ADRIAN LEWIS and Colin Lloyd stepped up their challenges for play-off places in the Holsten Premier League Darts with victories as the tournament visited Cardiff on Thursday.
The pair entered the night as the bottom two in the table, but wins at the CIA saw them cut the gap on the top four to just four points with three games remaining.
Lewis grabbed his second successive win with a quality display against Dennis Priestley, coming from 4-1 down against the two-time World Champion.
He hit eight maximums and averaged over 100 for the second game in a row to join Lloyd and Peter Manley on eight points.
"I'm hitting form at the right time," said Lewis. "Hopefully I can carry this on now and I've still got a chance of getting into the top four."
Lloyd had opened proceedings with an 8-4 victory over Roland Scholten, grabbing his third win in four weeks and averaging 103 to see off the Dutchman.
Raymond van Barneveld jumped onto 13 points with an 8-5 win over Terry Jenkins, hitting five 180s in the second half of their contest to surge to victory.
Defending champion Phil Taylor moved six points clear of Priestley with an 8-1 romp against Peter Manley, producing a superb finishing display to maintain his unbeaten record.
COLIN LLOYD 8-4 ROLAND SCHOLTEN
COLIN LLOYD kept alive his hopes of breaking into the Holsten Premier League Darts play-offs with an 8-4 win over Roland Scholten in Cardiff.
The Essex star knew that he had to grab a third win in four games to maintain any hope of breaking into the top four this year.
He did that in style against the Dutchman, averaging 103 and producing some superb finishing, especially on double 16.
Scholten began well, holding his throw in legs one and three before an 14-darter from Lloyd levelled at 2-2.
The former World Matchplay winner landed double 16 in the fifth to break Scholten's throw, and then went into the break with a 12-darter finishing on 96 to leave 4-2.
Scholten took out 76 on double 16 to hit back after the restart, but Lloyd produced an outstanding three-leg spell to surge 7-3 up and secure a minimum of a draw.
Scholten hit his first maximum of the match before taking out 121 on double 18 to stay in the contest in leg ten, but Lloyd punished his opponent's missed double in the next to once again land double 16 for victory.
"I enjoyed that," said Lloyd. "It's nice to come up on stage and throw some decent darts.
"Roland's one of my best mates but he knows what it's about and he would have done the same to me. I've got a result and I'm very happy."
The win puts Lloyd four points behind fourth-placed Terry Jenkins, and he added: "I needed this eight weeks ago but I won't stop fighting.
"It's going to be hard for me to qualify and I need a lot of results to go my way still."
ADRIAN LEWIS 8-6 DENNIS PRIESTLEY
ADRIAN LEWIS showed his class to come from behind and gain a second successive Holsten Premier League Darts win with an 8-6 defeat of Dennis Priestley at the CIA.
The 22-year-old ended a five-game losing run last week when he defeated Colin Lloyd, and kept alive any lingering play-off hopes with another quality display.
Having lost to Priestley 8-1 when the pair met in Newcastle earlier this year, another loss looked on the cards when Lewis fell 4-1 down.
But he produced some superb scoring, landing five 180s in taking seven of the next nine legs for victory.
"It's pleasing because Dennis is hard to play against," said Lewis afterwards. "Hopefully I can carry this form on now and put pressure on Raymond van Barneveld and Terry Jenkins.
"They will have to watch out because I've still got a chance of making the top four. I'm finding form at the right time and they're not safe."
In addition to his late burst of heavy scoring, Lewis also had three maximums in the first five legs, but saw a more clinical Priestley take the early lead, landing a 113 finish in leg three and six perfect darts in the fifth.
A two-dart 100 finish settled any Lewis nerves going into the break, although a 96 finish put Priestley 5-2 up.
The youngster put in two maximums in taking the next two to reduce the arrears to 5-4, before Priestley took advantage of his missed doubles in the next to edge back clear.
It was Priestley who missed chances in leg 11, his off-target bullseye for a 126 finish followed by Lewis landing double ten.
He then levelled matters by winning the 12th and a superb 11-darter put him ahead 7-6.
He then produced a quality final leg, including another 180, before double four put him over the winning line.
PHIL TAYLOR 8-1 PETER MANLEY
PHIL TAYLOR picked up a second successive 8-1 Holsten Premier League Darts victory with a rout of Peter Manley in Cardiff.
Taylor was once again in imperious form to move further clear at the top of the Premier League table in style.
He dropped only one leg against Manley, who had to take out an 11-darter in leg four to get off the mark.
Taylor had raced past Terry Jenkins a week ago in Bournemouth, and began in similarly destructive form by winning the opening three legs with finishes of 82, 120 and 68.
Manley hit back in the fourth but Taylor landed double ten to restore a three-leg cushion after his opponent was off-target at double 19 - and he never looked back.
Taylor also punished Manley misses on double top in leg six and moved 6-1 up with double two after the restart.
A 106 finish put the 13-time World Champion on the finishing line in the next before Taylor then sealed the win on double 16 to move six points clear of Raymond van Barneveld and Dennis Priestley in the table.
"I keep trying every week and I'm very happy with this win," said Taylor.
"Peter played well but missed a couple of doubles - my finishing was "One Dart" tonight, not his! He's under pressure now and needs to win now to get into the top four."
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 8-5 TERRY JENKINS
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD grabbed his first Holsten Premier League Darts win for five weeks with an 8-5 defeat of Terry Jenkins at the CIA.
The World Champion has dipped in form recently with two wins and a brace of draws, but moved back to second in the table with the victory.
After a slow opening left the pair locked after six legs, the Dutchman burst into form in the second half of the match.
He won five of the final seven legs and hit x 180s on his way to a vital win.
Jenkins took the first two legs of the match with van Barneveld sat on a double before the Dutchman landed a 76 finish on double 18 to get off the mark.
Jenkins held his throw in leg four, but a double salvo from van Barneveld put him level at the break, with the World Grand Prix finalist off target with four darts at the double in leg six.
Van Barneveld returned from the break with a maximum on his first visit to the oche, setting the tone for an electric period of play.
A second 180 of the leg set up an 11-dart finish - only for the Dutchman to miss six darts at double top before landing double ten, with Jenkins having just one dart at the bullseye to steal the throw.
The Ledbury man took leg eight with a 12-darter, but three successive legs from van Barneveld saw him jump out to 7-4.
Jenkins threatened a fightback by winning leg 12 in 13 darts, but van Barneveld wrapped up the win by matching that in the next with double 18.
"I wanted to get the win and was focused for this," said van Barneveld.
"The first three or four legs were a disaster but Terry missed a few doubles and I went into the break at 3-3. After the break I started playing well.
"I'm focused on reaching the semi-finals and we'll see what happens now. It doesn't matter who I play if I make the last four."
The pair entered the night as the bottom two in the table, but wins at the CIA saw them cut the gap on the top four to just four points with three games remaining.
Lewis grabbed his second successive win with a quality display against Dennis Priestley, coming from 4-1 down against the two-time World Champion.
He hit eight maximums and averaged over 100 for the second game in a row to join Lloyd and Peter Manley on eight points.
"I'm hitting form at the right time," said Lewis. "Hopefully I can carry this on now and I've still got a chance of getting into the top four."
Lloyd had opened proceedings with an 8-4 victory over Roland Scholten, grabbing his third win in four weeks and averaging 103 to see off the Dutchman.
Raymond van Barneveld jumped onto 13 points with an 8-5 win over Terry Jenkins, hitting five 180s in the second half of their contest to surge to victory.
Defending champion Phil Taylor moved six points clear of Priestley with an 8-1 romp against Peter Manley, producing a superb finishing display to maintain his unbeaten record.
COLIN LLOYD 8-4 ROLAND SCHOLTEN
COLIN LLOYD kept alive his hopes of breaking into the Holsten Premier League Darts play-offs with an 8-4 win over Roland Scholten in Cardiff.
The Essex star knew that he had to grab a third win in four games to maintain any hope of breaking into the top four this year.
He did that in style against the Dutchman, averaging 103 and producing some superb finishing, especially on double 16.
Scholten began well, holding his throw in legs one and three before an 14-darter from Lloyd levelled at 2-2.
The former World Matchplay winner landed double 16 in the fifth to break Scholten's throw, and then went into the break with a 12-darter finishing on 96 to leave 4-2.
Scholten took out 76 on double 16 to hit back after the restart, but Lloyd produced an outstanding three-leg spell to surge 7-3 up and secure a minimum of a draw.
Scholten hit his first maximum of the match before taking out 121 on double 18 to stay in the contest in leg ten, but Lloyd punished his opponent's missed double in the next to once again land double 16 for victory.
"I enjoyed that," said Lloyd. "It's nice to come up on stage and throw some decent darts.
"Roland's one of my best mates but he knows what it's about and he would have done the same to me. I've got a result and I'm very happy."
The win puts Lloyd four points behind fourth-placed Terry Jenkins, and he added: "I needed this eight weeks ago but I won't stop fighting.
"It's going to be hard for me to qualify and I need a lot of results to go my way still."
ADRIAN LEWIS 8-6 DENNIS PRIESTLEY
ADRIAN LEWIS showed his class to come from behind and gain a second successive Holsten Premier League Darts win with an 8-6 defeat of Dennis Priestley at the CIA.
The 22-year-old ended a five-game losing run last week when he defeated Colin Lloyd, and kept alive any lingering play-off hopes with another quality display.
Having lost to Priestley 8-1 when the pair met in Newcastle earlier this year, another loss looked on the cards when Lewis fell 4-1 down.
But he produced some superb scoring, landing five 180s in taking seven of the next nine legs for victory.
"It's pleasing because Dennis is hard to play against," said Lewis afterwards. "Hopefully I can carry this form on now and put pressure on Raymond van Barneveld and Terry Jenkins.
"They will have to watch out because I've still got a chance of making the top four. I'm finding form at the right time and they're not safe."
In addition to his late burst of heavy scoring, Lewis also had three maximums in the first five legs, but saw a more clinical Priestley take the early lead, landing a 113 finish in leg three and six perfect darts in the fifth.
A two-dart 100 finish settled any Lewis nerves going into the break, although a 96 finish put Priestley 5-2 up.
The youngster put in two maximums in taking the next two to reduce the arrears to 5-4, before Priestley took advantage of his missed doubles in the next to edge back clear.
It was Priestley who missed chances in leg 11, his off-target bullseye for a 126 finish followed by Lewis landing double ten.
He then levelled matters by winning the 12th and a superb 11-darter put him ahead 7-6.
He then produced a quality final leg, including another 180, before double four put him over the winning line.
PHIL TAYLOR 8-1 PETER MANLEY
PHIL TAYLOR picked up a second successive 8-1 Holsten Premier League Darts victory with a rout of Peter Manley in Cardiff.
Taylor was once again in imperious form to move further clear at the top of the Premier League table in style.
He dropped only one leg against Manley, who had to take out an 11-darter in leg four to get off the mark.
Taylor had raced past Terry Jenkins a week ago in Bournemouth, and began in similarly destructive form by winning the opening three legs with finishes of 82, 120 and 68.
Manley hit back in the fourth but Taylor landed double ten to restore a three-leg cushion after his opponent was off-target at double 19 - and he never looked back.
Taylor also punished Manley misses on double top in leg six and moved 6-1 up with double two after the restart.
A 106 finish put the 13-time World Champion on the finishing line in the next before Taylor then sealed the win on double 16 to move six points clear of Raymond van Barneveld and Dennis Priestley in the table.
"I keep trying every week and I'm very happy with this win," said Taylor.
"Peter played well but missed a couple of doubles - my finishing was "One Dart" tonight, not his! He's under pressure now and needs to win now to get into the top four."
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 8-5 TERRY JENKINS
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD grabbed his first Holsten Premier League Darts win for five weeks with an 8-5 defeat of Terry Jenkins at the CIA.
The World Champion has dipped in form recently with two wins and a brace of draws, but moved back to second in the table with the victory.
After a slow opening left the pair locked after six legs, the Dutchman burst into form in the second half of the match.
He won five of the final seven legs and hit x 180s on his way to a vital win.
Jenkins took the first two legs of the match with van Barneveld sat on a double before the Dutchman landed a 76 finish on double 18 to get off the mark.
Jenkins held his throw in leg four, but a double salvo from van Barneveld put him level at the break, with the World Grand Prix finalist off target with four darts at the double in leg six.
Van Barneveld returned from the break with a maximum on his first visit to the oche, setting the tone for an electric period of play.
A second 180 of the leg set up an 11-dart finish - only for the Dutchman to miss six darts at double top before landing double ten, with Jenkins having just one dart at the bullseye to steal the throw.
The Ledbury man took leg eight with a 12-darter, but three successive legs from van Barneveld saw him jump out to 7-4.
Jenkins threatened a fightback by winning leg 12 in 13 darts, but van Barneveld wrapped up the win by matching that in the next with double 18.
"I wanted to get the win and was focused for this," said van Barneveld.
"The first three or four legs were a disaster but Terry missed a few doubles and I went into the break at 3-3. After the break I started playing well.
"I'm focused on reaching the semi-finals and we'll see what happens now. It doesn't matter who I play if I make the last four."
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