VAN GERWEN MOVES CLEAR IN McCOY^S PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS TABLE WITH SHEFFIELD DOUBLE

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN moved clear at the top of the McCoy^s Premier League Darts table with wins over Phil Taylor and James Wade at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, as Raymond van Barneveld and Simon Whitlock also picked up key victories.

Dutch star van Gerwen enjoyed a memorable night in Sheffield, overcoming reigning Premier League champion Taylor 7-3 before returning to the stage to see off 2009 winner Wade 7-5.

The wins mean that van Gerwen sits two points clear of Wade in the league table with four league nights remaining before the top two progress to the Play-Offs next month.

Van Gerwen was at his brilliant best as he swept past world number one Taylor in their repeat of January^s World Championship final.

On that day, Taylor had hit back from behind to claim the win, but van Gerwen followed up taking an early 4-1 lead by defying Taylor^s fightback to 5-3 by going on to complete the victory with six 180s and a 103.90 average.

Van Gerwen later returned to the stage to see off Wade 7-5, although after taking a 6-2 lead was made to work hard before sealing the victory with a 13-darter in the deciding leg.

"It^s been an amazing night for me," said van Gerwen. "Coming here I knew it would be a dream to win both matches and to be clear at the top of the table, so I^m very happy to have done that.

"I think I did very well and it puts me in a very good position. It was difficult to play two of the best players in the world, so to walk away with two wins is bonus.

"Last time I played Phil I missed five darts to beat him but tonight it was a fair result and I was the better player tonight.

"James is always a tough player to play but I was maybe too relaxed against him, but I got the win and it doesn^t matter how I did that."

Wade had earlier picked up his sixth win of the season as he powered past Adrian Lewis 7-2, hitting five 180s and averaging 103.91 in another hugely impressive display.

Wade was later joined on 14 points in the table by Raymond van Barneveld, who overcame Andy Hamilton 7-5 in a see-saw encounter.

The Dutchman took the game^s first three legs and also led 4-1 before Hamilton won four successive legs to edge ahead - only for van Barneveld to hit a brace of double eight checkouts to lead 6-5 before sealing the victory with a 14-darter in the deciding leg.

"I^m very happy with that but when Andy went 5-4 up I thought I^d thrown it away," admitted van Barneveld. "Luckily for me he didn^t play his A-game in the last three or four legs, but I hit some crucial shots.

"In the past I might have lost that game, and when I was 5-4 down I was hoping for a draw so I^m happy to have come away with the win in the end.

"There^s still pressure because you can^t afford to lose, and with two matches next week in Dublin - against Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor - there^s going to be a lot of pressure on me, but I^m looking forward to it."

Taylor^s defeat to van Gerwen means that he has now lost four league games in a Premier League regular season for the first time since the tournament was introduced in 2005.

He now sits a point behind fourth-placed Robert Thornton and remains level with Hamilton on ten points as the battle for Play-Off places continues.

Australian ace Simon Whitlock, who began the night at the foot of the table on six points following last week^s elimination of Wes Newton and Gary Anderson, kick-started his challenge to reach the top four with a fine display to defeat Thornton 7-4.

Thornton led 4-2 at one stage in the contest, but Whitlock took the next five legs without reply to claim victory, punishing missed doubles from the Scot as well as ending the game with six 180s.

"I don^t like being eighth and I^ll be fighting all the way to try and make the Play-Offs," said Whitlock. "I^m grateful of getting the two points and I want to get on a roll now.

"I^ve got a figure in my mind of needing a minimum of 15 points to make the Play-Offs and I^m on eight points now, so I know what I need to do."

Whitlock^s win saw him jump above Adrian Lewis, whose sixth defeat of the season sees him remain on seven points, four adrift of the top four going into his final six matches.

The tournament continues next Thursday when the eight stars visit The O2 in Dublin, with a 9,000-plus sell-out crowd set to see six matches on the night.

Van Gerwen will face both van Barneveld and Lewis, while the five-time World Champion also takes on Taylor in a night which could prove crucial.

Reigning champion Taylor also meets Hamilton, who doubles up against Whitlock, while Thornton plays Wade in the night^s other contest.

McCoy^s Premier League Darts
Week Ten
April 11 - Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Robert Thornton 4-7 Simon Whitlock
Adrian Lewis 2-7 James Wade
Michael van Gerwen 7-3 Phil Taylor
Andy Hamilton 5-7 Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade 5-7 Michael van Gerwen

Latest League Table

Match Information
Robert Thornton v Simon Whitlock
0-0 - Robert Thornton will throw first
1-0 - Thornton finishes double two to win the opening leg.
1-1 - Whitlock opens with a 180 before finishing 67 on double 16 to level.
1-2 - Thornton lands a 180, but Whitlock breaks throw on double 16.
2-2 - Thornton hits consecutive 180s before finishing tops for an 11-darter.
3-2 - Whitlock posts a second maximum, but Thornton again finishes double top as he edges back ahead.
4-2 - Thornton picks up another break of throw by maintaining his superb record on tops.
4-3 - Thornton adds a fourth 180 of the game, but this time misses darts at double top, ten, five, two and one to allow the Australian in on tops to break back.
4-4 - Whitlock posts a maximum and again lands tops as he squares the game.
4-5 - Thornton again misses his chance on tops, and Whitlock finishes 64 to move ahead.
4-6 - Thornton opens with a 180 before Whitlock replies in kind, and when the Scot misses three darts at double four, the Australian returns from an earlier miss to land a third-dart double four to ensure at least a draw.
4-7 - Whitlock kicks off with two 180s, and although a potential nine-darter goes begging, he finishes double eight for a 13-darter to seal a crucial victory - after Thornton, needing 116, misses the single 16 which would have left tops.

Adrian Lewis v James Wade
0-0 - Adrian Lewis will throw first
0-1 - Wade initially misses three darts to break before returning to pin double two to win the opener.
0-2 - Wade opts against throwing for the bull as he leaves 40, with Lewis missing double 16 to punish that with a 152 checkout before the left-hander lands a third-dart double ten to move two legs up.
0-3 - Wade posts a 180 and pins tops to break throw again.
1-3 - The pair trade 180s before Lewis finishes 81 on double 13 to win his first leg of the game with a 12-darter.
1-4 - Wade kicks off the leg with a maximum before again posting tops to break back.
1-5 - The left-hander lands his fourth 180 before, in the same spot, hitting tops to move four legs clear.
2-5 - Lewis takes out 85 on double five to win his second leg of the game.
2-6 - Wade finishes 83 on tops to ensure at least a point.
2-7 - Wade fires in a maximum, his fifth, as he pushes his average above 104, before completing a Premier League double over Lewis with an 87 checkout on double 18.

Michael van Gerwen v Phil Taylor
0-0 - Michael van Gerwen will throw first
1-0 - van Gerwen makes a superb start, hitting a 180 to leave 28 before pinning double 14 for a 13-darter.
2-0 - Taylor misses three darts to take the leg, and van Gerwen returns to hit double 16 and break throw.
2-1 - van Gerwen hits a maximum in being first to a double, but he misses four darts to take a third successive leg as Taylor - who hit a 177 earlier in the leg - takes out 80 in two darts to hit back.
3-1 - van Gerwen opens with a 180 and adds a 170 before finishing double four for a 12-dart leg.
4-1 - The Dutchman moves three legs clear, with Taylor missing the bull for a 161 finish to allow van Gerwen in on double 12.
4-2 - Taylor posts double 16 to win his second leg of the contest.
5-2 - van Gerwen takes out 68 on the bull - hitting single one, 17 and the bullseye - to regain his three-leg cushion.
5-3 - van Gerwen opens the leg with a 180, but van Gerwen misses five darts at double 16 and eight to seal at least a draw, and Taylor punishes him on double nine.
6-3 - The Dutchman lands another maximum, and takes out 80 in two darts to secure a minimum of a point.
7-3 - van Gerwen opens with a 180 before initially missing the bull for an 81 finish, but when Taylor misses double top and ten he returns to pin double eight for the win.
The victory for van Gerwen means that Phil Taylor has now lost four league games for the first time since the McCoy^s Premier League Darts began.

Andy Hamilton v Raymond van Barneveld
0-0 - Andy Hamilton will throw first
0-1 - Hamilton misses a dart at tops, and van Barneveld takes out 120 to break throw in the opening leg.
0-2 - van Barneveld misses double 16 to finish 104, but Hamilton is unable to land double 12 or six, and the Dutchman hits double 16 at the second time of asking to double his lead.
0-3 - The Dutch star opens with a 180 and finishes double four t win a third leg.
1-3 - van Barneveld adds another maximum, but misses three darts at double 16 to allow Hamilton to pin the same bed to get off the mark.
1-4 - Hamilton lands a maximum in reply, but misses four darts to hit back as van Barneveld posts a key third-dart double five to break throw again.
2-4 - Hamilton produces his best leg of the game to break throw in reply, opening with a 180 and taking out 124 on double 11.
3-4 - Hamilton is first to a double, leaving 32 after 12 darts to mean that a van Barneveld 180 comes in vain as he lands double 16 for a 13-dart finish.
4-4 - Hamilton wins a key leg, hitting double ten with the Dutchman waiting on 28.
5-4 - Hamilton moves ahead for the first time, taking out 90 on the bullseye.
5-5 - Double eight for van Barneveld sees him level once again.
5-6 - Hamilton misses double 18 and double nine to finish 84, and van Barneveld punishes him by hitting double eight to secure a point.
5-7 - van Barneveld scores the better, leaving 16 after 12 darts before finishing double four for a 14-darter to seal a second 7-5 win over Hamilton of the season.

James Wade v Michael van Gerwen
0-0 - James Wade will throw first
0-1 - Both players miss early doubles before van Gerwen posts double nine to break throw.
0-2 - Double six sees the Dutchman double his lead.
1-2 - Double ten for Wade gets him off the mark.
1-3 - Double top for van Gerwen sees him win a third leg.
2-3 - Wade hits tops for a 64 finish to reduce the gap to two legs.
2-4 - van Gerwen posts a 180, and though Wade replies with a 162 score, the Dutchman recovers from missed doubles to land double five.
2-5 - Wade misses double 17 and van Gerwen makes him pay to move three legs clear.
2-6 - Another miss from Wade, on double 11, allows van Gerwen to seal at least a point.
3-6 - Wade^s impressive use of the board continues as he hits a 171 score before posting double ten to hit back.
4-6 - Double five sees Wade break throw for the first time.
5-6 - Wade misses two darts at tops to force a deciding leg, but van Gerwen misses a second double top to complete a 99 finish for the win, and the left-hander returns to hit tops with his third dart to send the game all the way.
5-7 - van Gerwen leaves 40 after 12 darts to mean that a 180 from Wade comes in vain, as the dutchman lands tops for a 13-darter to complete a perfect night.