Raymond van Barneveld revived his Premier League campaign with a stunning 7-4 win over Phil Taylor in Glasgow.
The defending champion had been facing early elimination after a disastrous run of results, but he hauled himself out of the bottom two, despite a 115 average from Taylor – the highest ever for a loser in a televised match.
With two legs already in the bank, Taylor appeared ready to pile more pain on his vulnerable rival and he chose not to aim for the bull on a checkout, leaving 144 for van Barneveld in a show of bravado.
‘Barney’ rose to the challenge, rattling through the finish to reduce the deficit and suddenly he was right on the heels of Taylor.
The respected duo, with a multitude of titles between them, continued to swap legs in a high-class encounter and Taylor narrowly missed out on a nine-darter before edging 3-2 up.
But the Dutchman was digging deep and a calm 82 checkout earned another break before he moved 4-3 up, greeting the decisive dart with a determined roar.
Taylor, despite a string of 180s, could not contain Van Barneveld, who continued to add legs with his composed finishing and both men embraced after he sealed victory in front of an appreciative crowd.
At the top of the table, Michael van Gerwen opened up a two-point lead after a 7-4 win over Dave Chisnall.
‘Mighty Mike’ set the tone with a 124 checkout in the opening leg and soon surged into a commanding 5-1 lead. But his standards slipped, allowing the relieved Chisnall to keep alive hopes of an undeserved draw.
Van Gerwen was not to be denied on this occasion and he closed out the match to pull clear of second-placed Gary Anderson.
The returning world champion had earlier received a hero’s welcome and delighted his home support with a classy 7-5 win over Kim Huybrechts.
He almost ended the match in perfect fashion, narrowly missing out on a nine-darter when he sent his final dart inches above double 12 after eight perfect darts.
Peter Wright, another well-supported Scot, salvaged a 6-6 draw against Stephen Bunting, who let victory slip away amid a string of missed doubles.
Leading 5-1, the St Helens man allowed himself to be unsettled by jeers from the crowd and Wright battled back to pinch a point, completing the comeback with a stylish 66 checkout.
In the opening match of the night, James Wade was also held to a 6-6 draw by struggling Adrian Lewis.
The Stoke thrower has endured a difficult season, but a 138 checkout kept him in the hunt and he snatched the decisive leg for a precious point.