Phil Taylor books Premier League play-off place, Michael van Gerwen closes on top four finish
Friday 22 April 2016 10:21, UK
Phil Taylor secured a return to Premier League Finals Night with victory over Robert Thornton in Bournemouth on Thursday night.
The Power sits top of the standings and his 7-2 victory over Thornton was enough to seal a top four finish and a place at the O2 in May having failed to qualify for the semi-finals in 2015.
The six-time Premier League champion was not at his best and averaged in the 80s for much of his match with Thornton but Taylor had too much for the Scot and was always able to keep his nose in front having broken early on for a 3-0 lead.
The 16-time world champion has not won the Premier League since 2012 but is the first man to secure his place this year and now has set his sights on the £25,000 bonus for finishing top of the league phase for the first time in three years.
World No 1 Michael van Gerwen is hot on the heels of Taylor. After a run of four draws from his previous five matches, the Dutchman secured two victories to all but join Taylor at the O2.
MVG kicked off the evening with a comprehensive victory against Peter Wright - Snakebite was unable to live with the Dutchman's power and another average in excess of 100 was enough to wrap up a 7-2 victory.
Van Gerwen followed that up in the final match of the night with a win against Adrian Lewis - neither man was at their best as they felt the effects of a second game of the evening but the Green Machine came out on top following a topsy-turvy tussle.
Jackpot, reeling from a 7-4 defeat to Raymond van Barneveld earlier in the night, missed four darts at a double to claim the opening leg but he was punished by Van Gerwen who roared into 4-1 lead.
Lewis managed to find form midway through the match with a couple of big finishes to level at 4-4. MVG surged once again but when he missed four darts for the match it looked like Lewis could pinch a precious point.
It was not to be for Jackpot as Van Gerwen, averaging in the mid 90s, wrapped up a 7-5 win that puts him two points behind Taylor and only an unlikely sequence of results can stop him returning to Finals Night.
Lewis' first match of the night ended in a defeat to Barney, a win for the Dutchman somehow keeping his faint hopes of a play-off place alive.
Barney won seven of his last eight games last year to make the O2 but he will require even more of a miracle run this year despite an impressive showing against Jackpot who was well below his best.
In the night's other match, Gary Anderson picked up what could be a crucial point ahead of his double week in Birmingham next Thursday. The defending champion came up against a typically stubborn James Wade and a 6-6 draw keeps alive both men's hopes of joining Taylor in London on May 19.
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