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It was a high quality affair throughout and was closer than the scoreline suggests but Jenkins was better on the finishing and broke the Tabern throw at crucial times. He averaged 96 and hit four maximums. It was the perfect work-out for the challenges to come.

The first four legs went with throw, before ‘The Bull’ took the game by the horns! He won the next four legs to put clear daylight between him and the man from St.Helens. Tabern briefly threatened a comeback after breaking the Jenkins throw for the only time in the match and an 11-darter made it 7-5……Jenkins though, won three legs on the spin to close out the match.

Jenkins could find himself World No.4 after this event if results go his way, which would mean a place in the South African Masters in September. The top four in the PDC Order of Merit after the World Matchplay will qualify to go to Johannesburg.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself,” said Jenkins. “It’s dangerous to look too far ahead but I’m going through a good patch at the moment and I want this form to carry on.”

Jenkins now faces an all-Unicorn clash against John Part in the 2nd Round on Tuesday night. The Canadian looked in fine fettle – averaging 97, with six 180s – in his 10-5 win over Alan Warriner-Little.

He was always in command, as ‘The Ice Man’ melted under the Blackpool lights. Part raced into a 4-1 lead and was 7-3 in front at the break, despite a brilliant 167 finish from Warriner.

Part lost his throw for the first time in the match in the 11th leg but he responded with an 11-darter and back-to-back 180s and that finally put pay to Warriner.

Part said: “I feel good and I’m playing really well, so it should be a great match against Terry. The last two or three months, I feel like I am getting back to my very best and it will take a good man to beat me!”

Unicorn’s Welshman Barrie Bates defied the odds to book his place in the 2nd Round. He went through the pain barrier to edge out Andy Smith 10-8. Bates is on medication suffering from painful gout and he dug deep to see off ‘The Pie Man’.

Bates was 0-3 down but showed great character to win the next four legs with check-outs of 100, 150 and 117. It was a nail-biter and when Bates found himself 5-7 down, he produced some great darts, including two 13-dart legs.

With a tie-break looming, Bates held his throw to go 9-8 up and then missed three darts to win it. Smith missed two chances to force the tie-break and the Welshman hit the sweetest double five to win.

Bob Anderson’s dream of a good run at his favourite venue faded away, as he was beaten by Ronnie Baxter. ‘The Limestone Cowboy’, who is 60 in November, is part of an elite club…..one of only four men to appear in all 14 World Matchplay tournaments….but he fell away, after looking handily placed to win.

When Anderson broke ‘The Rocket’ to lead 6-5, it looked to be a turning point but it turned out to be quite the opposite, as Baxter found his range and scoring and he won five consecutive legs to end the Anderson dream.

Monday afternoon 1st Round results:

Terry Jenkins 10-5 Alan Tabern
Ronnie Baxter 10-6 Bob Anderson
John Part 10-5 Alan Warriner-Little
Barrie Bates 10-8 Andy Smith

Monday night 1st Round schedule:

Dennis Priestley v Colin Osborne
Peter Manley v Michael Van Gerwen
Phil Taylor v Wes Newton
Colin Lloyd v Mervyn King

The next news update on the Unicorn website will be after Monday night’s 1st Round matches.

BY STUART PYKE

Picture courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC