Rematch heads Prem opener

Rematch: Taylor v Whitlock

LIVE ON SKY SPORTS
Premier League darts
The O2 - Thursday Feb 11
7pm, Sky Sports 1 & HD1

Also see

• Order of Merit
• On Sky TV
• Darts Schedule/Results
• Sid Waddell
• Sky Bet

A World Championship final rematch between Phil Taylor and Simon Whitlock will raise the curtain on a new season of Premier League darts on February 11.

The ever-popular Premier League roadshow kicks-off at the O2 Arena on Thursday February 11 - in the first if 14 weekly rounds televised live on Sky Sports, and in HD, ahead of the finals weekend.

And the tournament could not have a better opening night with the action culminating in a rematch of the high-quality final witnessed at the Alexandra Palace just a few weeks ago.

Australian Whitlock played some stunning darts to make the final and pushed 'The Power' all the way but just lost the crucial legs as Taylor claimed a 15th world title.

A reward for Whitlock is a Sky Sports wildcard spot in the Premier League - and an immediate shot at revenge against four-time winner Taylor - who lost his crown last year with a semi-final defeat against Mervyn King.

Whitlock defeated Raymond van Barneveld, Terry Jenkins and eventual Premier League winner James Wade at Ally Pally, so the big names along with the big crowd will hold no fear for him.

Defending champion Wade plays world number two Raymond van Barneveld in another huge clash on the opening night, while Ronnie Baxter celebrates his return to Premier League Darts against Jenkins and King, the 2009 runner-up, takes on the second Sky Sports Wildcard Adrian Lewis.

The second week, at the BIC in Bournemouth, sees van Barneveld take on Lewis at the scene of the Dutchman's nine-dart finish in the 2006 Premier League Darts, when he hit a perfect leg against Peter Manley.

Wade will meet King in Bournemouth in a repeat of last year's final, while Taylor takes on Baxter and Jenkins faces Whitlock.

The visit to Belfast in week three sees Taylor meet Wade, who took victory over the world number one at the Odyssey Arena in 2009, while Whitlock takes on van Barneveld.

The clashes between the players ranked one and two in the world, Taylor and van Barneveld, will take place on week four in Exeter and week eight in Cardiff.

Each league night will be played from 7pm-10pm and screened live on Sky Sports in High Definition. League games are the best of 14 legs, with two points awarded for a win (first player to eight legs) or one point awarded for a 7-7 draw.