Holsten Premier League Darts Results
Colin Lloyd 3-8 Ronnie Baxter
Peter Manley 8-5 Wayne Mardle
Raymond van Barneveld 8-3 Roland Scholten
Ronnie Baxter 4-8 Phil Taylor
RAYMOND VAN
BARNEVELD kept up the pressure on Holsten
Premier League Darts leader Phil Taylor as the
pair continued their winning starts to the 2006
campaign in Aberdeen.
Taylor has now won
his opening four games of the year following an
8-4 win against Ronnie Baxter.
The defending
champion was again in excellent form to continue
his 100 percent start
to this year's tournament.
"Ronnie defeated
Colin quite easy earlier tonight and that can
settle your nerves, but he was a little
spasmodic in this game," said Taylor.
"It was a funny
game, Ronnie was a little spasmodic," said
Taylor. "The aim is to make it into the
play-offs, so I'm still on track and it's great
to keep winning."
Dutch star van
Barneveld overcame fellow countryman Roland
Scholten to win his third game in as many
attempts with a superb 8-3 triumph.
"It wasn't my best
game but Roland didn't play to his best," said
Barneveld.
"I still averaged
30 a dart, but I will need to improve to beat
Phil Taylor. We play in Bournemouth and I'll be
doubling my practice ahead of that one."
Baxter opened his
account for the year with a 8-3 defeat of Colin
Lloyd in the night's first game, and Peter
Manley also got off the mark by defeating Wayne
Mardle.
COLIN LLOYD 3-8
RONNIE BAXTER
RONNIE BAXTER
roared to his first win of the 2006 Holsten
Premier League Darts with a brilliant victory
over world number on Colin Lloyd.
The Premier League
newcomer lost his opening two games of the
tournament, but found top gear to punish some
sloppy finishing from Lloyd.
The Essex thrower
took out 96 to win the opening leg before Baxter
levelled matters.
The Swindon-based
star then took the next four legs without reply
to go into the break 5-1 up - with Lloyd missing
doubles to win each leg.
Lloyd landed
maximum 180's on his way to pulling back the
seventh and ninth legs, but finishes of 97 and
98 ensured at least a point for Baxter at 7-3.
Baxter then
wrapped up victory by hitting double 20 when
Lloyd wasted three darts for the leg to move off
the mark in the Premier League.
"I'm absolutely
ecstatic," he said. "My finishing was a lot
better than the first two games I played.
"If I'd been like
that in the first two games I'd be unbeaten!
Colin missed a few doubles but I took mine out
and that was the difference.
"This is awesome,
absolutely awesome. I've been looking forward to
this week since the fixtures were announced and
the crowd were brilliant."
PETER MANLEY
8-5 WAYNE MARDLE
PETER MANLEY
ended his losing run to gain his first victory
of the 2006 Holsten Premier League, defeating
Wayne Mardle 8-5.
Manley won both
matches against Mardle in last year's Premier
League, and continued that run with a strong
display in Aberdeen.
He set out his
stall early on, winning the opening three legs
before Mardle found his range.
The Essex showman
pulled back the next three legs to level matters
going into the break, before Manley then
repeated his treble to move 6-3 up - including a
127 checkout,
the biggest of the night - landing him a £1000
bonus.
Mardle landed
double two in the tenth leg to save the match,
but Manley took the next to seal at least a
point at 7-4.
Mardle hit double
nine to stay in contention, but Manley's
accuracy on double top saw him seal his first
points of the year.
"It's about time!"
admitted Manley. "I missed out on four points in
the first two weeks because I had close games
with Roland Scholten and Colin Lloyd.
"I don't think we
both played particularly well in the first six
legs and 3-3 was probably a fair scoreline.
"But it was all
about who would come out firing after the break
and I did that."
RAYMOND VAN
BARNEVELD 8-3 ROLAND SCHOLTEN
RAYMOND VAN
BARNEVELD won the battle of the Dutch
players to maintain his perfect
start to the Holsten Premier League darts with a
comfortable win over Roland Scholten.
The four-times
World Champion made a blistering start against
his fellow countryman in their first meeting in
the PDC.
Barneveld was 4-0
up in double-quick time, including a 124 finish
in the third leg.
He missed doubles
to win the fifth, with Scholten hitting double
ten with his third dart to open his account.
Barneveld took the
next two to move 6-1 up, although his opponent
fought to stay in the game by winning the eighth
and tenth legs.
His fightback
ended though when Barneveld took control of the
next, and he took out double 16 to record a
third win in as many matches.
"The first four or
five legs were good," he admitted.
"It wasn't my best
game but I was surprised that Roland didn't play
to his best - although it's hard to play against
a good friend but I think he will still finish
in the top four.
"I still averaged
30 a dart, but I will need to improve to beat
Phil Taylor. We play in Bournemouth and I'll be
doubling my practice ahead of that one."
RONNIE BAXTER
4-8 PHIL TAYLOR
PHIL TAYLOR'S
unbeaten start to the 2006 Holsten Premier
League Darts continued with an 8-4 win over
Ronnie Baxter.
Baxter had gained
his first win of the year in the night's opening
game, but could not cope with an irresistible
Taylor when he returned for the fourth, and
final, clash at the AECC.
Taylor landed four
maximum 180's and also hit an 11-dart leg on his
way to a fourth win in as many games.
Baxter also took
out an 11-dart leg, but that merely cut the
deficit to 6-3 as Taylor moved ominously towards
victory.
He also stepped in
to keep the game alive with double top in the
11th leg, but Taylor landed a bullseye finish to
complete matters.
"Ronnie defeated
Colin quite easy earlier tonight and that can
settle your nerves, but he was a little
spasmodic in this game," said Taylor.
"It was a funny
game, different for me and I'm still learning
even after 16 years as a professional.
"The aim is to
make it into the play-offs, so I'm still on
track and it's great to keep winning."
