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It was yet another sensational darting exhibition on the road to a 13th World title. In a power-packed display, Taylor dropped only three legs, averaged an amazing 108 and ‘smacked the lipstick’ with nine 180s.

And he finished in style with a superb 10-dart leg to seal victory. Hamilton was far from disgraced despite the 4-0 result. He averaged 97 but it was nowhere near good enough.

Taylor said: “In a way, it was easier to play Andy because he is so good. He has got a big future ahead. I am enjoying the tournament now. I am focusing on the ultimate goal and that is what drives me on. The desire is burning and the finishing line is in sight.”

It was simply awesome. Can anyone beat this man?! Apart from that spectacular finale in 10 darts, Taylor hit one 11-dart leg and a phenomenal six 12-dart legs. He hit four ton+ check-outs……….133, 125, 121 and 117.

Unicorn Young Gun Adrian Lewis is fast becoming THE story of the 2006 Ladbrokes.com World Championships. He displayed maturity beyond his years to edge another thriller against Roland Scholten.

In his first experience of a World Championships, Lewis will surely be targeting a place in the final on January 2. He was forced to come from two sets down against the Dutch darting ace and now faces Unicorn stablemate Peter Manley in Friday’s quarter-finals.

It was another match of the highest quality. Lewis started the match with an 11-dart leg but Scholten replied with 129 and 100 check-out’s to take the set. Lewis was behind with an average of 113! He was soon two sets down and was averaging 107!

But Lewis showed just why he is being tipped as a future World Champion. The 20-year-old stormed back to take the next two sets to level the match.

The 3rd set saw a big turning point. Scholten was a leg up and attempted a 170 finish, when Lewis couldn’t check out. The gamble failed, as Lewis hit back and won an incredible seven consecutive legs.

He was still averaging 101 after four sets. A 140 ‘kill’ helped ‘Jackpot’ to the 5th set but Scholten wasn’t finished and it went to a decider.

With over 1,000 darts-mad fans screaming their support, Lewis raced through to victory, hitting the jackpot with a 96 check-out. It is surely about time people stopped referring to him as Phil Taylor’s protégé. Lewis is a darts star in his own right.

Phil Taylor was full of praise for Lewis: “Adrian can reach the very top. What he is getting now, he deserves every bit of it. If he plays to his ability, I think he will beat Peter in the quarter-finals.”

Peter Manley got ‘shirty’ as he booked his place in the quarter-finals, with a thrilling final set victory over Dennis Smith.

‘One-Dart’ came from 3-2 down – as Smith missed two darts for the match – but he may well be calling on sponsors Unicorn for a new shirt for those quarter-finals on Friday.

After losing the first two sets, Manley had to change his shirt! He explained: “I think I have put on a few pounds over Christmas and my Unicorn shirt was too tight under my arms, so I had to call for my Flamingo shirt!”

It was another darting drama for Manley, who also had to come from 3-2 down to win his 2nd Round match against Jason Clark.

Manley missed far too many darts at doubles but hit the mark when it mattered. In the deciding leg of the 6th set, Smith missed D16 and D8 to win the match and Manley stepped in.

He didn’t look back in anger! Manley breezed through the deciding set and nailed D20 to win through to the last eight – and a guarantee of at least £12,500.

But the Part-y is over for Unicorn’s twice former World Champion. John Part was involved in another classic but lost out 2-4 to ‘Hawaii 501’ Wayne Mardle.

The Canadian, who beat Chris Mason in an epic to reach the 3rd Round, again produced some blistering darts but came up against an inspired Mardle.

The pair went toe-to-toe in a brilliant tungsten tussle. Part averaged 93.5 and hammered in nine 180s but it wasn’t enough.

Part missed two darts to win the first set and Mardle stepped in to nail a 126 finish on the bull. ‘Darth Maple’ pressed down the accelerator with three maximums and a 108 check-out to race through the second.

The pendulum swung and both players came up with 11 and 12 dart legs. At two sets all though, Mardle found something special. He won six of the next 8 legs to sink Part, despite another 11 dart leg and a 109 check-out from the Canadian.

But on the evidence of this tournament, it is clear Part is getting back to the form that won him the World crown in 2003. Expect big things from him in 2006.

Mardle’s reward is a quarter-final against Alan Warriner-Little, who beat ‘The Pie Man’ Andy Smith 4-2.

There was a brilliant display of ‘darts art’ from Unicorn’s very own ‘Artist’ Kevin Painter, who blitzed Mark Dudbridge 4-1 to book a quarter-final showdown against Phil Taylor.

Painter produced his best darts since reaching the World Championship Final two years ago, dropping only five legs in the match……and it would have been better if he hadn’t missed so many doubles in the first two sets.

We should have known Painter was in the groove, as he started the match with a classy 146 finish. At one set all though, it looked like going all the way, after ‘Flash’ hit seven perfect darts on his way to a 9-dart leg.

But ‘The Artist’ made the board his very own darting masterpiece. He raced through the next three sets, dropping just one leg. An average of 96 would have topped three figures but for those early missed doubles.

Painter said: “Mark is a class act but I was so determined up there. I was very happy with they way I played.”

And what about the quarter-final against Taylor? Painter came so close in 2004 – taking Taylor to a sudden-death shoot-out in that epic final, before losing 7-6.

“I know I have got the game to beat him. It’s all about doing it on the day. If I play my best game and he doesn’t, then who knows.”

It should be a brilliant game.

By Stuart Pyke

Friday’s quarter-finals (best of 9 sets)

Gary Welding v Wayne Jones
Adrian Lewis v Peter Manley
Wayne Mardle v Alan Warriner-Little
Phil Taylor v Kevin Painter