It’s Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena for the penultimate week of the 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with just five players left in the hunt for the remaining three places in Wembley’s play-offs.
Adrian Lewis v Ronnie Baxter
Two of those looking for places on finals night face off in tonight’s opener. Adrian Lewis showed real bottle in fighting back to earn a point against Simon Whitlock in Aberdeen last week to keep alive his feint hopes of reaching the final four. Lewis realises that he will probably need a win tonight; he is a best price 10/11 to get it, as well as registering another two points next week – against a certain Philip Taylor. Ronnie Baxter is without a win since week eight yet has still managed to keep himself inside the top four. Stan James are a standout best price of 9/4 on ‘The Rocket’ returning to form tonight and clinching two points to move him ever closer to the play-offs. Baxter seemingly has the easier of the run-ins amongst those in contention with his final outing coming next week against an out-of-touch Raymond van Barneveld whilst his two main rivals (James Wade & Simon Whitlock) go head-to-head tonight and any offering on Baxter taking his place at Wembley should be snapped up.
Mervyn King v Raymond van Barneveld
Mervyn King was the latest victim of a Phil Taylor mauling last time out with the former hitting a below-par 89.98 average in going down to an 8-1 defeat to the four times Premier League Champion. The East Anglian remains in the box seat to join ‘The Power’ in the last four and would seal his place with victory tonight. He rightly assumes favouritism (general 6/5) against a semi-rejuvenated Raymond van Barneveld. Barney bagged his fourth PDC televised nine-darter in what was only his third win of this year’s competition against wooden spoon rival Terry Jenkins last week. With the Dutchman speaking so candidly after the match about his problems away from the oche and the realisation that some of the pressure may have been relieved by the fact he can no longer qualify, the layers remain cautious with only Blue Square chancing 13/8.
James Wade v Simon Whitlock
Arguably the most competitive and decisive match of the evening may come in the shape of James Wade against Simon Whitlock. The proverbial ‘six-pointer’ springs to mind here with the winner all but certain of qualifying whilst the loser must rely on results elsewhere to prolong their participation in this year’s tournament. Both men are locked on twelve points and their tournament average is pretty much identical over the course of the last four weeks. Head-to-head records provide no further assistance in splitting the pair with Wade avenging his World Championship exit to the same man with victory over the Aussie in week six of the Premier League. These are their only meetings to date. The 7-7 draw (there have been 10 in 48 matches this year) is trading at a general 7/2 with Wade favourite at 13/10 and Whitlock as big as 7/4.
Terry Jenkins v Phil Taylor
A late Terry Jenkins rally has come too late for ‘The Raging Bull’ to play any part in the final shake up as his recent winning streak was eventually ended by van Barneveld last week. His faces the complex task of inflicting a defeat on the unbeaten Phil Taylor in Newcastle tonight. Should Taylor avoid defeat tonight, and again against Adrian Lewis in Nottingham next week, then it would be the fourth time in six years that the world number one has negotiated the league stage of the Premier League unbeaten. It’s certainly a long shot that that record will come under threat tonight with Stan James & Bwin going 2/13 about Taylor leaving a general 12/1 on Jenkins (15/1 being matched on the exchanges). Sportingbet are 25/1 on an 8-0 Taylor whitewash although it’s worth noting that there have only ever been two in the tournament’s history with Taylor being responsible for one of these with his 8-0 drubbing of forgotten man ‘Hawaii 501’ Wayne Mardle in 2008.
