Anderson Looks to Bounce Back
- By Jaymes Monte on March 23, 2011 11:52 GMT
Gary Anderson faces Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis is up against Terry Jenkins at the Brighton Centre in week seven of the Premier League darts this Thursday evening.
Lewis and Anderson featured in one of darts’ greyest hours last Thursday at the SECC in Glasgow where spectators hurled objects at the World Champion on stage. Both players came out of the unsavoury escapade with their heads held high but the events overshadowed what was set to be an enthralling repeat of the 2011 PDC World Championships final.
Lewis emerged with the two points and took great credit for the way that he handled the situation both mentally and in the way that he played. Ironically, given that the ‘fans’ were supposed to be on his side, it was Anderson who appeared worst effected and after racing into a 3-0 lead lost the next eight legs on the bounce to slump to his second consecutive defeat in the league.
And the early league leader faces a tough task in getting his campaign back on course when he goes up against an in-form Barney this Thursday. The Dutchman has now won four of his last five league matches to move level on points with Anderson and would, of course, over take him with victory here.
"For the last two years I was afraid to lose, but let the best players in the world come to me because I'm not afraid any more. I'm not saying I'm the best in the world but I'm ready for them again," said Barney after last week’s 8-4 win over Mark Webster.
The bookmakers make van Barneveld the 2/1 outsider in the match odds betting with the Scotsman priced at 10/11 and the draw at 7/2.
Lewis also moved into the play-off places with his win last week and will hope to continue his mini resurgence with victory over Terry ‘The Bull’ Jenkins this week.
Jenkins lost to James Wade last Thursday despite a three-dart average that was nearly nine points higher than his opponent’s. He is joined by three other players currently on four points in the bottom half of the table.
Lewis is the short priced 8/15 betting favourite to pick up maximum points. Jenkins is quoted at 10/3 to upset the formbook and it is 4/1 that the game ends in a 7-7 draw.
With the halfway point in the season now upon us the points on offer in every match are becoming increasingly important for those involved. Still, any one of these eight players could be crowned Premier League champion at the end of May.
