The BIC in Bournemouth plays host to the world’s leading players on Thursday night as Sky’s 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts arrives in town as we enter week two of the competition:
Adrian Lewis v Raymond van Barneveld
The clash between these two at the 2007 World Matchplay could be adjudged to be a real turning point in each man’s darting career. With Barney looking on course for a major grand slam that year having already scooped the World Championship, UK Open & Las Vegas Desert Classic, it was Adrian Lewis who turned in a performance that silenced his critics at that time with a 16-14 victory in one of the greatest games ever seen at the Winter Gardens. The Dutchman has failed to win a major title since and the first signs of his mental frailty were displayed in that very match having returned from one break (when behind) equipped with earplugs – something we had never seen before or since. Barney returned to action with victory over James Wade in last week’s Premier League opener to land 6/4 returns for the Barney Army. His performance was still way short of the standard required (92.98 average) in order to return to the glory days of 06 and early 07 and it makes sense that the layers continue to oppose him. He once again goes off at odds-against in tonight’s clash with Lewis (6/5). Jackpot didn’t do too much wrong in last week’s defeat to Mervyn King; having recorded a 96.2 average which was second on the night only to King’s ton plus offering. Blistering starts are what Lewis is all about with his troubles often coming later in the match with a lack of consistency – evident yet again last week. With Lewis already known to be throwing first in legs one, three & five, we fancy the 8/11 about the ‘Stokey’ being the first man to chalk up three legs.
Terry Jenkins v Simon Whitlock
It turned out to be an unhappy return to the UK for Simon Whitlock as he produced a sub-standard performance against an under-the-weather Phil Taylor at the O2 Arena last time out. With Taylor obviously there for the taking, Whitlock’s 84.2 average could only be apportioned to the fact that he had only arrived from Australia 48 hours before taking the stage and he’ll see this as a big chance of a rare victory over The Power blown. After a week of reacclimatising, we should expect to see a different Wizard in Bournemouth as he takes on world number five Terry Jenkins. The Raging Bull was involved in a scrappy encounter with Ronnie Baxter in week one and had to fight back from 7-5 down to claim his first point in the only draw of the evening. After a severing stinging at the World Championships with each way backers being rewarded at 125/1, bookmakers are unsurprisingly now taking the side of Whitlock with him being installed as 11/10 favourite here. He will need to substantially improve on last week’s showing and should he do so, it could prove to be a difficult night for Jenkins.
Phil Taylor v Ronnie Baxter
Suitably recovered from the virus that laid him low for much of last week, the real Phil Taylor will be looking to return to our screens tonight. After a relatively patchy few weeks with The Power looking beatable at the Players Championship Finals followed by last week’s 94.29 average (his second lowest for over a year in a televised tournament), it could well be Ronnie Baxter who is on the receiving end of a backlash. The Rocket’s biggest win over Taylor came almost twelve years ago in the World Matchplay and despite a couple of Pro Tour wins over The Power in the last two years, we suspect he could well be on a hiding to nothing and should remain friendless in the market at 14/1. With the great man focussed on returning to the art of demolishing all comers we look to the fact that in 23 out of his final 26 televised appearances in 2009 (excluding double-in format), he managed to average in three figures and that makes Boylesports’ offering of over three figures once again being achieved not to be missed at 4/5.
James Wade v Mervyn King
We here at puntinplay are pondering just when firms are going to wake up to the fact that Mervyn King is the real deal. Time after time underestimated by the layers, King yet again obliged at odds against in his opener with Adrian Lewis in London, posting a 101.39 average in the process – over six points more than his opponent and seven more than anyone else on show at the O2 Arena. That performance came hot-on-the-heels of his Players Championship finalist place yet the bookmakers reacted by only slightly trimming the outright odds on last year’s runner-up to 14/1 (from 18/1). He takes on current world number three James Wade in the final game of Thursday’s action. Wade was again off the boil against van Barneveld last week, with the Dutchman labouring to an 8-5 victory and remains unconvincing at the oche. True, he is more than capable of bursting into blistering form at any point but these moments are becoming less frequent and he will be in big trouble if he doesn’t go with King from the off. Last year’s Premier League saw King achieve the double over The Machine (8-1 & 8-3). He has since nailed the nine darter against Wade in South Africa as well as knocking him out of the German Darts Championship and the Players Championship Finals, averaging over 100 on both occasions. The formbook suggests one thing and one thing only – a King victory and with Sportingbet inexplicably offering 13/8 on such an eventuality, the layers can continue under-estimating our man for as long as they wish.
Verdict
Adrian Lewis to be the first to 3 legs against Raymond van Barneveld at 8/11 (Various)
Phil Taylor’s 3 dart average to be over 100.01 at 4/5 (Boylesports)
Mervyn King to beat James Wade at 13/8 (Sportingbet)
