Taylor sets up Jaws clash

Taylor: Took the 15th leg

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An out-of-sorts Phil Taylor booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship with a battling 8-7 victory over Terry Jenkins.

'The Power' averaged 99.90 but had problems with both his doubles and some members of a boisterous crowd at the Circus Tavern.

Jenkins pushed the defending champion all the way, twice winning legs against the throw before being pegged back by his opponent.

Taylor, who now has a 19-2 record against 'The Bull', did manage a 160 finish in the ninth leg but found the target with just eight of his 25 attempts at doubles.

Jaws bites

Next up for the man from Stoke will be former world number one Colin Lloyd, who reeled off six legs in a row to rally from 4-2 to beat Kevin Painter.

Having beaten last year's runner-up Robert Thornton in the first round, 'The Artist' looked to be on course for the last eight when he opened up a lead.

However, 'Jaws' showed his teeth with a sparkling spell of darts, including finishes of 106 and 108, to come storming back for the win, finishing off the match with a 15-dart leg.

"It was a fantastic game to be involved in," Lloyd said afterwards. "I was battling throughout and an 8-4 scoreline doesn't really reflect the game, but I'll take it."

"Kevin has been a big friend of mine for a lot of years, we used to room together on the circuit and to beat him in such a tough match is great for me."

As well as an all-Essex clash in the afternoon session there was also a battle between two men from the north west, as Fleetwood's Wes Newton defeated Blackpool's Ronnie Baxter in a final-leg shoot-out.

Newton held his nerve at the death having already missed five darts to win the match. He had led 5-2 and then 7-5 before being pegged back.

Second seed Mark Walsh tumbled out of the tournament at the hands of Wayne Jones, who won six legs on the spin to seal an 8-5 triumph.

Paul Nicholson was victorious by the same scoreline against Steve Beaton, meaning he has now ended the hopes of two former world champions.

Having seen off Dennis Priestley in round one, 'The Asset' booked his place in the next round with some fine finishing, hitting a 104 checkout in the ninth leg and then needing just two darts to take out 97 in the 11th.

Jackpot finish

Adrian Lewis is next up for Nicholson, though only just after he nearly came a cropper against Andy Hamilton.

'Jackpot' raced out of the blocks by taking the opening leg in just 10 darts. He followed that up with a 120 checkout as he surged 6-3 ahead.

Double 10 in the 12th leg left the 25-year-old on the brink of victory - only for Hamilton to come storming back and take the clash to a deciding leg.

He had his chance to win too, just missing double eight when trying to take out 136. Lewis didn't give him another chance, holding his nerve with 56 left.

Mervyn King had no such problems in his second-round match, as he dropped just one leg in thrashing Jelle Klaasen, who averaged just 82.

Colin Osbourne was equally impressive in the last match of the day, 'The Wizard' conjuring up some superb arrows to dismiss the challenge of Michael van Gerwen 8-2.