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James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Raymond van Barneveld all claimed excellent victories on night five of the McCoy’s Premier League.

Wade produced a brilliant performance to see off Thornton with a 7-1 triumph, averaging over 105 and taking out two 121 finishes along the way.

“I felt really good up there and it showed in my performance,” said ‘The Machine’, who upped his points tally to seven.

“I keep saying it but the practise is really making all the difference and I feel that there’s more to come.

“In fact I know there is. I’m working harder than ever on my game and I’m delighted with the start I’ve made.”

Whitlock had to fight back from 4-1 down to take a 7-5 triumph against Wes Newton and was delighted to claim his second win of the season.

He said: “That could be a very important win.

“I have been playing well for the last few weeks but not getting the results so I’m thrilled to win tonight.

“Every game is so competitive that you’ve got to be happy with every good result.”

van Barneveld went top of the table with his 7-5 success against Andy Hamilton, as six 180s and an average of over 100 gave the Dutchman his fourth win of the season.

“Every opponent is tough in the league so I’m really delighted to have got four wins already,” said ‘Barney’ who faces Thornton next Thursday.

“I’m a confident person now and maybe that’s what got me through in the last leg. I was relaxed and I believed in myself.

“That’s so important in this game and I will have to do it all over again next week against Robert, who has been amazing in his first season.”

Michael van Gerwen suffered defeat at the hands of a rejuvenated Adrian Lewis, while Gary Anderson beat Phil Taylor in the evening’s other matches.

By Chris Murphy

SKY SPORTS will take its partnership with the Professional Darts Corporation into a 25th year thanks to a new five-year broadcast deal.
The agreement offers Sky Sports viewers over 50 days of live and exclusive darts throughout the year including the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship each Christmas until 2018.
As part of the deal, Sky Sports viewers will also enjoy live coverage of the McCoy’s Premier League, PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix, William Hill Grand Slam of Darts, Betfair World Cup of Darts and the Betfair World Matchplay, which celebrates its 20th staging this summer.
The partnership between Sky Sports and the PDC extends back to the organisation’s formation two decades ago, beginning with the 1994 World Championship.
Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “Sky Sports has worked with the PDC since the early 1990s, helping to build the sport from working men’s clubs to some of the biggest arenas in the UK and Ireland.”
He added: “This is a real success story and an excellent long term partnership.  Our live coverage and promotion of darts is unique and Sky Sports viewers can enjoy the fantastic atmosphere that these events generate for a further five years.”
Since the PDC’s formation, live televised darts has grown from just a few hundred fans at venues such as the Circus Tavern and Salford’s Willows Variety Centre, to over 10,000 fans at the O2 Arena for the Premier League.
The World Championship offers £1 million in prize money – over 15 times the prize fund for the PDC’s first World Championship back in 1994 – while over £5 million prize money is now paid out annually on the PDC circuit.
PDC chairman Barry Hearn said: “We’ve just celebrated our 20th World Championship with the best tournament ever staged, and both that event and the current McCoy’s Premier League Darts show how far the sport has come in the past two decades.
“Sky Sports has played an integral part in the growth of darts, with its innovative and high quality broadcasts and fundamental support of the PDC, and we are delighted to sign this new broadcast contract.
“This deal is not only great for the PDC but also for our players, who will be playing in huge events live on Sky Sports in the coming years.”
This announcement continues a series of strong major rights deals for Sky Sports over the twelve months, including: Barclays Premier League, England & Wales cricket, British & Irish Lions, Heineken Cup, European Tour, Ryder Cup, NBA, NFL, plus many more.
ive darts coverage is also available via Sky Go, which offers Sky customers access to live and on demand programmes and films from up to 43 channels on a wide range of internet-connected devices including laptops, smartphones, tablets and games consoles.
Watch the McCoy’s Premier League Darts live on Sky Sports, with the current season running through until the Play-Offs on Thursday May 16.

See tonight’s Week Five action live from 7pm on Sky Sports HD2 from the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham.

From www.pdc.tv

Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC

James Wade produced an excellent performance in Exeter to share a draw with Phil Taylor, while Robert Thornton and Michael van Gerwen extended their unbeaten starts in the McCoy’s Premier League to four matches on Thursday evening.

Wade averaged over 100 for the second consecutive week as he moved onto five points after sharing the spoils with the world number one.

‘The Machine’ took out six combination finishes and fought back from being a break down for most of the match, by winning against Taylor’s throw in the final leg to earn a point.

“I’m pleased with a point against Phil – even if I would have preferred two,” admitted Wade, the 2009 winner.

“I have been working hard on my game. I’ve realised that you have to put in the practise if you are going to stay at the top of this game and I’ve got my head down and done exactly that.

“It is finally starting to show in my performances. I am my own worst critic but I’ve played quite well over the last couple of weeks and I hope to keep that going.”

Thornton recorded the highest average of the tournament so far with his spectacular success over compatriot Gary Anderson.

The Scottish ace averaged over 109 in a 7-2 victory as he moved onto six points and into the play-off places after a fantastic start to his debut season.

“I enjoyed myself,” said Thornton, who also beat Anderson on his way to winning the UK Open last June.

“Everything seemed to go in. I’m honoured to be here but I’m not just here to make up the numbers.

“It’s amazing to play like that in front of the crowd. I’m delighted with it.

“Gary is a great player so I knew I’d have to hit the ground running. I think I sprinted!”

van Gerwen also reached six points after a resounding 7-2 defeat of Andy Hamilton.

After winning both UK Open events last weekend, the Dutchman has now not tasted defeat for an incredible 20 competitive matches.

“It’s been a good period for me,” said ‘Mighty Mike’, the World Championship runner-up.

“I played 18 games this week and won them all so that makes me very proud and very happy.

“I love that the crowd are behind me in the Premier League.

“They give me so much energy and confidence and if I keep my confidence, I’ll keep winning!”

Raymond van Barneveld joined van Gerwen and Thornton on six points with victory over Simon Whitlock, while Wes Newton grabbed his first victory at the expense of Adrian Lewis.

By Chris Murphy

Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC

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