Premier League Darts 2016 Results: Scores, Standings, Schedule After Dublin
Gary Anderson's nightmare start to the 2016 Premier League Darts continued on Thursday in Dublin, as the current world champion lost his second match of the season against Phil Taylor.
The Power cruised to a 7-4 win, as did Michael van Gerwen, who pushed past Adrian Lewis. Peter Wright beat James Wade 7-4 to maintain his lead in the standings.
Here's a look at Thursday's results:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| Peter Wright | 7-4 | James Wade |
| Dave Chisnall | 6-6 | Michael Smith |
| Phil Taylor | 7-4 | Gary Anderson |
| Michael van Gerwen | 7-4 | Adrian Lewis |
| Robert Thornton | 5-7 | Raymond van Barneveld |
The current Premier League standings, courtesy of Sky Sports Darts:
The schedule for the rest of the 2016 Premier League season:
| Thursday, Feb. 25 | Night 4 | Aberdeen |
| Thursday, Mar. 3 | Night 5 | Exeter |
| Thursday, Mar. 10 | Night 6 | Nottingham |
| Thursday, Mar. 17 | Night 7 | Glasgow |
| Thursday, Mar. 24 | Night 8 | Liverpool |
| Thursday, Mar. 31 | Judgement Night | Cardiff |
| Thursday, Apr. 7 | Night 10 | Sheffield |
| Thursday, Apr. 14 | Night 11 | Belfast |
| Thursday, Apr. 21 | Night 12 | Bournemouth |
| Thursday, Apr. 28 | Night 13 | Birmingham |
| Thursday, May 5 | Night 14 | Manchester |
| Thursday, May 12 | Night 15 | Rotterdam |
| Thursday, May 19 | Play-Offs | London |
Recap
Taylor grabbed the lead in the first leg of his match with Anderson and never looked back, handing the Flying Scotsman his second defeat in two Premier League matches in 2016.
The Power averaged well over 100, more than seven points above Anderson's average, and did well enough on the doubles to earn the win, finishing with a 37 percent checkout rate. He finished things off by finding double 16, per PDC Darts:
The two split the first six legs, but Taylor always seemed the more likely winner, as Anderson struggled to find his range. The eighth leg proved to be the difference, as Taylor missed the bull for a 161 checkout but got another chance and broke throw by finding double eight.
Anderson missed on a 158 checkout to hand Taylor the 10th leg and at least a point, and The Power finished things off in the next leg.
The six-time Premier League champion appears to be in fine form, and Anderson is expected to bounce back and compete for a spot in the play-offs before long. But per PDC Darts, Van Gerwen sent a clear warning to both:
Mighty Mike only faced a deficit once in his 7-4 win over Lewis after dropping the seventh leg, but he looked nearly flawless otherwise. The Order of Merit leader finished with an absurd average of over 106 and a checkout rate of 54 percent, leaving Lewis almost no chance.
Per Live Darts, the Dutchman produce quite the comeback:
Lewis did well to break throw in the seventh leg, but a finish on double 16 pulled Van Gerwen level in the eighth. And he followed that with three remarkable legs. Lewis had a chance to bridge the gap in the 10th, missing on a 91 finish, and Van Gerwen produced a 10-darter to win the match in the 11th.
Snakebite also looked as strong as ever, averaging over 104 and finding a ridiculous 70 percent of his doubles to see off the in-form Wade. Wright actually lost the first two legs, but he found his best form just in time to remain perfect after three Premier League matches.
Dave Chisnall and Michael Smith shared the spoils, drawing 6-6, and Raymond van Barneveld beat Robert Thornton in a thriller. Up 6-5, Barney missed tops for a 145 finish, but The Thorn missed a similar shot that would have earned him a point. That allowed Van Barneveld to take out double five for the win.
Barney will take on Anderson in Round 4. Meanwhile, Van Gerwen will meet Smith, and Taylor will face Chisnall.
All statistics are courtesy of the PDC's official website.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
