SUPERB CHISNALL DEFEATS TAYLOR IN BARNSLEY

DAVE CHISNALL produced a superb performance to defeat Phil Taylor 6-3 and win Saturday^s Players Championship final at the Barnsley Metrodome.

St Helens star Chisnall, who knocked Taylor out of the Ladbrokes World Championship last Christmas, defeated the world number one for the second time in a ProTour decider this year with the triumph in Barnsley.

Chisnall followed up his March victory over Taylor in Reading with a brilliant display, averaging 111.80 in the final and taking out a 161, with the Stoke ace hitting a 105 average in reply but unable to fight back from 5-1 down.

Chisnall hit a 180 in the opening leg as he took the lead on tops, with Taylor trading maximums in the second before levelling in 14 darts on double eight.

Chisnall, though, won the third in 11 darts and broke in the fourth on double 13 after Taylor missed double 14 for a 145 checkout.

The St Helens ace then powered home a 161 finish to win leg five and punished three misses from Taylor at double 16 in the next to take out 101 on double 12 to lead 5-1.

Taylor hit back superbly, opening the seventh leg with scores of 180 and 171 in an 11-darter, before winning the next leg in 13 darts, with both players hitting a 180 before the 52-year-old landed a 171 and double two to pull back to within two legs.

Chisnall, though, was first to a finish in the ninth leg and took out 64 on double eight for a 14-darter to seal the win.

Chisnall also defeated Denis Ovens, Dean Winstanley, Paul Nicholson, Kim Huybrechts and Michael van Gerwen on the day, seeing off the in-form Dutch ace 6-3 in the semis and surviving five missed match darts from Belgium^s Huybrechts in the last eight.

"It^s nice to beat Phil," said Chisnall. "I^ve had a couple of good wins over him but he beat me 6-0 in the Championship League semi-finals the last time we played, so it^s nice to get revenge!

"I^m delighted and I played decent darts all day. I was dreading playing Michael in the semi-finals because he^s been the man [in form] on the circuit recently and I played well against him.

"I^ve played well all year and it^s been an exciting year, and I^m pleased with how I^ve played. I^m enjoying my darts and hopefully I can take it on into tomorrow now and do the double."

Taylor^s run to the final saw him bounce back from his loss to van Gerwen in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts last week in fine form, notably as he saw off world number four Gary Anderson 6-1 in the quarter-finals.

Taylor - who had overcome Steve Grubb, Mark Hylton, Gareth Pass and Andrew Gilding to reach the latter stages - then edged out another Scot, Robert Thornton, 6-5 in the semis by finishing 70 on tops to win the deciding leg as both players averaged over 104 in a fine contest.

Thornton and van Gerwen picked up £2,000 apiece as semi-final losers, while Huybrechts, Anderson, Arron Monk and Dennis Priestley reached the last eight.

Priestley, 62, continued his fine form by pushing van Gerwen all the way in the quarter-finals, while former World Youth Champion Monk^s reputation continues to be enhanced by reaching the last eight for the third time on the ProTour in the last two months.

Chisnall^s win puts him £4,800 clear of Simon Whitlock at the top of the ProTour Order of Merit with only one Players Championship remaining, meaning that he is likely to be the number one seed for next weekend^s Cash Converters Players Championship Finals at Butlins Minehead.

Players Championship 19
Saturday November 24, Barnsley Metrodome
First Round
Dave Chisnall (1) Bye
Denis Ovens 6-2 Adam Smith-Neale
Dean Winstanley (32) 6-5 Shaun Griffiths
Matthew Edgar 6-3 Tony West
Paul Nicholson (16) 6-1 Stephen Hardy
Reece Robinson 6-3 Paul Rowley
Andy Smith (17) 6-3 Mick Todd
Scott Coleman 6-5 Jamie Atkins
Kim Huybrechts (8) 6-1 John Part
Michael Mansell 6-0 Steve Hine
Michael Smith (25) 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Joey Palfreyman 6-3 Ian Moss
Terry Temple 6-5 Adrian Lewis (9)
Keith Stephen 6-5 Dyson Parody
Matt Clark 6-3 Colin Osborne (24)
Adam Hunt 6-0 Steven Pearson
Dennis Priestley 6-4 Justin Pipe (5)
Connie Finnan 6-2 Steve Maish
Jamie Caven (28) 6-0 Magnus Caris
Darren Webster 6-2 Mark Lawrence
Ronnie Baxter (12) 6-2 Adrian Gray
Gaz Cousins 6-5 John Henderson
Steve Beaton (21) 6-4 Stuart Kellett
Mark Frost 6-4 Nigel Birch
Michael van Gerwen (4) 6-2 Dennis Smith
Brian Woods 6-2 Mark Jones
Wayne Jones (29) 6-2 Alex Roy
Darrell Claydon 6-2 Geoff Whitworth
Andy Hamilton (13) 6-1 Darren Whittingham
Peter Hudson 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Mark Webster (20) 6-1 Barrie Bates
Darren Johnson 6-0 Toon Greebe
Simon Whitlock (2) Bye
Ross Smith 6-5 Nigel Heydon
Joe Cullen (31) 6-5 Michael Barnard
Sam Hill 6-1 Craig Pope
Peter Wright (15) 6-2 Kevin McDine
Mareno Michels 6-5 James Richardson
Arron Monk 6-5 Brendan Dolan (18)
Mike Veitch 6-2 Martin Perring
Ian White (7) 6-2 Scott Rand
Richie Howson 6-4 Alan Tabern
Jim Walker 6-3 Kevin Painter (26)
Chris Aubrey 6-3 Dave Ladley
Robert Thornton (10) 6-1 Johnny Haines
Jamie Lewis 6-3 Andrew Cornwall
Mark Walsh (23) 6-1 Steve Brown
Matt Padgett 6-4 Martyn Turner
Wes Newton (6) 6-2 William O^Connor
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Liam Kelly
Gary Anderson (27) 6-5 Les Wallace
Mark Forman 6-4 Paul Sawyer
Tony Littleton 6-4 Terry Jenkins (11)
Bernd Roith 6-3 John Scott
Steve Farmer 6-4 Vincent van der Voort (22)
Mark Stephenson 6-0 Joe Thompson
Phil Taylor (3) 6-1 Steve Grubb
Mark Hylton 6-1 Ian Jopling
Gareth Pass 6-4 James Hubbard (30)
Stuart White 6-4 Kevin Dowling
Colin Lloyd (14) 6-2 Joe Murnan
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Roland Scholten
John Bowles 6-3 Richie Burnett (19)
Daniel Day 6-5 Jerry Hendriks

Second Round
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Denis Ovens
Dean Winstanley 6-4 Matthew Edgar
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Reece Robinson
Andy Smith 6-5 Scott Coleman
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Michael Mansell
Michael Smith 6-2 Joey Palfreyman
Terry Temple 6-3 Keith Stephen
Adam Hunt 6-3 Matt Clark
Dennis Priestley 6-5 Connie Finnan
Darren Webster 6-5 Jamie Caven
Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Gaz Cousins
Steve Beaton 6-4 Mark Frost
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Brian Woods
Wayne Jones 6-1 Darrell Claydon
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Peter Hudson
Mark Webster 6-1 Darren Johnson
Ross Smith 6-4 Simon Whitlock
Joe Cullen 6-3 Sam Hill
Peter Wright 6-0 Mareno Michels
Arron Monk 6-2 Mike Veitch
Ian White 6-4 Richie Howson
Chris Aubrey 6-3 Jim Walker
Robert Thornton 6-3 Jamie Lewis
Mark Walsh 6-0 Matt Padgett
Wes Newton 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Gary Anderson 6-0 Mark Forman
Tony Littleton 6-3 Bernd Roith
Steve Farmer 6-2 Mark Stephenson
Phil Taylor 6-1 Mark Hylton
Gareth Pass 6-1 Stuart White
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Daniel Day 6-3 John Bowles
Losers £200

Third Round
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Andy Smith
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Michael Smith
Adam Hunt 6-5 Terry Temple
Dennis Priestley 6-4 Darren Webster
Ronnie Baxter 6-5 Steve Beaton
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Wayne Jones
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Mark Webster
Joe Cullen 6-5 Ross Smith
Arron Monk 6-5 Peter Wright
Ian White 6-0 Chris Aubrey
Robert Thornton 6-4 Mark Walsh
Gary Anderson 6-2 Wes Newton
Steve Farmer 6-5 Tony Littleton
Phil Taylor 6-2 Gareth Pass
Andrew Gilding 6-2 Daniel Day
Losers £400

Fourth Round
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Adam Hunt
Dennis Priestley 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Andy Hamilton
Arron Monk 6-5 Joe Cullen
Robert Thornton 6-5 Ian White
Gary Anderson 6-1 Steve Farmer
Phil Taylor 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Losers £600

Quarter-Finals
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Dennis Priestley
Robert Thornton 6-1 Arron Monk
Phil Taylor 6-1 Gary Anderson
Losers £1,000

Semi-Finals
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Phil Taylor 6-5 Robert Thornton
Losers £2,000

Final
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Phil Taylor
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000

Final - Leg-By-Leg
Dave Chisnall v Phil Taylor
0-0 - Dave Chisnall wins the bull and throws first
1-0 - Chisnall lands a 180 and takes the opening leg in 15 darts on tops.
1-1 - Chisnall opens with another maximum but Taylor replies with a 180 of his own before hitting double eight for a 14-darter.
2-1 - Chisnall scores 140, 100 and 180, and although Taylor hits a maximum of his own the St Helens man takes out 81 for an 11-darter.
3-1 - Chisnall hits three 140s, and although he initially misses double 13 to finish 81, Taylor is off-target on double 14 for a 145 finish to allow him back to hit the bed for a 13-darter to break throw.
4-1 - Chisnall takes out 161 for a brilliant 12-darter to move three legs clear.
5-1 - Taylor hits a 177 to leave 32 after 12 darts, but misses three darts at double 16 and Chisnall finishes 101 on double 12 to break throw again.
5-2 - Taylor saves the match with a superb 11-darter, hitting 180 and 171 to open the leg, and although he misses out on a nine-darter leaves 50 and finishes double 16 with Chisnall waiting on tops.
5-3 - Taylor pulls back another leg in 13 darts, scoring 134, 180 and 171 before recovering from three missed doubles to hit double two - with Chisnall adding another 180 but unable to take out 121.
6-3 - Chisnall is first to a finish, leaving 64 after 12 darts and hitting double eight for a 14-darter to seal his second victory over Taylor in a Players Championship final this year.