Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld headline the World Darts Championship on Wednesday
Wednesday 27 December 2017 19:23, UK
Simon Whitlock, Alan Norris, Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen are all in action on a bumper Wednesday double session at the World Darts Championship.
With Christmas over and darts fans hungry for tungsten rather than turkey, there's plenty to get through.
The Sky Sports panel take us through the day...
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Simon Whitlock v Darren Webster
John Part - Darren slaughtered Simon here last year in the second round and it was considered a big shock, this year I think it is expected, I certainly expect it.
I think right now Darren is the more consistent player and the better player. He is getting more used to the big stage although I wouldn't say he has cracked it yet, he's not always in control of is his nerves but is starting to reflect the form he has always shown on the floor.
To be fair to Simon, he has had a lot of doubt come his way and that doesn't seem to add up as he's reached the Grand Prix final and is doing a lot of things right.
But most of the matches he is winning have been a bit scrappy and not of the highest quality but he is winning and he is working hard and determination is what he is relying on rather than his throwing game.
Alan Norris v James Richardson
Nigel Pearson - I did James' match against Kim Huybrechts and he was super in that game while Alan Norris was very patchy against Kim Viljanen.
There was a spell where he came under a bit of pressure but he handled it and relied on a couple of importantly timed 180s to see him home.
James plays with a really nice free flow to his game, he looked confident and nothing phased him - Norris will have to play at his best and I would not be surprised if Richardson sneaks it.
If he goes up there and is ready for a good time, which he was against Kim, I think he will be rewarding himself with another vindaloo!
Kevin Munch v Toni Alcinas
Rod Studd - Not many had a hunch for Munch but he played magnificently to beat Adrian Lewis who really did not play that badly.
Munch had eight 180s, took out a brilliant 158 in a brilliant performance - whether he can do it again is a different question and whether he could reproduce that level again.
Alcinas is coming back to what we saw from him a few years ago - it was a surprise to me that he hadn't played at the Worlds since 2012 when he played so well against an Andy Hamilton playing at the peak of his powers and was in the Spain team that beat England at the World Cup.
He had a tough game against Cristo Reyes but he played well and I think with Kevin not hitting the heights he hit against Lewis, Alcinas will pick him off.
Evening Session (7pm)
Peter Wright v Jamie Lewis
Stuart Pyke - I think Peter Wright will be thrilled with how he came through his first-round game - I spoke to him before and he really did not know what to expect as it had been a while since he had last thrown a dart.
He's been going for scans and been on medication so to average nigh-on 98 and come through in a tough atmosphere will have done him the world of good and I think things are bubbling nicely for a Gary Anderson-Peter Wright semi-final.
Jamie just scraped through in the qualifiers and has a bit of a free ride. He scores well and played very well in the first round. The fact he has nothing to lose can only help him - he's earned £18,000 already and after a shocking year it's great to see him playing with a smile on his face.
The enforced break might well have done Peter good - he is arguably the busiest player on the circuit - and 19 times out of 20 Peter wins this game, I don't see this being number 20.
Vincent van der Voort v Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
The 2018 World Championship from Alexandra Palace continues after Christmas on Wednesday, December 27 with Simon Whitlock, Peter Wright, Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen in a bumper double session. Coverage gets underway from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Darts and ending with the final on New Year's Day.
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