v Mervyn King (ENG) [Group H]
John Part (CAN) v Gary Mawson (USA) [Group F]
Barrie Bates (WAL) v Wayne Jones (ENG) [Group G]

Sunday 18 November
Afternoon Session (1.00pm Start)
Evening Session (7.00pm Start)
There will be eight matches in each session, to be confirmed following the conclusion of Day One's games. The games will see each group's two winners from the first series of matches face each other on Day Two, and each group's two first game losers clash.

Monday 19 November (6pm-10pm)
Groups A-D will play their final games.

Tuesday 20 November (6pm-10pm)
Groups E-H will play their final games.

Second Round - Best of 15 legs
Wednesday 21 November (6pm-10.30pm)
Winner Group A v Runner-Up Group B (Match 1)
Winner Group B v Runner-Up Group A (Match 2)
Winner Group C v Runner-Up Group D (Match 3)
Winner Group D v Runner-Up Group C (Match 4)

Thursday 22 November (6pm-10.30pm)
Winner Group E v Runner-Up Group F (Match 5)
Winner Group F v Runner-Up Group E (Match 6)
Winner Group G v Runner-Up Group H (Match 7)
Winner Group H v Runner-Up Group G (Match 8)
This configuration will then be used as the bracket for the rest of the tournament.

Quarter-Finals - Best of 15 legs
Friday 23 November (6pm-10.30pm)
Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2 (Match 9)
Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4 (Match 10)
Winner Match 5 v Winner Match 6 (Match 11)
Winner Match 7 v Winner Match 8 (Match 12)

Semi-Finals - Best of 25 legs
Saturday 24 November (2pm-5pm)
Winner Match 9 v Winner Match 10 (Match 13)
Winner Match 11 v Winner Match 12 (Match 14)

Final - Best of 35 legs
Sunday 25 November (2pm)