Auckland Darts Masters 2015: Scores, Results, Final Prize Money After Sunday

Adrian Lewis reigned supreme on a thrilling day at the Auckland Darts Masters, seeing off Raymond van Barneveld 11-10 in Sunday’s sensational final.

Earlier in the day, Lewis had made his way into the last two after a gripping semi-final showdown against Phil Taylor, while the Dutchman was a comfortable victor over James Wade. But the man from Stoke-on-Trent had too much for his opponent on the night, taking this coveted title with an accomplished display.

Here’s the full results from the last day of the competition and a full recap of the action from Down Under, as the players battled it out for the £30,000 prize.

Stage	Winner	Score	Loser
Semi-final	Raymond van Barneveld	10-6	James Wade
Semi-final	Adrian Lewis	10-9	Phil Taylor
Final	Adrian Lewis	11-10	Raymond van Barneveld

Full results and statistics available via the tournament's Twitter feed.

Adrian Awesome in Auckland

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Van Barneveld is a player who always raises his game in these tight tournament situations and although his semi-final opponent Wade has been playing very well as of late, the Dutchman once again showcased his ability to handle the pressure better than most.

The first few legs were pretty cagey. After both men enjoyed breaks of throw in the first two legs, the next four went with throw, but after taking out double eight to go 4-3 ahead, the Dutchman won the next six in succession to surge into a 9-3 lead.

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From that point on there was no way back for Wade and while he finished with a flourish to make the scoreline more respectable, he was comprehensively beaten 10-6 by the Dutchman. As noted by Live Darts, it was a very strong showing from Van Barneveld:

“I started slowly, but I managed to get it going after the break,” said Barney afterwards, per the tournament’s official Twitter feed. “It's great to be in the final.”

It was a match that whet the appetite for the battle between the two men from Stoke-on-Trent. Taylor and Lewis have had some exceptional scraps in the past, but this titanic tussle could well rank as the best of the lot.

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After going 4-1 in front the Power seemed set to take an easy win. But credit must go to Lewis, who battled back and clung on to Taylor, who hammered him 11-4 in the final of Sydney Masters last weekend. 

Eventually, it was Lewis who held his nerve the better, as his illustrious opponent missed a whopping four darts to win a deciding leg. As noted by the tournament’s Twitter account, the win for Jackpot ended an impressive World Series run from the 16-time world champion:

The win for Lewis, a two-time world champion himself, meant a new name would be on a World Series trophy and the final, much like the previous two matches, did not disappoint.

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Jackpot jumped into a lead and throughout the early stages of the final was able to keep Van Barneveld at bay. That was despite the Dutchman landing six perfect darts in the seventh leg. As noted here, at the interval the final was finely poised, but Lewis looked comfortable:

These finals often come down to fine margins and when Jackpot's final dart for a coveted 170 finish bounced out on the bull's-eye, Van Barneveld reduced the deficit and then moved back level at 8-8. At this point the momentum was firmly behind the popular Dutchman.

Lewis was able to compose himself to win the next two legs and move one away from glory, but Barney called upon every sinew of his experience to claw his way back into the contest and level matters at 10-10.

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But after winning a deciding leg against Taylor earlier in the evening, Lewis did so again in the final. Van Barneveld missed a staggering five darts to clinch the title, but Jackpot showcased a ruthless edge to take the match 11-10.

Here's how both players reacted to the result, per Live Darts:

For Lewis, getting this maiden World Series title under his belt will be a major boost. At the moment, he’s a player that’s a little below the elite bracket of Taylor, Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen. But as was evident in the two superb displays turned in on Saturday, the talent and temperament is definitely there to get in the mix for big titles once again.