Adrian Lewis thumps Andy Hamilton to retain PDC world darts title | Sport | The Guardian Adrian Lewis thumps Andy Hamilton to retain PDC world darts title • The 26-year-old beat fellow Stoke thrower 7-3 • Champion has his eye on eight more titles Adrian Lewis kisses the PDC world trophy after a comfortable win against Andy Hamilton. Photograph: Matthew Impey/PA Press Association Monday 2 January 2012 19.00 EST First published on Monday 2 January 2012 19.00 EST Close This article is 5 years old Adrian Lewis retained his PDC World Darts title with a 7-3 victory in the final at Alexandra Palace. The 26-year-old saw Andy Hamilton,his fellow thrower from Stoke, to land the £200,000 first prize and trophy. "It's not quite sunk in yet," said Lewis. "I take everything on the chin and have a busy year ahead. This is [title] number two and I'll have a lot more. The fightback against James Wade last night won me the tournament.

I believed in myself." Asked how many times he could win the world title, he said: "At least 10." "But Andy hit a lot of good shots – I want to see him in the Premier League because he deserves a place." Hamilton, who received £100,000 as runner-up, said: "It's been a great week for me. I wanted to win the final so badly but I'm happy to be here. Keep watching me. Next year I'll be back again and hopefully I'll be winning it then." Lewis saw three darts bounce out in the first three legs of the match but hit back from the disappointment to take the first set with a 122 checkout in the fifth leg. The defending champion hit the first 180 of the match in the second leg of the second set, enabling him to take it against the darts – but Hamilton won the set 3-1 to level the contest. Hamilton started the third set with a maximum before Lewis almost hit a nine-dart finish. Unfortunately he missed double 12 – but hit it two darts later. Lewis gradually established control and a 12-dart leg gave him a 3-2 lead.

Hamilton then struggled in the closing stages of the sixth set, with Lewis nailing double 15 to go 4-2 clear. Hamilton took the opening leg of the seventh set. His confidence was boosted further when he took the second leg against the darts and he held the advantage to win the set despite a 180 from Lewis. Lewis, though, was dominant in the eighth, hitting double 11 to win the fourth leg and restore his two-set advantage at 5-3. Lewis set himself up for another nine-dart finish with successive 180s at the start of the third leg in the ninth set but missed the opportunity, although he was able to break after Hamilton had missed double 16. Although Hamilton broke back with double eight, Lewis produced a 118 checkout to snatch the set and move to within one of the title. Hamilton took the first two legs of the 10th set but Lewis won the third and took the next against the darts to move to the brink of victory. Both players started the fifth leg with 180s and after each had missed doubles, Lewis nailed double top to wrap up the title.

PA Adrian Lewis wins World Darts Championship final | Daily Mail Online comments For the past two decades the darts world has belonged to a bloke from Stoke-on-Trent. The next two decades could be the same, albeit a different bloke from Stoke, after Adrian Lewis retained his Ladbrokes PDC world title at the Alexandra Palace on Monday night. Lewis beat Andy Hamilton – another native of the Potteries – 7-3 in a final which failed to match the drama of an extraordinary tournament but which nevertheless confirmed the 26-year-old as the natural successor to Phil Taylor. Champion of the world: Lewis poses with his trophy Packed house: Alexandra Palace was full to the rafters for the World Championship final Lewis still trails his mentor by 15-2 in number of world titles but is adamant he can reach double figures. His next target is to usurp Taylor as the world number one when the PDC circus rolls into the north-west for its summer major tournaments. Lewis said: 'This is number two and I’ll have a lot more. I can win it at least ten times although I’m not sure I will can match Phil’s 15 as there is more depth in the game now.

But I think I’ll win it next year as well. Who’s going to stop me?' With Zara Phillips and husband Mike Tindall watching on, Lewis had a Royal audience for the second straight year after Prince Harry’s visit 12 months ago. Hammer time: Andy Hamilton walks out to the oche To say the Ally Pally is becoming a second home to him was uncomfortably close to the mark after the Windgate shenanigans of New Year’s Night. Not only had a mysterious breeze blown his semi-final against James Wade off course for 20 minutes, Lewis was then delayed by the doping inspectors. A UK Sport team decided in their wisdom that drug testing darts players was a good idea at one o’clock in the morning. By the time Lewis, dehydrated by the searing heat under the lights, managed to perform his duty to the satisfaction of the inspectors, it was 4am. Defending champion: Lewis was going for his second successive title He was back at the Ally Pally on Monday afternoon, a mere 12 hours later. Not that he was looking bleary-eyed as he stepped through the dry ice and laser show to climb on to the stage he now calls his own.

Blistering start: Hamilton lead early on In truth, the final was a fitful affair. Lewis veered between brilliance and brittleness. He came within the width of a wire of recording a perfect nine-dart finish in the world final for a second straight year, yet also threw in scores of which a pub chucker would be embarrassed. That allowed Hamilton to keep pace until Lewis finally powered to victory. Royals at the Palace: Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips (above) watched the match, much to the amusement of Ralph Little (below) Two in a row: Lewis' class eventually told World Darts Preview | Darts News | Sky Sports World Darts Preview Defending champion Adrian Lewis kicks-off the World Championship on Thursday, live on Sky Sports HD1. By Paul Higham Twitter: @SkySportsPaulH Last Updated: 15/12/11 7:56am 180! Darts fans will pack out Alexandra Palace over Christmas Defending champion Adrian Lewis kicks-off the festive darts festival that is the World Championship at Alexandra Palace on Thursday - live on Sky Sports HD1 from 7pm.

The 26-year-old from Stoke claimed the first major title of his career back in January, creating history by hitting the first nine-dart finish in a World Championship final during his 7-5 defeat of Gary Anderson. Lewis returns to Alexandra Palace to open the World Championship amongst five games being played in Thursday's opening session. The world number two plays Nigel Heydon in his first round game, with the undertaker from Leamington Spa having taken a 6-5 victory in their most recent clash during a Players Championship in Dublin in October. The opening day also sees a huge battle of Wales with two-time semi-finalist Mark Webster, the former Lakeside world champion who beat Phil Taylor at Alexandra Palace last year, faces veteran Richie Burnett. Friday night 15-time world champion and tournament Taylor enters the fray on Friday night, with 'The Power' still seething after defeat at the recent Players Championship and a preliminary round winner waiting for him. The dubious honour of facing Taylor will go to either Japan's Haruki Muramatsu or Dennis Nilsson after they do battle in their preliminary contest - but Taylor will do well not to get into any arguments with Nilsson, who is a former winner of Sweden's Strongest Man.

"I know Muramatsu qualified a couple of years ago and is a good player, and Dennis might throw me off the stage if I beat him!" said Taylor. "I've got to make sure I get the job done and then I can go and prepare for the second round after Christmas. "This year I can go in there aggressive and attack because I want to win and I've got to fight for it. I'm there to win the World Championship, not to worry or feel sorry for anybody else." Friday's second night also sees June's UK Open finalist Wes Newton, who is fancied to go a long way, playing Belgian debutant Kurt Van De Rijck, while the in-form Justin Pipe plays Australian Sean Reed. Schedule Two sessions take place on Saturday, with former Lakeside Champions Jelle Klaasen and Steve Beaton kicking off the afternoon and evening's action respectively against Peter Wright and Magnus Caris. Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld plays Northamptonshire-based newcomer James Richardson on Sunday night, with 2005 runner-up Mark Dudbridge taking on Dave Chisnall, the former Lakeside Championship finalist who has impressed in his debut year on the PDC circuit in 2011.

Last Sunday's Players Championship winner Kevin Painter, the 2004 World Championship runner-up to Taylor, will begin his challenge for a second successive major title when he plays Arron Monk on Monday night, with world number three James Wade, Mervyn King and Andy Hamilton also in action. Scotland's Gary Anderson, the runner-up to Adrian Lewis 12 months ago, faces Germany's Jyhan Artut amongst four games on Tuesday, with last year's semi-finalist Terry Jenkins playing either Joe Cullen or Serbian debutant Oliver Ferenc. The first round concludes on Wednesday December 21, with three-time world champion John Part playing John Henderson and Simon Whitlock making his return from a broken bone in his ankle against Dennis Smith. The pre-Christmas play in the World Championship concludes with two evenings of second round games on Thursday and Friday, with play resuming on Tuesday December 27. After the second round concludes and third round is played, the quarter-finals take place on Friday December 30, with the semi-finals on January 1 and final on January 2.

Hubby hits out after darts world champ Adrian Lewis boasts he’ll wed his wife – The Sun DARTS world champ Adrian Lewis was blasted last night over his plans to wed blonde sweetheart Sarah Podmore — by Sarah’s horrified HUSBAND. The 26-year-old arrows ace, nickname Jackpot, announced his marriage intentions after clinching his title for the second successive year on Monday and pocketing £200,000. He gushed: “I’ve got enough money in the bank now to be comfortable and I’ve got a great girlfriend, who I’ll be marrying this year.” But The Sun can reveal bride-to-be Sarah is still legally known as Sarah Welch — and has yet to sort out a divorce from her hubby of five years, Mark Welch. And factory worker Mark blew his top on hearing their marriage plans, fuming: “I’m going to drag it out as long as possible. “When I heard that they were planning to get wed I thought, ‘Eh?

That’s impossible because you’re still married’.” Mark, 27 — who has three young children with Sarah — told how the former teen sweethearts were both massive TV darts fans before his 24-year-old missus hooked up with champ Adrian. He said in Kidsgrove, Staffs: “Sarah basically became pals with Adrian’s sister because our kids all go to the same school. “The next thing I knew she was going shopping with his sister and Adrian was going too. “She assured me there was nothing going on, but one night I went back to our house and saw this car with a personalised plate and I just knew it was him. “I burst in and he started saying, ‘Talk to him!’ Sarah looked at me and said, ‘I told you it was over’. I just walked out, I didn’t want to do anything stupid.” Months later Sarah started divorce proceedings against Mark, citing unreasonable behaviour. Yet Mark — dad to Jay, eight, Ryan, six, and Holly-Mae, three — has heard nothing from his legal team since November 23. His solicitor wrote then: “I note I have still heard nothing from Mrs Welch’s solicitors or the court.

Please confirm whether you have received anything direct.” Mark added: “Sarah’s gone from our council home to a nice house with Adrian. And he’s bought her a Mercedes instead of her old Corsa. I’ve been living with my dad and seeing our kids at weekends. All she’s left me is a fishtank, a sofa and an old TV.” The Sun told last January how Adrian left Katie-Adele Hughes — mum to his baby girl Myla — days after becoming world champ. He refused to comment on Sarah last night, but she said of divorce plans: “Everything is under way.” Adrian Lewis wins 2012 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship Share Adrian Lewis celebrates a second World title. (credit:Lawrence Lustig/PDC) Adrian Lewis emphatically retained his World Championship title with a 7-3 win over Andy Hamilton in the final. The 26-year-old became only the third player ever to successfully defend the prestigious title after winning it for the first time. In a below-par final, Lewis fended off a brave Hamilton challenge, denying the fellow Stoke thrower his first major PDC title and picking up the winners cheque for £200,000.

Jackpot had won last year's title by hitting a perfect leg during a victory over Gary Anderson, and missed double 12 to repeat the feat in a brilliant display against Hamilton. He hit 11 180s and also took out three ton-plus finishes to see off Hamilton, who had performed brilliantly in reaching only his second major final but could not see off his Stoke rival. "It means the world to me to win the title again," said Lewis. "It hasn't really sunk in yet but I'm sure it will when I wake up again with the trophy! "Andy never gave up and landed some superb checkouts himself, but I hit the right finishes at the right times. It was a little bit like my semi-final against James Wade when I was 5-1 - I refused to give in and that's why I'm standing here once again with the trophy." The final began with Hamilton missing a chance at double ten for a 90 finish in the opener, although he was allowed to return when Lewis missed double 19 to break.

Lewis took the second and then broke on tops in the third after Hamilton missed two darts at double ten, although the 2007 Grand Slam finalist hit back by landing double eight to win the fourth leg. Hamilton held advantage of throw in the deciding leg, but Lewis took the set with a fantastic 122 checkout, completed on the bullseye, to establish an early lead. Hamilton, who defeated Simon Whitlock in the last four by taking the final three sets to come from 5-3 down, secured an early break of throw at the start of set two by hitting double 16. Lewis hit double top with his first dart to break in the second, before Hamilton took the third leg against the darts, courtesy of an accurate attempt at double eight. The fourth leg saw Lewis miss a dart at tops for a 117 finish, allowing Hamilton to hit double six to win the set and level the match. Hamilton won the opening leg of the third set against the darts, before Lewis kicked-off of the second in blistering fashion with back-to-back maximums.

Lewis, then hit another treble 20, followed by treble 19, but his attempt at double 12 for an amazing nine-dart finish was just high of the target - ending of hopes of achieving the feat for the second successive World Championship final. The 26-year-old won the leg in 11 darts and also took out a 14-darter amongst the next two to win the set 3-1. Hamilton took the opening two legs of the fourth set, which featured a superb 147 checkout, before Lewis took the third on double top, only for the older man to seal the set in fine fashion with a 105 finish to level the game. The world number two broke throw at the start of the set five, only for Hamilton to reply with a 15-dart finish to take the second. Hamilton then hit a 104 finish to take third leg, but a missed dart at double top for the set as Lewis hit the same bed for the fourth leg and then checked out 11 to win the set.

Lewis then won the first leg of set six after Hamilton was off-target with a dart at double 16, but the number 17 seed made no mistake in the second with another 104 checkout. Lewis hit double top to take the third leg, and landed double 15 at the first time of asking to win the set and move two-sets clear for the first time at 4-2. Hamilton made a positive start to the seventh set by taking the opening two legs, which included a 13-darter in the first and a break of throw in the second. Lewis fired his seventh 180 of the match in the third, but a missed dart at double top, to give Hamilton the opportunity to hit the same bed and reduce the gap to 4-3 with another 13-dart finish. Both players held throw comfortably at the start of set eight, before the third leg saw Hamilton miss a dart at bullseye for a 129 checkout to break. Lewis returned to hit double ten and followed that by landing double 11 in the next leg to move 5-3 up and restore his two-set advantage.

Hamilton defied a 177 from Lewis to take first leg of set nine on double five, before Lewis took the second, courtesy of a 67 finish. Both players kicked-off the third leg with 180s before Lewis fired another maximum to raise the crowd's hopes of a nine-dart finish for a second time in the night. Those hopes were quashed when Lewis' seventh attempt at a treble 20 was off-target, and he then missed two darts at doubles to win the leg. However, Hamilton was unable to capitalise as he missed a dart at double four, and Lewis returned to land the same double and break throw. Hamilton continued to fight and won the fourth leg with a pressure 74 finish to deny Lewis an opportunity of hitting double 14 for the set. The deciding leg saw Hamilton miss a dart at the bullseye for the set, and that proved costly as Lewis stepped up to convert a 118 finish to pull further clear at 6-3. Hamilton converted a 105 finish to make a winning start to the tenth set, and then hit double eight for a 2-0 advantage.

Lewis, though, won the third leg by hitting double ten, before recording an excellent 13-dart finish to take the fourth and move a leg away from the World Championship title. The deciding leg saw both players hit 180s before Lewis hit scores of 140 and 139 to reach a finish first. He initially missed two darts at double top, but Hamilton could not land the same double to complete a 125 checkout and Lewis returned to hit the bed to win his second Ladbrokes World Championship. "I've put the work in this year and it's paid off," added Lewis. "I looked a bit dodgy in the first round against Nigel Heydon and in the semis against James Wade, but this has proven why I'm the best in the world at the minute. "The final was a bit scrappy but I got the job done and it doesn't matter what the final average was when you're holding the trophy. "I was under pressure and people said I've had a bad year and written me off, but I got to the Premier League final, the European Championship final and semi-finals in the World Matchplay and Grand Slam and now won this again.

I've shut the doubters up again!" Hamilton took home a career-high £100,000 as runner-up and also moves up to seventh in the PDC Order of Merit, said: "I wanted to win so badly tonight and I was trying too hard, and it wasn't to be in the end. "Maybe Adrian had more big-game experience and was important, but I've learnt a lot about myself during this tournament and I know I will come back a better and stronger player. "I'm disappointed with my performance in the final but just winning through to this stage is an achievement. It's a brilliant way to start 2012 and I want to kick on from here now - I want to win a major title." News | PDC News Awesome Anderson Is Auckland Master June 19 2016 AWESOME ANDERSON IS THE AUCKLAND MASTER! GARY ANDERSON won his second successive World Series of Darts title with a thrilling performance as he overcame reigning champion Adrian Lewis 11-7 in the final of the 2016 Auckland Darts Masters, presented by TAB and Burger King.

World Champion Anderson had won last month's Dubai Darts Masters title and claimed his first win in New Zealand in style as he checked out 50 percent of his darts at a double in both the semi-finals on Sunday evening. The Scot followed up his earlier wins over New Zealand's Bernie Smith and world number five Peter Wright with a stunning 11-7 defeat of Raymond van Barneveld, with his 111.37 average being the second best in World Series history to accompany eight 180s. He then produced another scintillating display to thrill the Trusts Arena crowd and take the title in the second Auckland Darts Masters, landing another eight 180s as he punished Lewis' missed doubles to take the title. Lewis held the early advantage as the pair shared the opening six legs, but Anderson stepped in following two misses from his rival in the seventh to finish 68 on double ten to break for the first time. He also took out tops to open up a two-leg lead, with Lewis finishing 121 on the bull to respond only to see Anderson win the next two - despite two 180s from the reigning champion - to lead 7-4.

Lewis followed a third-dart double nine with a 150 checkout as he cut the gap to one leg, but Anderson crucially took the 14th leg with a brilliant 11-darter, hitting six perfect darts of two 180s, and then finished 70 in the next to move 9-6 up. Lewis again responded to take the 16th, but a miss at double 12 for a 144 checkout in the next allowed Anderson in to take out 86 on the bull for a 10-7 lead, and his eight 180 of the contest helped to set up double ten as he secured the title. "I'm absolutely delighted and I enjoyed this week," said Anderson. "Everybody played well and there's been some great darts. "Barney hit me with everything in the first four legs of the semi-final but I got a leg and when it was 4-3 it was a different game. A few years ago I'd have probably got beaten but now I've got a bit of fight in me. "Adrian has played brilliantly too.

He was great against Phil Taylor and he's a very good friend of mine, and up on stage we try to have some battles - and the 180s and 140s and doubles came together tonight. Adrian missed a few of the big checkouts but that's darts." Anderson added: "It's been absolutely brilliant and the fans have been fantastic. I loved it in New Zealand last year and again this time." Lewis had won through to his second successive World Series of Darts final with a heavy-scoring 11-9 victory over James Wade, firing in a dozen maximums before coming from 7-6 down to claim five of the final seven legs. "I thought it was a great final and I'm proud of myself," said Lewis. "Gary took out a few great finishes on the bull and so on, and deserved to win it - he showed why he's a back-to-back World Champion. "I tried my best but it wasn't quite enough tonight. I missed a few finishes myself and it could have been a different game if they'd gone in. "Everybody played well and it was a great tournament, and I think everybody's happy with their performance.

Last year I lost in the final in Sydney and then won this one, so I've lost in the final here and hopefully I can take my form to Shanghai." Wade had performed wonderfully in Saturday's quarter-final win over world number one van Gerwen, but was overpowered by Lewis' 12 maximums in their semi-final as he missed out on reaching a second World Series of Darts final. Van Barneveld, meanwhile, missed out on reaching the final in Auckland for a second successive year, despite landing six 180s and achieving a 104.85 average in his tie with Anderson. The high standard of darts throughout the event saw a total of 108 maximums landed during the 15 matches - activating a special offer from sponsors Burger King once the total passed 80 which will see $2 Double Cheeseburgers and $3 Treble Cheeseburgers available across New Zealand from Monday June 20-Friday June 24 between 11am-4pm. ITV4 coverage in the UK will be shown from 6.30pm BST.

The PDC World Series of Darts continues next weekend with the inaugural 16-player Shanghai Darts Masters on June 25-26 at the Pullman Hotel Shanghai South. 2016 World Series of Darts Rankings 24 Gary Anderson 11 Michael van Gerwen, Adrian Lewis 8 Phil Taylor, James Wade, Dave Chisnall, Raymond van Barneveld 6 Peter Wright 1 Clinton Bridge, Cody Harris, Damon Heta, Stuart Leach, Ken Moir, Warren Parry, Bernie Smith, Rob Szabo Following Auckland Darts Masters Auckland Darts Masters, presented by TAB and Burger King Sunday June 19 Gary Anderson 11-7 Raymond van Barneveld James Wade 9-11 Adrian Lewis Best of 21 legs Gary Anderson 11-7 Adrian Lewis Best of 21 legs SEMI-FINALS Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld 0-1 - Anderson misses the bull to finish 161, and van Barneveld follows three 140s with an 81 finish on double 12 for an 11-darter to break throw immediately.

0-2 - Double 16 sees van Barneveld move two legs up. 0-3 - Anderson opens with 140 and 180, but van Barneveld replies with a maximum before finishing 121 on double 14 for another break of throw. 0-4 - van Barneveld continues his impeccable finishing by taking out 64 on double eight to win a fourth straight leg. 1-4 - Anderson fires in a 180 before landing double six to win his first leg of the contest with a 13-darter. 2-4 - Anderson scores 140, 180 and 145 before pinning double 18 for a superb ten-darter. 3-4 - A superb leg sees both players trade 180s before van Barneveld leaves 36 after nine darts - only to se Anderson take out 90 on double 15 for an 11-darter. 4-4 - Anderson fires in another maximum before punishing one miss from van Barneveld, at double 16, by taking out tops for a 13-darter to level.

5-4 - Double two sees Anderson win a fifth straight leg to move ahead for the first time in a high-quality contest. 5-5 - van Barneveld lands a 180 before hitting a third-dart double ten to level by winning his first leg in six. 6-5 - van Barneveld's maximum is followed by a 174 score from Anderson, who takes out double 12 to regain the lead. 7-5 - Anderson opens with 180 and 140 before finishing 60 on tops to break throw and move two legs clear. 7-6 - van Barneveld breaks back by finishing 81 on double 13. 8-6 - Both players land 180s before Anderson pins double 12 again for a 13-dart leg. 9-6 - The World Champion opens with yet another 180 before finishing tops for an 11-darter to open up a three-leg lead. 9-7 - van Barneveld's 180 is followed by tops as he hits back.

10-7 - van Barneveld fires in a 177, but can only watch on as Anderson takes out double four to move a leg away from the final. 11-7 - Anderson misses match darts across three visits as the tension rises, but van Barneveld also spurns three opportunities to keep the game alive before the Scot returns on double two to finally book his spot in the final. Anderson ends the game with a 111.37 average to van Barneveld's 104.85, while the combined 14 180s - eight from Anderson and six from van Barneveld - took the tournament's tally to 82, activating a Burger King special offer across New Zealand once the total passed 80. Match Stats James Wade v Adrian Lewis 0-1 - Lewis makes a sensational start, taking out 149 for a break of throw. 0-2 - Lewis wires the bullseye for a 161 finish, but returns to land double eight to move two legs up.

1-2 - Wade initially misses three darts at tops, with Lewis hitting a 180 in vain as he watches his rival return on double ten. 2-2 - Three missed doubles from Lewis allow Wade in on double ten to level the game. 2-3 - Lewis lands double eight to edge back ahead with a break of throw. 2-4 - Wade fires in a 180, but Lewis hits tops to move himself two legs clear. 2-5 - Lewis hits a maximum of his own before scrambling home double three to win a third successive leg. 3-5 - Lewis misses his chance to move four legs clear and gives a reprieve to Wade, who returns on double ten to win his first leg in four. 4-5 - Another double ten finish sees Wade cut the gap to one leg. 5-5 - Wade finishes 71 on tops to level the contest. 6-5 - Wade claims a fourth successive leg, with Lewis landing a 180 but being punished for failing to finish the leg as the left-hander posts tops. 6-6 - Lewis fires in two 180s in a 12-darter as double 12 sees him hit back to level.

7-6 - Lewis posts his seventh 180 to leave 24, but misses double 12, six and three to allow Wade back in on double ten to edge back ahead. 7-7 - Lewis hits another maximum before double 19 sees him square the match once more. 8-7 - Another double ten finish from Wade sees him regain the lead. 8-8 - Lewis' ninth 180 gives him breathing space before he lands double 18 at the fifth time of asking to tie the contest. 8-9 - Lewis fires in his tenth maximum before both players miss doubles in two visits, before the reigning champion finally lands double two to break throw and regain the lead. 8-10 - Lewis produces another 180 - his eighth in as many legs - before finishing 52 on double ten to move a leg away from the final. 9-10 - Lewis misses one match dart, at double 11 for a 124 finish, and Wade holds his nerve with a 118 checkout on double 19 to keep his hopes alive.

9-11 - Lewis completes a dozen 180s as he is first to a finish, but he suffers further jitters on the doubles before three misses from Wade, at double ten, allow him back on double five to seal his spot in the decider. Lewis ends the tie with 12 maximums and an average of 100.28, despite missing 31 doubles during the contest as he moves into his second successive Auckland Darts Masters final. Match Stats FINAL Gary Anderson v Adrian Lewis 0-1 - Lewis kicks off the final with a 177 score before landing tops to claim the opening leg. 1-1 - Anderson initially misses the bull for a 170 finish and two further doubles to win the leg, with a 162 score from Lewis coming too late as the Scot returns on double three. 1-2 - Anderson fires in a 180, but Lewis takes out 81 on double six for a 12-darter to regain the lead. 2-2 - Anderson misses double 16 to finish 149, but returns to take the leg at the second time of asking.

2-3 - Lewis receives a let-off for three misses at double 18 when Anderson is unable to land double eight and four, allowing his rival back in on double nine. 3-3 - The roles are reversed as Lewis misses double 18 for a 156 finish to break throw, and Anderson steps in on tops to level once again. 4-3 - Anderson lands a maximum, and when Lewis misses two further doubles, at double 12 and six, the World Champion finishes 68 on double ten to break throw and move ahead for the first time. 5-3 - Double top sees Anderson claim a third successive leg as he moves two clear of the reigning champion. 5-4 - The pair trade 180s before Lewis finishes a superb 121 checkout on the bull to cut the gap to one leg. 6-4 - Lewis lands another maximum, only to see Anderson finish 65 on double four to regain his cushion. 7-4 - Lewis hits his third 180 in as many legs, but a miss at tops for a 110 checkout allows Anderson in on double 16 to move three legs clear with a break of throw.

7-5 - Lewis breaks back with a third-dart double nine under pressure, with Anderson having hit a 180 to leave 20. 7-6 - Lewis produces a superb 150 checkout to respond. 8-6 - Anderson kicks off the leg with six perfect darts of two 180s, and though he is unable to complete a nine-darter, the Scot finishes double four for an 11-darter to regain his cushion. 9-6 - Both players land 180s before Anderson takes out 70 on double five to break throw again and move three legs clear once more. 9-7 - The pair each miss doubles in two visits before Lewis' double one sees him respond. 10-7 - Lewis misses double 12 to take out 144, and Anderson finishes 86 on the bull to move a leg away from the title. 11-7 - Anderson hits his eighth 180 of the final before landing double top to secure a second successive World Series of Darts title.

Match Stats News | PDC News TAB Auckland Darts Masters Quarter-Finals August 29 2015 BARNEY EDGES DUTCH RIVAL IN SUDDEN-DEATH LEG IN TAB AUCKLAND DARTS MASTERS RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD produced a stunning bullseye finish to win a dramatic final-leg shoot-out against Michael van Gerwen in the TAB Auckland Darts Masters quarter-finals on Saturday night, as Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and James Wade also claimed victories. The five-time World Champion overcame his Dutch rival for the second successive weekend, following up last week's convincing triumph in Sydney with a battling comeback to thrill the 5,000 crowd at the Trusts Arena. Van Gerwen had powered into leads of 3-0 and 4-1 before van Barneveld turned the tables to move 5-4 up, and though the world number one edged back ahead he was made to pay for two missed match darts as his rival claimed a dramatic win.

After double 18 helped van Gerwen win the opening leg in 14 darts, he took out 101 to break and then double five to win a third leg, and though double 12 got van Barneveld off the mark, an 88 checkout saw the 26-year-old move 4-1 up with a 12-darter. Van Gerwen, though, missed the bull for a 170 finish and two further darts to win the next, with double ten seeing van Barneveld hit back before he took out 96, double eight and double 16 to amazingly move 5-4 up. Double five saw van Gerwen hit back before he produced a sublime 167 checkout to regain the lead at 6-5, and after his opponent levelled on double one another 14-dart finish put the world number one a leg away from victory.

He opened the 14th leg with a fourth maximum of the game, but two misses at double eight to claim victory allowed van Barneveld to take out 64 on double 16 to force a decider before the five-time World Champion took out 84 on the bull to snatch a dramatic win. Van Barneveld now takes on James Wade, produced a master-class in double top hitting as he overcame Peter Wright 8-5 to win through to the semi-finals. "There's always a lot of pressure playing Michael because we're so close and he was determined to win after I beat him last week, and you could see his focus early on in the game," said van Barneveld. "I came back but in the last leg you expect Michael to hit a 180 or an 11 or 12-darter, but he gave me a chance and it was a huge relief when that last dart went in the bullseye. "So many times in the last few years I've lost games in the last leg, so finally the coin flipped my way today.

"It would be fantastic to reach the final and hopefully if I can beat James Wade in the semis then I can win the final, but James is a top class player and you know what you're going to get." Wade and Wright had shared the wins from their previous two meetings in Perth and Sydney, but it was the left-hander who progressed to the last four by out-scoring his rival by four 180s to three and crucially winning seven legs out of eight on his favourite double top. Wright claimed and immediate break of throw in the game's opening leg before Wade replied in kind, hitting a 180 and tops to level before taking the next on the same bed, after the colourful Scot missed a dart to break. Wright landed a 180 and tops to level in leg four, but Wade finished 58 to edge back in front and then took the next two to move 5-2 up, following up a 101 checkout to punish three misses from his rival before then taking out 99 with two double tops.

One rare miss at tops from Wade allowed Wright to hit back in leg eight, and the pair traded 180s in the next before a superb 121 bullseye finish saw the gap cut to 5-4. Both players also landed 180s in the tenth, but with Wright waiting on 40 to level the game Wade produced a key 82 finish to regain a two-leg cushion. Wright's miss at double 16 in the next allowed Wade in to move 7-4 up, again on tops, and though the number three seed took out 62 to stay in the game, it was only a brief rally as the left-hander hit a 180 and a rare double ten to seal the win. "Peter didn't play his natural game and I made the most of it," said Wade. "I'm really happy with how I hit double top and I felt good today. "There's always room for improvement and I'll have to have more in the tank, but my game's never been about big finishes and big scores, it's always been about hitting that finish at the right time. "It's a different day for the semi-finals and final but I'm excited about it.

I know I can beat anyone in the world, but if you talk the talk you've got to walk the walk." Phil Taylor's bid to win a fourth successive PDC World Series of Darts title continued with an 8-3 romp against Simon Whitlock, as the 16-time World Champion averaged 107.37 and finished eight doubles from 11 attempts to sweep into the semi-finals. Taylor was in relentless mood as he claimed the game's opening seven legs without reply, and though Whitlock produced a three-leg rally it was not enough as the top seed sealed the win. Taylor finished 62 and 89 to win the opening two legs in 14 and 12 darts, before punishing three missed doubles from Whitlock in the third with a sensational 170 maximum checkout. Back-to-back 14-darters were followed by an 11-dart finish as Taylor took a six-leg lead, before he checked out 102 to maintain his dominance. Taylor also landed a 180 in leg eight as he targeted a whitewash, but Whitlock took out a brilliant 135 finish to claim his first leg.

Taylor's 177 in the next was bettered by a 180 from the Australian, who then finished double 16 to continue his revival and 100 to pull back to 7-3, but the 55-year-old fired in a 171 score to pull clear in leg 11 before double ten sealed an emphatic display. "Simon's back was against the wall but he was determined that he wouldn't give in, and to be honest he had nothing to lose at 7-0 and he started to relax and enjoy himself," said Taylor, who whitewashed Craig Caldwell in Friday's first round. "When he got a couple of legs back he probably started to think he could win it, so I'm glad I got it finished when I did. "I can look forward to the semi-finals now because I'm relaxed, enjoying myself and my form is building steadily throughout the tournament. I want to win this and it's all coming together." Taylor will take on Adrian Lewis in the last four in a repeat of last week's Sydney Darts Masters final, after the number four seed produced a clinical display to knock out World Champion Gary Anderson 8-4.

Lewis took command from the start, matching Anderson's 180 with a maximum of his own before punishing missed doubles from the Scot to take out tops and double 16 to win the opening two legs. Double ten saw Anderson get off the mark, with Lewis taking out 120 to move 3-1 up before an 11-darter saw the World Champion hit back once more as the pair traded 180s once again. Anderson then kicked off the sixth leg with two 180s, but after missing out on a nine-darter went on to lose the leg as Lewis landed double four, before tops and an 83 finish moved the Stoke ace 6-2 up. Anderson took out 126 and 127 to win two of the next three to stay in the hunt, but Lewis had finished 87 on tops to move to the brink of victory before taking out double 16 for a 14-darter to seal his spot in the semis. "Gary's one of the best players I've ever played against, so to go up there and win 8-4 means a lot to me," said Lewis.

"My finishing in the whole World Series has been pretty poor; my scoring has got me out of jail and when I've been under pressure I've taken out massive shots, but tonight my finishing was awesome. "My finishing in these first couple of games has been fantastic, and now that I'm feeling confident in my finishing it will take a phenomenal performance to beat me. It will be a belter against Phil and he knows this will be a tough game." The TAB Auckland Darts Masters concludes on Sunday evening at the Trusts Arena, with the semi-finals to be followed by the final of the PDC World Series of Darts event. Tickets can be purchased through Eventfinda via or through 0800 BUY TIX (289 849), and at the venue ticket office, with doors opening at 6pm.

Get Involved Join the conversation online through the PDC's Social Media channels: Twitter - Live Updates via @AucklandDarts , our tournament account, alongside @OfficialPDC Premier League Darts 2016: Dates, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Prize Money | Bleacher Report Premier League Darts 2016: Dates, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Prize Money By Christopher Simpson , Featured Columnist Feb 3, 2016 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images 0 Comments Reigning champion Gary Anderson and a host of familiar names will return to compete in the Premier League Darts 2016 season when it kicks off on February 4. Anderson will begin his title defence on Thursday against Adrian Lewis, while the field also sees the entrance of newcomer Michael Smith—a former World Youth Champion who sees his final-four finish at the Grand Slam of Darts and top-eight finish at the World Championship rewarded with a place in the competition.

Masters champion Michael van Gerwen will also be in the hunt having lost in two successive Premier League finals, and excitement is building for the "biggest tour yet," according to PDC Darts: THE @Betway PREMIER LEAGUE IS BACK... The greatest roadshow in sport! #LoveTheDarts — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 1, 2016 An impressive £700,000 in prize money will be split between the 10 players, with £200,000 of that reserved for the winner, per Darts.tv . Sky Sports will be televising every round of the competition, which can also be streamed live at PDC.tv . Here is the schedule for the tournament, and continue for a closer look at what's set to be a thrilling season: Premier League Darts 2016 Schedule Date PDC.tv Van Gerwen Looking For Second Premier League Title The Dutchman had a simply phenomenal 2015, and his astounding haul of 18 trophies saw him earn the joint-title of PDC Player of the Year alongside Anderson, who claimed the Premier League and the World Championship.

Mighty Mike's triumph at the Masters in Milton Keynes on Sunday—his second successive title in the competition—saw him warm-up perfectly for the long Premier League season. Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images The 26-year-old has reached the final three years running having topped the league standings on each occasion, but he lost 10-6 to Raymond van Barneveld in 2014 and 11-7 to Anderson last year. Van Gerwen begins his campaign against James Wade and is aiming to get off to a strong start. Per PDC.tv , he said: It's very tough but I won the league table for the last three years and I'm going for four years in a row. I need to make sure I'm ready for Thursday because it's going to be a tough game and I'm looking forward to it. James had a fantastic result [in Milton Keynes by reaching] the semi-finals but I need to make sure I'm going to play really well against him. My confidence is sky high. He also identified Phil Taylor as a big threat for the title.

The Englishman had mixed success in 2015 with three wins in the World Series of Darts and a World Cup of Darts triumph counter-balanced by a quarter-final exit at the UK Open, failure to make the Premier League play-offs for the first time and a third-round defeat to Jelle Klaasen in the World Darts Championship. Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images After facing Taylor at the Masters and narrowly edging him out 11-10 in a dramatic semi-final encounter, Van Gerwen believes the Power remains a dangerous opponent. He said: Phil had a good break and it was good for him, and I think he's going to have a really good year. He's going to win tournaments again, trust me. He had a fantastic tournament and it's not only about averages but also his confidence. People write him off so many times but I never do. Also set to rival Van Gerwen is world and Premier League champion Anderson, who has been enjoying an exceptional run of form. The Scot commented on the need for consistency in order to come out on top in the Premier League, per PDC Darts: The @betway Premier League returns!

We catch up with defending Champ @garyanderson180 ahead of week one in Leeds! — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 1, 2016 Who will win? Other (Please state in comments) 5.6% Total votes: 36 Of course, Van Gerwen's consistency in topping the table has not always produced the win in the end—as is the nature of play-offs. The Flying Scotsman showed great composure to win his the World Championship in January, which has shown he can get over one of the biggest hurdles in sport—retaining a title after winning it. Along with Van Gerwen and Taylor—not to mention the likes of 2009 champion Wade and 2011 runner-up Lewis—Anderson is set to make the 2016 Premier League season one of the most exciting yet.

Brilliant Adrian Lewis denies Phil Taylor in thrilling Auckland Darts Masters quarterfinal | Stuff.co.nz Brilliant Adrian Lewis denies Phil Taylor in thrilling Auckland Darts Masters quarterfinal Last updated 09:03, June 19 2016 Adrian Lewis remains on course to win a second successive title at the Auckland Darts Masters after claiming a thrilling 10-9 win over Phil Taylor in a a quarterfinal humdinger on Saturday night. James Wade, Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld joined the reigning champion in the semifinals, which along with the final will be played on Sunday night. Lewis had edged out Taylor in a classic semifinal on his way to the inaugural title in New Zealand last August, and claimed victory in another game of the highest quality as they met at the last eight stage this time around. The opening to the contest set the tone as Taylor kicked off with 177 and 180 and Lewis also added a maximum in an 11-darter to lead, only to see the 16-time world champion level with the aid of another 180 and a 122 bull finish.

READ MORE: * Lewis wins Auckland final Taylor also hit a 10-darter in the fourth leg, but Lewis won the next three - including a 103 finish to break - as he took a 5-2 advantage. Taylor cut the gap to 7-6 with a 102 checkout, but crucially missed one dart to level, at double 16, as Lewis fired in a superb 124 bull finish and then landed tops to move 9-6 up and to the brink of victory. Taylor, though, produced legs of 13, 13 and 12 darts, the latter featuring his ninth 180 and a 130 checkout, as he forced a decider, but Lewis held the advantage of throw and landed double top at the fourth time of asking to finally seal a memorable win. "It was a great game and it's fantastic to win," said Lewis, who had partnered Taylor to victory for England in the World Cup of Darts a fortnight ago. "It was a brilliant match - Phil seemed to be hitting 180s every time I looked up and it was treble after treble for him.

He was firing on all cylinders and it's great to see that because I look up to him and in my eyes he's still the best in the world. Ad Feedback "But in that last leg I had the throw and started well. It got a little bit nervy so I'm happy to get over the line. I had a few slack darts and let him back in when I got that lead, so I'll want to tighten up on that." Lewis will now meet Wade in the semifinals on Sunday night at the Trusts Arena, after the left-hander produced an outstanding performance to defeat world No 1 Michael van Gerwen 10-6 in a game where both players averaged over 107. Van Gerwen hit 180s in each of the opening two legs, only to see Wade win both as he landed a maximum and a 130 bullseye finish, with the Dutchman then taking out 110 to get off the mark only to see the left-hander finish 84 and 78 as he moved 4-1 up.

Van Gerwen raised his game with two ten-darters in the next three legs, and a 128 checkout for a 12-darter cut the gap to 5-4 - but Wade crucially twice denied the world number one a chance to level by hitting a pair of 11-darters to move 7-5 up. "I'm really happy to beat the world No 1, but I believe I put him in a position where he had no answer," said Wade. "I didn't let him do what he can do. "I hit a few finishes at the right times and the 140s and 180s - that's always in the locker but I don't show it often enough." World champion Gary Anderson turned on the style with a 104 average as he overcame fellow Scot Peter Wright 10-6 to continue his bid to win a second successive World Series of Darts event after last month's Dubai Darts Masters triumph.

Van Barneveld, the 2015 runner-up, continued his impressive run in Auckland as he followed up Friday's win over New Zealand No 1 Cody Harris with a 101 average as he overcame Dave Chisnall 10-5 to set up a semifinal with Anderson.

Question: 26 year old adrian Lewis has claimed a second successive world title in which sport?
Answer: DARTS