Darts
The £340,000 tournament comes to a conclusion in Cardiff, with the top four players following 14 weeks - Phil Taylor, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis - face off for the £100,000 first prize.
Follow the action live in DartsTV, with Live Audio Commentary for subscribers and a Free Live Scoreboard, along with Highlights available from Tuesday evening
Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts Play-Offs
May 26, CIA, Cardiff, 6pm Start
Semi-Finals
James Wade 11-8 Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
Best of 21 legs
Followed by
Final
James Wade v Taylor/Lewis
Best of 31 legs
Follow the action live in DartsTV, with Live Audio Commentary for subscribers and a Free Live Scoreboard, along with Highlights available from Tuesday evening
Click here to purchase the official 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts programme
JAMES WADE 11-8 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD suffered semi-final heartbreak in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts for a third successive year with an 11-8 loss to James Wade last night.
The Dutchman led 4-1 and 6-3 against Wade, only to see the world number three take eight of the last ten legs and move into the final in Cardiff.
Van Barneveld has also lost in the last four in his two previous Premier League campaigns since joining the PDC in 2006.
Van Barneveld kicked off superbly, breaking the throw with a 156 checkout in the first leg.
Wade hit back to take the second, but van Barneveld then won the next three to lead 4-1, including a 14-darter to take command of the game.
A missed dart at double top allowed Wade back in to take leg six on the same bed, and he also pulled back to 4-3 when van Barneveld failed to set up a double on a 114 finish.
Van Barneveld regained his range to win the next two legs and pull three legs clear again at 6-3, only for Wade - nicknamed The Machine - to find a superb second gear.
He followed a 12-darter with a 104 finish to cut back to 6-5, and then levelled after van Barneveld missed three darts in leg 12.
Wade then took the next two to make it five in a row as he took the lead at 8-6, punishing more misses from the five-time World Champion.
Legs of 15 and 14 darts, both finishing on double top, saw van Barneveld level the game at eight-all and effectively turn the contest into a best-of-five shoot-out.
It was Wade who took first blood, on double five, before a 12-darter against the throw put him 10-8 up.
Both struggled nervously in the next as the tension rose, with van Barneveld leaving a double before Wade took out his favourite double top to move into the final.
"It's brilliant, absolutely brilliant," said Wade. "Raymond missed a lot of doubles and let me in.
"He didn't play his best darts but I have to look at my own performance and I can look forward to playing well in the final."
Match Stats
|
James Wade |
11-8 |
R v Barneveld |
|
19 |
100+ |
21 |
|
14 |
140+ |
14 |
|
3 |
180 |
4 |
|
29.87 |
Ave1 |
30.22 |
|
89.62 |
Ave3 |
90.65 |
|
104 |
High Finish |
156 |
|
6 |
LWAT |
5 |
Further Match Reports will appear here...