Terry Jenkins & Mervyn King were on the receiving end of first round losses in Blackpool last night and tonight sees the start of Phil Taylor's bid to become World Matchplay Champion for an 11th time.
Colin Lloyd v Kevin Painter
2005 champion Colin Lloyd kicks off his campaign against former county counterpart Kevin Painter. Lloyd has had a torrid time on the Blackpool stage since taking out that famous 170 to take the pot against John Part five years ago, having won only one game since at the Winter Gardens. 2010 started with the Essex man averaging over 100 on a couple of occasions at January’s Players Championship and he has followed that up with two tour titles. Painter is a man who usually saves his best for the big stage (although he hasn’t progressed past the last 16 here in nine attempts) and struggles on the floor. A pair of semi final appearances have been ‘The Artist’s’ best return off a mediocre season and he remains winless tournament-wise for over four years on the circuit. Painter was on the receiving end of one of those 100 averages in losing 8-4 to ‘Jaws’ at Purfleet and is seen as the even money outsider of the two here tonight. Normally regarded as such a big 180 hitter, Painter has only mustered two maximums in each of his previous three matches on TV and with ‘The Artist’ seemingly off the boil in 2010, Lloyd is value at 5/2 to take the honours.
Mark Walsh v Mark Dudbridge
If this game was to be played out on the floor then Mark Walsh would be a whole lot shorter than the 8/13 on offer at Skybet & William Hill. Despite progressing past the last 16 of a UK TV major on just one occasion, the Hertfordshire man remains one of the hottest properties on the circuit having notched six titles in the last 18 months. Two of those have come in this calendar year along with a further six semi final appearances or better. This will be Walsh’s ninth attempt at the Matchplay and his hoodoo on the box must surely come to an end sooner rather than later. Opponent Mark Dudbridge is a former runner up (2004) at the World Matchplay and is a regular qualifier for the big TV events. His performances on the circuit in 2010 have been nothing to write home about and he is available to back at 6/4. In twelve meetings to date (none of which on TV), the pair have taken six apiece.
Phil Taylor v Barrie Bates
Welshman Barrie Bates returns after a two-year absence at the Matchplay charged with the ultimate task of taking out Phil Taylor. Bates qualified for this event by virtue of a first tour win for four years in Crawley in March and can be backed at over 30/1 on the exchanges to beat Taylor who is as short as 1/100 with Skybet. Bates, who is ranked at number 35 in the PDC rankings, has previous in beating the great man at the final of a Players Championship in Holland in late 2006. Prices and handicaps suggest that we are looking at a 10-3 or 10-4 ‘Power’ victory and should that be the case, the 5/6 offered by Paddy Power on Bates’ highest checkout being below 75.5 is of interest. Also of note is the relatively low mark set by the spread firms on the forecasted number of 180s hit by Bates. Sporting Index set their line at 1-3 – 1.6 and although Bates is expected to be on the receiving end of a hammering, two (and hopefully beyond) 180s in at least ten legs is most definitely attainable. He hit four in his last appearance on TV in a 4-0 defeat to Kevin McDine at Alexandra Palace.
Paul Nicholson v Steve Beaton
Paul Nicholson left it late to secure his place here this week. The Aussie went into the final qualifying event in Las Vegas having to better Gary Anderson’s result in order to make the cut which he duly obliged with. Nicholson has made moderate impact on the circuit since pocketing the £60,000 winner’s cheque from the Players Championship, where he averaged 93-96, and has only reached one semi final and one quarter final on tour. The self-proclaimed bad boy of darts usually saves his best for the big screen and was unlucky in going down 9-7 to eventual finalist Anderson at the last TV major in June. Steve Beaton has enjoyed a renaissance at the top level and managed to catapult himself into the world’s top twenty after a fine autumn in the PDC. The 1996 Lakeside champion has not quite reached the heights this season and was one of Nicholson’s victims en route to lifting the Players Championship. Snippets of 8/15 about Nicholson are slowly starting to become 1/2 with Bwin going a standout 17/10 on ‘The Bronzed Adonis’.
Verdict
Colin Lloyd to hit more 180s than Kevin Painter at 5/2 (Various)
Barrie Bates highest checkout to be under 75.5 at 5/6 (Paddy Power)
Buy Barrie Bates 180s against Phil Taylor at 1.6 (Sporting Index)
