Taylor Sneaks All-Stoke Final
PHIL TAYLOR'S run of superb form continued with victory in the Blue Square UK Open North-West Regional Final in Wigan.
Taylor has been back to his best over the past three weeks, and backed up his displays in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with a third final in four PDC Pro Tour events.
He went one better than in the previous Regional Final, when he lost the decider to Colin Lloyd, by seeing off Stoke rival Adrian Lewis 8-7 to claim the £6,000 winner's cheque.
He trailed 2-0 early in the final before edging in front by taking the next three.
Lewis levelled at three-all before Taylor put together legs of 11 and 12 darts - hitting seven perfect darts in one leg - and then landing double four for a 6-3 cushion.
Lewis won two of the next three before stepping in with a 110 finish after Taylor missed double 16 for the match.
Lewis then sent the contest into a decider, hitting double six with his last dart after Taylor failed to leave a double.
But Taylor showed the class of a champion in the final leg, hitting two 180s and landing double six to claim victory.
"I really enjoyed that," he said. "It was a great final and I'm very pleased because Adrian came back well at me.
"I'm practising hard and that's helping my performances. I'm looking forward to the next event now."
Taylor averaged 110.75 in whitewashing Colin Osborne 7-0 in the semi-finals, after easing past Kevin McDine 6-3 in the quarters.
He overcame Peter Wright, Alan Green and Mark Walsh in the early rounds before coming from behind to edge out Chris Mason 5-4 in the last 16.
Lewis came from 2-0 down to win his semi-final 7-2 against Chris Thompson, having previously overcome Colin Lloyd and Simon Whatley in a deciding leg.
Lloyd missed out in the quarter-finals in his bid for a third successive Regional Final win, while Thompson followed up his semi-final appearance from the Irish Regional Final last October to reach the last four again.
The Yorkshireman knocked out world number three James Wade early on, and had two whitewashes before seeing off Alan Tabern - the winner of Saturday's Players Championship - 5-4 in the last 16.
He defeated Stoke's Mark Frost 6-3 in the quarters before losing to another player from the darting hotbed, Lewis, in the semis.
Mark Dudbridge enjoyed a return to form by reaching the last 16, where he lost narrowly to Frost, and he was joined in that round by Spain's Carlos Rodriguez, who has earned a place in the Blue Square UK Open Finals in June with his run.
Dennis Priestley withdrew from the event, having reached the last 16 of Saturday's Players Championship on his return from two months recuperating from a prostate cancer operation. The two-time World Champion reported no ill-effects but was drained from Saturday's efforts.
Quarter-Final Round-Up
Colin Osborne reeled off five successive legs to defeat Alex Roy 6-3 in the first quarter-final.
Roy secured two early breaks of throw in establishing a 3-1 lead, including a 126 checkout on the bullseye, before Osborne took advantage of a missed double top to level at 3-3.
The Derby man took the seventh leg on double eight to lead for the first time in the game, and three missed doubles at double 14 and double seven in the next allowed Osborne in to extend his lead further on double top, before he landed double ten in the next for victory.
Osborne will take on Phil Taylor in the semis, after the 13-time World Champion overcame Kevin McDine 6-3.
After taking the first leg against the throw, McDine was punished for a missed double top as Taylor levelled and then pulled two legs clear in double-quick time, hitting an 11-darter in leg three and a 164 finish to take the fourth.
McDine punished four missed doubles from Taylor in the next, but Taylor won the next two to move 5-2 up.
A 92 finish saw McDine reduce the arrears, but Taylor sealed the win in style in the next, landing 177, 140 and 140 to reach the finish first and taking out double eight for a 13-darter.
Chris Thompson reached his second Blue Square UK Open Regional Final semi with a 6-3 win over Mark Frost.
Thompson made the last four in Ireland last October, and the York thrower held off Frost's challenge to progress in Wigan.
He opened up a 4-0 lead with some fine darts, breaking the throw immediately and also in leg three before Frost punished a missed double 18 to get off the mark.
Frost, a 12/1 chance at 4-0 down, made the odds compilers sweat by also taking the next two - following a string of misses from Thompson - to pull back to 4-3.
But the Yorkshireman regained his range on double eight, and landed the same bed to book his semi-final berth.
Adrian Lewis won the final last eight contest, edging out Colin Lloyd 6-5 in a thriller.
Lloyd was bidding for a third successive Regional Final win, and matched Lewis blow-for-blow throughout, with all 11 legs eventually going with the throw,
Three of the first seven legs saw both players hit 180s, while a fourth maximum from Lloyd set up a double 18 finish in the eighth as he levelled at four-all.
Lewis took the ninth on double 14 before Lloyd landed another maximum in taking the tenth to send the match into a decider.
A sixth 180 from Lloyd in the decider gave him an early edge only for scores of 125 and 123 to put Lewis on a finish. Lloyd missed the bullseye for a 110 finish, and Lewis stepped in to take out 109 on double 16 for the win.
Semi-Final Round-Up
Phil Taylor romped into the final with a 7-0 whitewash of Colin Osborne, the Stoke legend producing a sensational display to average 110.75 in the game.
He kicked off with back-to-back 13-darters, ending on double 16, before landing in the same bed for a 14-darter and a 3-0 lead without Osborne reaching a double.
Osborne landed two 180s in the next leg, only for one from Taylor in between to set up an 81 finish, which he took out on the bullseye for a 12-darter.
Five missed doubles from Osborne in the next allowed Taylor in to take a 5-0 lead on double eight, and a 14-darter took him to the brink of victory.
Another maximum from Taylor in the next pushed him clear, and he returned to the oche after a missed double 16 from Osborne to seal the win, once more on double 16.
Adrian Lewis came from 2-0 down to book his place in the final with a fine 7-2 defeat of Chris Thompson.
The Yorkshireman made a brilliant start, landing a maximum in breaking Lewis' throw in the opening leg and then hitting double five to double his lead.
Lewis kicked into gear with a maximum in taking the next, and a 171 set up a 135 finish in the next - which he took out on the bullseye, with Thompson waiting on 133, to level.
A 13-darter saw him hit the front at 3-2 and he took the next three to lead 6-2.
Thompson opened the next with a maximum, but a missed double top for a 120 finish allowed Lewis in, and he completed the win on the same bed to progress.
Blue Square UK Open North-West Regional Final
Taylor has been back to his best over the past three weeks, and backed up his displays in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts with a third final in four PDC Pro Tour events.
He went one better than in the previous Regional Final, when he lost the decider to Colin Lloyd, by seeing off Stoke rival Adrian Lewis 8-7 to claim the £6,000 winner's cheque.
He trailed 2-0 early in the final before edging in front by taking the next three.
Lewis levelled at three-all before Taylor put together legs of 11 and 12 darts - hitting seven perfect darts in one leg - and then landing double four for a 6-3 cushion.
Lewis won two of the next three before stepping in with a 110 finish after Taylor missed double 16 for the match.
Lewis then sent the contest into a decider, hitting double six with his last dart after Taylor failed to leave a double.
But Taylor showed the class of a champion in the final leg, hitting two 180s and landing double six to claim victory.
"I really enjoyed that," he said. "It was a great final and I'm very pleased because Adrian came back well at me.
"I'm practising hard and that's helping my performances. I'm looking forward to the next event now."
Taylor averaged 110.75 in whitewashing Colin Osborne 7-0 in the semi-finals, after easing past Kevin McDine 6-3 in the quarters.
He overcame Peter Wright, Alan Green and Mark Walsh in the early rounds before coming from behind to edge out Chris Mason 5-4 in the last 16.
Lewis came from 2-0 down to win his semi-final 7-2 against Chris Thompson, having previously overcome Colin Lloyd and Simon Whatley in a deciding leg.
Lloyd missed out in the quarter-finals in his bid for a third successive Regional Final win, while Thompson followed up his semi-final appearance from the Irish Regional Final last October to reach the last four again.
The Yorkshireman knocked out world number three James Wade early on, and had two whitewashes before seeing off Alan Tabern - the winner of Saturday's Players Championship - 5-4 in the last 16.
He defeated Stoke's Mark Frost 6-3 in the quarters before losing to another player from the darting hotbed, Lewis, in the semis.
Mark Dudbridge enjoyed a return to form by reaching the last 16, where he lost narrowly to Frost, and he was joined in that round by Spain's Carlos Rodriguez, who has earned a place in the Blue Square UK Open Finals in June with his run.
Dennis Priestley withdrew from the event, having reached the last 16 of Saturday's Players Championship on his return from two months recuperating from a prostate cancer operation. The two-time World Champion reported no ill-effects but was drained from Saturday's efforts.
Quarter-Final Round-Up
Colin Osborne reeled off five successive legs to defeat Alex Roy 6-3 in the first quarter-final.
Roy secured two early breaks of throw in establishing a 3-1 lead, including a 126 checkout on the bullseye, before Osborne took advantage of a missed double top to level at 3-3.
The Derby man took the seventh leg on double eight to lead for the first time in the game, and three missed doubles at double 14 and double seven in the next allowed Osborne in to extend his lead further on double top, before he landed double ten in the next for victory.
Osborne will take on Phil Taylor in the semis, after the 13-time World Champion overcame Kevin McDine 6-3.
After taking the first leg against the throw, McDine was punished for a missed double top as Taylor levelled and then pulled two legs clear in double-quick time, hitting an 11-darter in leg three and a 164 finish to take the fourth.
McDine punished four missed doubles from Taylor in the next, but Taylor won the next two to move 5-2 up.
A 92 finish saw McDine reduce the arrears, but Taylor sealed the win in style in the next, landing 177, 140 and 140 to reach the finish first and taking out double eight for a 13-darter.
Chris Thompson reached his second Blue Square UK Open Regional Final semi with a 6-3 win over Mark Frost.
Thompson made the last four in Ireland last October, and the York thrower held off Frost's challenge to progress in Wigan.
He opened up a 4-0 lead with some fine darts, breaking the throw immediately and also in leg three before Frost punished a missed double 18 to get off the mark.
Frost, a 12/1 chance at 4-0 down, made the odds compilers sweat by also taking the next two - following a string of misses from Thompson - to pull back to 4-3.
But the Yorkshireman regained his range on double eight, and landed the same bed to book his semi-final berth.
Adrian Lewis won the final last eight contest, edging out Colin Lloyd 6-5 in a thriller.
Lloyd was bidding for a third successive Regional Final win, and matched Lewis blow-for-blow throughout, with all 11 legs eventually going with the throw,
Three of the first seven legs saw both players hit 180s, while a fourth maximum from Lloyd set up a double 18 finish in the eighth as he levelled at four-all.
Lewis took the ninth on double 14 before Lloyd landed another maximum in taking the tenth to send the match into a decider.
A sixth 180 from Lloyd in the decider gave him an early edge only for scores of 125 and 123 to put Lewis on a finish. Lloyd missed the bullseye for a 110 finish, and Lewis stepped in to take out 109 on double 16 for the win.
Semi-Final Round-Up
Phil Taylor romped into the final with a 7-0 whitewash of Colin Osborne, the Stoke legend producing a sensational display to average 110.75 in the game.
He kicked off with back-to-back 13-darters, ending on double 16, before landing in the same bed for a 14-darter and a 3-0 lead without Osborne reaching a double.
Osborne landed two 180s in the next leg, only for one from Taylor in between to set up an 81 finish, which he took out on the bullseye for a 12-darter.
Five missed doubles from Osborne in the next allowed Taylor in to take a 5-0 lead on double eight, and a 14-darter took him to the brink of victory.
Another maximum from Taylor in the next pushed him clear, and he returned to the oche after a missed double 16 from Osborne to seal the win, once more on double 16.
Adrian Lewis came from 2-0 down to book his place in the final with a fine 7-2 defeat of Chris Thompson.
The Yorkshireman made a brilliant start, landing a maximum in breaking Lewis' throw in the opening leg and then hitting double five to double his lead.
Lewis kicked into gear with a maximum in taking the next, and a 171 set up a 135 finish in the next - which he took out on the bullseye, with Thompson waiting on 133, to level.
A 13-darter saw him hit the front at 3-2 and he took the next three to lead 6-2.
Thompson opened the next with a maximum, but a missed double top for a 120 finish allowed Lewis in, and he completed the win on the same bed to progress.
Blue Square UK Open North-West Regional Final
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Final Phil Taylor 8-7 Adrian Lewis Winner £6,000 Runner-Up £3,000 |
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Semi-Finals Phil Taylor 7-0 Colin Osborne Adrian Lewis 7-2 Chris Thompson Losers £1,600 |
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Quarter-Finals Colin Osborne 6-3 Alex Roy Phil Taylor 6-3 Kevin McDine Chris Thompson 6-3 Mark Frost Adrian Lewis 6-5 Colin Lloyd Losers £800 |
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Fifth Round Alex Roy 5-2 Terry Jenkins Colin Osborne 5-3 Dave Askew Phil Taylor 5-4 Chris Mason Kevin McDine 5-3 Carlos Rodriguez Chris Thompson 5-4 Alan Tabern Mark Frost 5-4 Mark Dudbridge Adrian Lewis 5-3 Kirk Shepherd Colin Lloyd 5-1 John MaGowan Losers £400 |
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Fourth Round Alex Roy 5-2 Steve Brown Terry Jenkins 5-2 Matt Clark Dave Askew 5-3 Jamie Harvey Colin Osborne 5-4 Steve Evans Chris Mason 5-4 Michael van Gerwen Phil Taylor 5-0 Mark Walsh Carlos Rodriguez 5-4 Jamie Caven Kevin McDine 5-1 Taro Yachi Chris Thompson 5-0 Ken Dobson Alan Tabern 5-0 Mick Savvery Mark Dudbridge 5-4 Jelle Klaasen Mark Frost 5-1 Paul Knighton Adrian Lewis 5-4 Simon Whatley Kirk Shepherd 5-4 Mervyn King John MaGowan 5-3 Adrian Gray Colin Lloyd 5-2 Ronnie Baxter Losers £200 |
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Third Round Steve Brown 5-2 Andy Gourlay Alex Roy 5-3 Alan Caves Matt Clark 5-3 Kevin Dowling Terry Jenkins 5-3 Wayne Atwood Dave Askew 5-3 Darren Johnson Jamie Harvey 5-4 Shayne Burgess Colin Osborne 5-1 Chris Cooper Steve Evans 5-2 Steve Maish Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Roland Scholten Chris Mason 5-3 Tony Eccles Phil Taylor 5-1 Alan Green Mark Walsh 5-2 Andy Smith Jamie Caven 5-3 Wayne Mardle Carlos Rodriguez 5-0 Darren Sutton Taro Yachi 5-1 Stuart Holden Kevin McDine 5-2 Alan Reynolds Chris Thompson 5-4 James Wade Ken Dobson 5-4 Steve Beaton Mick Savvery 5-3 Darrell Thorpe Alan Tabern 5-3 Owen Caffrey Jelle Klaasen 5-3 Andy Hamilton Mark Dudbridge 5-3 Steve Hine Paul Knighton 5-2 Jason Barry Mark Frost 5-3 Tony Ayres Simon Whatley 5-2 Peter Manley Adrian Lewis 5-3 Jamie Robinson Mervyn King 5-3 Vincent van der Voort Kirk Shepherd 5-3 John Kuczynski Adrian Gray 5-3 Dennis Smith John MaGowan 5-4 Denis Ovens Colin Lloyd 5-2 John Ferrell Ronnie Baxter 5-4 Kevin Harris Losers £100 |
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Second Round Steve Brown 5-2 Paul Cooper Andy Gourlay 5-3 Jimmy Mann Alex Roy 5-2 Lee Holden Alan Caves 5-2 Gary Barnett Matt Clark 5-3 Andy Howarth Kevin Dowling 5-2 Mark Stephenson Wayne Atwood 5-1 Ricky Williams Terry Jenkins 5-2 Chris Beeston Dave Askew 5-3 Garry Clamp Darren Johnson 5-3 Matt Jackson Jamie Harvey 5-2 Barrie Bates Shayne Burgess 5-2 Kevin Painter Chris Cooper 5-3 Dave Ladley Colin Osborne 5-1 Stephen Hardy Steve Maish 5-1 Ian Lever Steve Evans 5-4 Robbie Parker Roland Scholten 5-4 James Barton Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Scott Marsh Tony Eccles 5-1 Robert Watson-Lang Chris Mason 5-1 Kelvin Painter Alan Green 5-0 Peter Edmonds Phil Taylor 5-1 Peter Wright Mark Walsh 5-4 Pat Orreal Andy Smith 5-1 Frazer Hill Jamie Caven 5-2 Richard Foster Wayne Mardle 5-2 Brendan Dolan Darren Sutton Bye (Dennis Priestley - withdrawn) Carlos Rodriguez 5-3 Lionel Sams Stuart Holden 5-1 John Part Taro Yachi 5-4 Wayne Jones Alan Reynolds 5-2 Alan Warriner-Little Kevin McDine 5-3 Louis Blundell James Wade 5-1 Russell Mason Chris Thompson Bye (Richie Burnett - did not attend) Ken Dobson 5-3 Colin Monk Steve Beaton 5-0 Nick Fulwell Darrell Thorpe 5-4 Mick McGowan Mick Savvery 5-2 Gary Mawson Alan Tabern 5-2 Gary Noonan Owen Caffrey 5-4 Tom Wilson Jelle Klaasen 5-2 Martyn Turner Andy Hamilton 5-3 Chris Oprey Mark Dudbridge 5-3 Dave Honey Steve Hine 5-2 Sean Cain Paul Knighton 5-4 Steve Smith Jason Barry 5-1 Ben Burton Mark Frost 5-4 Wes Newton Tony Ayres 5-1 Dave Jowett Simon Whatley 5-2 Martin Burchell Peter Manley 5-4 Dave Smith Adrian Lewis 5-0 Tony Littleton Jamie Robinson 5-2 Gary Welding Vincent van der Voort 5-4 Garry Spedding Mervyn King 5-0 Dale Pinch Kirk Shepherd 5-0 Michael Smith John Kuczynski 5-1 Pete Allen Dennis Smith 5-0 Darren Whittingham Adrian Gray 5-0 Tom Martin Denis Ovens 5-4 Alan Priestley John MaGowan 5-3 Jason Crawley John Ferrell 5-2 Steve Musson Colin Lloyd 5-1 Eddie Lovely Ronnie Baxter 5-1 Peter Walford Kevin Harris 5-2 Rico Vonck |
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First Round Paul Cooper 5-4 Matt Chapman Andy Gourlay 5-2 Brian Whybrow Lee Holden 5-4 Ian Eames Gary Barnett 5-3 Sean Dowling Andy Howarth 5-4 Chris Allen Mark Stephenson 5-4 Scott Kirchner Ricky Williams 5-3 Aaron Monk Chris Beeston 5-4 Bob Crawley Garry Clamp 5-3 Darren Green Matt Jackson 5-4 Jimmy Dunlop Jamie Harvey 5-2 Richard Plowman Shayne Burgess 5-1 Jonathan Overton Chris Cooper 5-2 Dan Cook Stephen Hardy 5-4 Mark Jodrill Ian Lever 5-4 Jim Young Robbie Parker 5-1 Sean Whyte James Barton 5-1 Dean Stewart Scott Marsh 5-3 Robbie Newland Robert Watson-Lang 5-3 Danny King Kelvin Painter 5-1 Karl Loiseau Peter Edmonds 5-4 Mark Tiller Peter Wright 5-3 Ian Walters Pat Orreal 5-1 Brian Jones Frazer Hill 5-4 Daniel Sare Richard Foster 5-1 Ian Critchett Brendan Dolan 5-1 Darrell Townsend Darren Sutton 5-2 Ben Simpson Carlos Rodriguez 5-0 Lee White Stuart Holden 5-3 John Quantock Taro Yachi 5-3 Darren Latham Alan Reynolds 5-1 Gary Blades Louis Blundell 5-1 Darren Moulsley Russell Mason 5-0 Mark Carter Chris Thompson 5-0 Dave Ansell Ken Dobson 5-0 Nigel Birch Nick Fulwell 5-3 Rick Andrews Darrell Thorpe 5-4 Ian Jopling Mick Savvery 5-3 Danny Pinhorne Gary Noonan 5-0 Richard McLaughlin Tom Wilson Bye (Jimmy O'Regan) Martyn Turner 5-1 Paul Williams Chris Oprey 5-2 Geoff Daniels Dave Honey 5-1 Steve Cupitt Sean Cain 5-1 Steve Grubb Paul Knighton 5-1 Matt Sheehan Ben Burton 5-1 Paul Anthony Mark Frost 5-2 Michael Barnard Tony Ayres 5-2 Andy Pearson Simon Whatley 5-1 Lee Williams Dave Smith 5-0 Jim Leighton Tony Littleton 5-2 Jon Archer Jamie Robinson 5-1 David Platt Garry Spedding 5-3 Peter Aleman Dale Pinch 5-1 Andy Mason Michael Smith 5-1 Lee Palfreyman Pete Allen 5-2 Chris Daglish Darren Whittingham 5-3 Norman Fletcher Tom Martin 5-4 Steve Lane Alan Priestley 5-3 Kieran Leal Jason Crawley 5-3 Kevin Reade Steve Musson 5-4 Joey Palfreyman Eddie Lovely 5-1 James Keogh Peter Walford 5-0 Lyndon Davies Kevin Harris 5-2 Chris Sargeant |
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Preliminary Round |