• Premier League

Taylor and Barney draw but Van Gerwen left angry at Wright

Phil Taylor will play in the second phase of the Premier League following his draw with Raymond van Barneveld © PA Photos

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Phil Taylor will play in the second phase of the Premier League after he battled to a 6-6 draw with Raymond van Barneveld on a noisy night in Dublin.

Ten thousand fans packed The O2 to watch the two great rivals clash in their latest encounter, but Van Barneveld again failed to get one over his old foe on the Premier League stage.

Both broke the throw in the opening two legs before 'Barney' raised the roof with a remarkable 160 checkout to draw level at 2-2. The Power's finishing went wayward as the Dutchman broke and landed a 121-out to draw two legs clear.

At 5-4 up, Van Barneveld missed his first dart to secure at least a point and Taylor landed double top to level. The 16-time world champion moved from 5-3 down to 6-5 ahead as he secured at least a draw with a 12-dart leg, but Barney hit a fourth 180 to stay strong in the final leg and keep in contention for top spot.

Michael van Gerwen remains top of the table after he eventually secured a 7-5 win in a high-tempered affair against newcomer Peter Wright.

This replay of the 2014 PDC World Championship final showcased plenty of needle between the two which left Van Gerwen unhappy with Wright's showmanship. In the fifth leg, Wright hit treble 20 and treble 19 while on a 161 finish - the same as what he took out to secure a draw against Van Barneveld last week - and engaged with the crowd before narrowly missing the bull.

Van Gerwen did not look amused as he finished 84 and subsequently raced into a 6-2 lead to secure at least a point. Wright, though, hit back with three straight legs to send the match into a decider. This time he missed 161 on his first dart and Van Gerwen landed 128 for the win, furiously fist-pumping towards the crowd to celebrate victory.

Adrian Lewis and Dave Chisnall showed why they are regarded as two of the most exciting prospects in the sport as they left a raucous Irish crowd on their feet after a superb 6-6 draw.

Lewis set the standard early with a narrowly missed 140 finish, which allowed Chisnall to break throw. However, after the pair traded three 180s in the second leg, Lewis hit back with a brilliant 124-out on the bullseye.

An 11-dart leg plus another maximum helped Chisnall break for a second time and a 3-2 lead but Lewis brought the house down with a show-stopping 134, which featured a treble 18 and two double tops.

Jackpot kept the crowd on their feet with a 180 and 80 finish to edge ahead, only for Chisnall to show his class with a sensational 154 to level at four games apiece. With Lewis stretching his lead to 5-4, 'Chizzy' took out 85 on the bullseye for a level game.

A 180 and 100-out gave Lewis at least a point, before both opened the final leg with a maximum. With the match not deserving of an out-an-out loser, Chisnall landed his favoured double 18 for a share of the spoils.

Gary Anderson continued his quest for a play-off spot with a solid 7-3 victory over troubled Wes Newton.

Anderson was broken in the opening leg of a rowdy night in Dublin, but the Flying Scotsman hit back on double top for a 76 out. An 82 finish on the bullseye gave Anderson a 3-1 advantage and he sealed a point with a pressure 96 checkout. With Newton flagging on his doubles, Anderson coolly finished 72 for both points.

Newton went into his second game of the night desperate for a win to take into next week's Judgement Night, but had to settle for a point against Simon Whitlock, which means the Australian will be one of two players to be relegated after week nine.

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