Phil Taylor squeezed through to the 2nd Round of the Topic International Darts League but there was last leg heartache for both Colin Lloyd and Barrie Bates on a dramatic night in Holland. Taylor now goes into the self-styled ‘Group of Death’ alongside arch-rival Raymond Van Barneveld, Michael Van Gerwen and Darryl Fitton. The top two will qualify for the quarter-finals, after Taylor clinched his spot thanks to a nervy victory against Ronnie Baxter.
But last year’s beaten finalist Colin Lloyd and Team Unicorn stablemate Barrie Bates are on their way home, after they narrowly failed to make it through to the last 16.
Taylor finally beat Baxter 6 legs to 4 after hitting a 130 finish to win the match but he was far from his best – and had to withstand a Baxter fightback….The Rocket coming back from 3-0 down.
What a prospect then, to see Taylor against Barney, Van Gerwen and Fitton! And it’s Taylor against Barneveld again on Tuesday night – less than a week since ‘The Power’ beat the PDC World Champion in the Premier League in Birmingham…..what a night it should be!
James Wade was again in superb form and his 6-4 victory over Dennis Priestley made sure he avoided the ‘Group of Death’ and he will now take on Webster, Waites and Eccles for a place in the quarter-finals.
Wade kept his cool in the last match of the night to win it in style with a brilliant 113 finish.
Colin Lloyd knew a win over Mark Dudbridge would be enough to see him through but the Unicorn star was beaten 6-5. Both players were level on points, so it went to leg difference and ‘Flash’ was just one leg better off than Lloyd when it came to the count back.
At five legs apiece, Lloyd won the bull in the decider and started that dramatic final leg with 140 and 123…..he looked to be in control but his finishing cost him the match and a place in the last 16. He missed four darts for the match, only to see Dudbridge check out 77 and end Lloyd’s hopes in the 2007 IDL.BY STUART PYKE
