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Line | From | To | |
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17 the tops and 31. This is an opportunity. | :00:17. | :00:25. | |
Triple 20. Unlucky again on the tops. Three times in a row. James | :00:26. | :00:43. | |
Wade has missed double top. Two 10s for Taylor. | :00:44. | :00:53. | |
James will feel a bit of pressure now. You don't want to go two breaks | :00:54. | :00:59. | |
a throw down. Here we go with the Icelandic fan | :01:00. | :01:37. | |
club. We saw Phil Taylor joining in at the world final this year. | :01:38. | :01:52. | |
Great 140 from Phil Taylor, James Andrew bit of pressure now. He won | :01:53. | :02:01. | |
the trouble with this one, you really does. So essentially, Phil | :02:02. | :02:04. | |
Taylor has nicked the darts. James will be a bit concerned, | :02:05. | :02:25. | |
finding the triple 20 with regularity in his game this | :02:26. | :02:31. | |
afternoon. He is not settled at the moment. | :02:32. | :02:45. | |
He will be back with 101 with a 4-1 lead, Phil Taylor. James under a bit | :02:46. | :02:55. | |
of pressure. Really needs this. In the context of | :02:56. | :03:14. | |
the match, you feel already he has to take this out. Treble 7 for | :03:15. | :03:22. | |
double 16. No. No, no, no. Treble 14 with the last dart but it is the red | :03:23. | :03:29. | |
bit at the top of the board for Phil Taylor. Ten now for Phil Taylor. | :03:30. | :03:39. | |
Another break of throw. When he's on the shots like the 84, 86, he always | :03:40. | :03:46. | |
hits the big numbers. Visibly frustrated, James Wade. The Machine | :03:47. | :03:50. | |
just malfunctioning. Phil Taylor to be fair is not | :03:51. | :04:05. | |
playing anything like as well as he played last night or this afternoon. | :04:06. | :04:10. | |
But he is doing enough. I thought he would have to reach those peaks | :04:11. | :04:14. | |
again against James Wade but James just doesn't seem settled, it is | :04:15. | :04:20. | |
unlike him. He is a strong start in the game. How hard is it to play on | :04:21. | :04:27. | |
a big stage, on TV, more than once in a day? It is tough. I haven't | :04:28. | :04:35. | |
done it for a while if I'm honest. It is tough but both of them have | :04:36. | :04:39. | |
massive experience. Although Phil Taylor has more, but James Wade has | :04:40. | :04:46. | |
been doing it for now. He will be frustrated more than anything | :04:47. | :04:52. | |
because he has good rhythm but they are not landing how he would like at | :04:53. | :04:58. | |
the moment. He just can't find those troubles, that was better. Staying | :04:59. | :05:10. | |
on the nine teams. -- 19 s. Treble 24 66. Sensible visit from Phil | :05:11. | :05:16. | |
Taylor. No need to use the bowl. You can see James trying to psych | :05:17. | :05:44. | |
himself up. Just haven't been scoring heavily enough with his | :05:45. | :05:51. | |
first nine darts. The first maximum of the match. That is in the | :05:52. | :06:01. | |
tournament. They are following each other. 180, 180. We did mention nine | :06:02. | :06:10. | |
daughters at the beginning of this game. Phil Taylor had two against | :06:11. | :06:15. | |
James in the Premier League, can he do it again? Eight perfect darts | :06:16. | :06:22. | |
this afternoon. Not to be in this leg. Phil Taylor mentioned the dart | :06:23. | :06:30. | |
at double 12 slipped out of his hand. The point I was making about | :06:31. | :06:38. | |
the scoring, the first nine darts from James, 95 only. He is not | :06:39. | :06:46. | |
getting away in legs. He had 180 in this one but, the leg when he was | :06:47. | :06:54. | |
broken last time it wasn't until you hit a triple 20. He started the leg | :06:55. | :07:01. | |
with a 180. A chance for another break for Phil Taylor. That is what | :07:02. | :07:07. | |
he does, applies pressure, making James Miss at the moment. He is | :07:08. | :07:20. | |
going for a 6-1 lead. Right in the middle of the bed. It is one-way | :07:21. | :07:28. | |
traffic just at the moment on the key. -- on the oche. Phil Taylor | :07:29. | :07:47. | |
going for the jugular. Putting James Wade Un so much pressure. The | :07:48. | :07:53. | |
cricket he can get off the oche, the more time he can put his feet up and | :07:54. | :07:58. | |
relax and watch the other semifinal and recharge his batteries. If he | :07:59. | :08:02. | |
can get off here playing the minimal amount of legs, he will be hoping | :08:03. | :08:06. | |
Gary and Michael go all the way while he is just sitting there | :08:07. | :08:10. | |
getting ready for his final. Still all ifs and buts at the moment but | :08:11. | :08:16. | |
it is one way back for James Wade. But this will help. | :08:17. | :08:25. | |
What he is doing is keeping the pressure on the Taylor throw. But | :08:26. | :08:33. | |
Phil Taylor is responding to that pressure. We touched on it in the | :08:34. | :08:44. | |
last like he was on 50 after nine, he has left 86 after nine in this | :08:45. | :08:46. | |
leg. Look at the 54. Treble 24 four. He is moving up through the gears | :08:47. | :09:16. | |
now, Phil Taylor. An early finish tonight, he can then get ready the | :09:17. | :09:22. | |
final. A bit lonely up there for James at the moment. It is not nice | :09:23. | :09:28. | |
on the receiving end of these from Phil Taylor and you end up trying to | :09:29. | :09:32. | |
force the issue. He is never happier than when he is playing well and he | :09:33. | :09:36. | |
has got you way you don't want to be. We played each other in the | :09:37. | :09:40. | |
semifinals of the World Championships and I was 4-0 down, | :09:41. | :09:49. | |
two legs to nail down. He gave it the big one, just to show me who was | :09:50. | :09:53. | |
boss. No danger of me coming back but that's how he likes it. | :09:54. | :10:23. | |
Big score here and the chance of another break. | :10:24. | :10:34. | |
James Wade needs a big score, at least 140. The way Phil Taylor has | :10:35. | :10:44. | |
been playing you would expect to leave a two darter in. You said it, | :10:45. | :10:56. | |
you called it. You were absolutely right. It is why we pay you the big | :10:57. | :11:07. | |
bucks! He is just putting James under so much pressure. Took his | :11:08. | :11:12. | |
foot off the gas. No easy legs for James at all. This is for a title | :11:13. | :11:29. | |
one. -- 8-1. He has hit his last five doubles in the row. Absolutely | :11:30. | :11:39. | |
ruthless. James with a snigger, it is just frustration. He can't | :11:40. | :11:42. | |
believe how he has played after looking is a solid in this | :11:43. | :11:48. | |
tournament so far. James Wade hasn't had a dart at a double since the | :11:49. | :11:50. | |
fourth leg. Phil Taylor as won eight legs in a | :11:51. | :11:56. | |
row. That trumps James's seven in a row. | :11:57. | :12:15. | |
James just have to try to keep going. It is a thankless task for | :12:16. | :12:21. | |
him but he just has to keep going. This is a better lead. -- leg. | :12:22. | :12:44. | |
Just need something to getting going. A big score, 161 might do it. | :12:45. | :12:56. | |
Definitely. Seems really frustrated with his throw. You fancy him to go | :12:57. | :13:03. | |
first. Can't be done. You wouldn't put this past Phil | :13:04. | :13:18. | |
Taylor. Not the way he has been going tonight, you would half expect | :13:19. | :13:29. | |
it. He hasn't done this in a while in a double. Two 6s, he needs. One | :13:30. | :13:43. | |
more chance. He stops the rot. The rot may well be terminal. As they | :13:44. | :13:53. | |
break after ten, it is the power who leads 8-2 in a race to heaven. | :13:54. | :14:09. | |
What is going through the mind of James Wade right now? Three minutes | :14:10. | :14:17. | |
to compose himself. This year, Taylor has won both Premier League | :14:18. | :14:21. | |
meetings and the Dubai masters and at the moment, he is cruising into | :14:22. | :14:24. | |
the final of this year's Champions League. This is magnificent stuff | :14:25. | :14:30. | |
from Phil Taylor and James Wade can't cope. | :14:31. | :14:38. | |
It's very frustrating for James, after what was an incredible | :14:39. | :14:46. | |
performances afternoon. Really steady and just hasn't turned up the | :14:47. | :14:49. | |
night, almost like this tournament has been a game of two cars for him. | :14:50. | :14:54. | |
He just hasn't managed to find a game that brought him to the stage, | :14:55. | :14:59. | |
in the evening. The exact opposite to how we said James, if he it will | :15:00. | :15:03. | |
reach the final, how he has to play today. His scoring has let him down | :15:04. | :15:10. | |
but his finishing, certainly on double top, he didn't have many | :15:11. | :15:13. | |
chances but some of them were very early in the match. If you hit them | :15:14. | :15:16. | |
last dart in hand, it gives you early in the match. If you hit them | :15:17. | :15:22. | |
bit of confidence. All of a sudden, he loses a few on the trot and his | :15:23. | :15:27. | |
head went down... Phil Taylor is loving this at the moment because | :15:28. | :15:31. | |
the crowd every time he hits a double, the crowd cheering and legs | :15:32. | :15:35. | |
are stacking up and sadly, the final is in sight. He is not over the line | :15:36. | :15:40. | |
yet but you have to feel he will definitely do it. The way things | :15:41. | :15:45. | |
seem to be turning for Phil Taylor, it is likely has a big piece of | :15:46. | :15:50. | |
cheese on a stick. The way he has played, look at the stats, he is | :15:51. | :15:53. | |
averaging for the first nine, roughly the same as what he has done | :15:54. | :15:58. | |
before and he hasn't really had the urgency to just kick up that extra | :15:59. | :16:03. | |
3%, he has just done what he usually does, plays really well in the first | :16:04. | :16:06. | |
nine and when he gets the double, he kills it. Does anyone do cheese | :16:07. | :16:14. | |
fondue parties? Maybe we should! What is going to James Wade's mind? | :16:15. | :16:21. | |
He will be disappointed, having a break now. You will want to go out | :16:22. | :16:26. | |
and just make himself feel better by getting his teeth into the match and | :16:27. | :16:31. | |
maybe scoring a bit better. A long way to go and he probably won't win | :16:32. | :16:35. | |
but he needs to get something from it. Phil Taylor prodigious was to | :16:36. | :16:39. | |
get out there and concentrate on the final. The boys in the country box | :16:40. | :16:45. | |
said Phil Taylor wants to get off as soon as possible and if he can win | :16:46. | :16:52. | |
this 7-2, get up there and relax and watch the other guys stress it out | :16:53. | :16:56. | |
on the next thing you know, he is in the final. Let's hand you back to | :16:57. | :17:00. | |
our commentary team. Phil Taylor 8-2 James Wade. Is there | :17:01. | :17:19. | |
any part of James Wade which believes he can come back and win | :17:20. | :17:25. | |
this? You would have to say no but he has got to be positive. He has to | :17:26. | :17:30. | |
try to play himself into a bit of form. Probably won't win this game | :17:31. | :17:35. | |
but so much talk, he has to try to take something positive from this | :17:36. | :17:41. | |
match now. You can't say that when you are 8-2 down, I guess. | :17:42. | :17:49. | |
He didn't leave the stage during that short break. He just threw some | :17:50. | :17:59. | |
rather desolate looking darts at the board. Didn't look like he wanted to | :18:00. | :18:02. | |
be practising but didn't looked like he wanted to be doing anything else. | :18:03. | :18:08. | |
He looked very frustrated and rightly so because he will have been | :18:09. | :18:11. | |
up to this game and it isn't happening for him. But it looks like | :18:12. | :18:14. | |
he will win a second leg in a row. Probably the first time James has | :18:15. | :18:30. | |
been on a finish like this and are not massive pressure. | :18:31. | :18:37. | |
Hasn't been afforded this luxury at all in this game, hasn't had an easy | :18:38. | :18:49. | |
legs where he has no pressure. Phil Taylor then hits a 180 to | :18:50. | :19:07. | |
pressurise the top. Much better leg from James. | :19:08. | :19:16. | |
Phil Taylor will obviously not panic. If he can hold his throw | :19:17. | :19:27. | |
three times he can get in that back room and prepare for the final. It | :19:28. | :19:33. | |
has set up perfectly for him, especially the semifinals close, he | :19:34. | :19:37. | |
will be loving it. The only player last night the guaranteed | :19:38. | :19:41. | |
complications he was the first man through to the semis. Played Robert | :19:42. | :19:45. | |
Thornton under no pressure this afternoon and it is looking good for | :19:46. | :19:50. | |
him again tonight. Played Robert beaten easily, it was like a | :19:51. | :19:54. | |
practice session. That is what the semifinal is turning into for him | :19:55. | :19:59. | |
really. Unfortunately for James, it just has not happened. It is his | :20:00. | :20:07. | |
scoring that has let him down, James Wade. An average of just 94 with his | :20:08. | :20:15. | |
first nine darts. That is just not going to cut it against Phil Taylor. | :20:16. | :20:21. | |
Phil Taylor got 109 with his first nine darts. Touching on James on the | :20:22. | :20:27. | |
break, one thing he is good at, if he doesn't want to lose this game, | :20:28. | :20:32. | |
you doesn't dwell on defeats, he picked himself up and will be ready | :20:33. | :20:35. | |
to go in the next tournament. Obviously he will be disappointed. | :20:36. | :20:41. | |
18 is what he will go for her. -- here. Outside chance here for James. | :20:42. | :20:55. | |
The 120 is what they call Shanghai, treble, single, double. But will he | :20:56. | :21:04. | |
get a chance? Bull's-eye for tops. He will get a chance. Shanghai for | :21:05. | :21:15. | |
20s for James Guy. His first break at the table of throw. The odd | :21:16. | :21:22. | |
little deflection here and there. Not going for him. | :21:23. | :21:35. | |
Two away, now, Phil Taylor, from the final, which is also a first to 11 | :21:36. | :22:10. | |
match. I think Phil Taylor will get straight back on the ball. He is one | :22:11. | :22:13. | |
to keep his rhythm going. He will keep an eye on the game but he will | :22:14. | :22:18. | |
be concentrating on his game so he is ready for the final. Here we go. | :22:19. | :22:59. | |
Triple 19 will leave the double top. 78. | :23:00. | :23:19. | |
Can Phil Taylor show him how it is done? Two at double 12. Yes, that is | :23:20. | :23:55. | |
how it's done. Phil Taylor now throwing for the match, will want to | :23:56. | :23:58. | |
get its own up now and get into the back room. Ruthless performance from | :23:59. | :24:01. | |
Phil Taylor. It's been clinical, from Phil | :24:02. | :24:34. | |
Taylor, hasn't it? Without hitting the heights of some of his | :24:35. | :24:36. | |
performances earlier today or last night. It has. It has been a perfect | :24:37. | :24:44. | |
similar Willey semifinal for him, he hasn't hit the average but he hasn't | :24:45. | :24:49. | |
really needed to. He will be saving his best arts for the final tonight. | :24:50. | :24:54. | |
When you played brilliant dance and you have to come back and play, do | :24:55. | :24:59. | |
you think you have left your best arts in the semifinal? Whenever I've | :25:00. | :25:06. | |
had a good game and you have to come back and play, you feel flat and it | :25:07. | :25:11. | |
doesn't happen. It is so frustrating, you can't put your | :25:12. | :25:15. | |
finger on it but it just happens. James Wade will be disappointed but | :25:16. | :25:19. | |
it has happened to him before and probably will again. Top six player | :25:20. | :25:25. | |
for a reason and he will get on with this, no worries. He has lost yet. | :25:26. | :25:31. | |
We should stress that. -- he hasn't lost yet. But it is pretty much on | :25:32. | :25:38. | |
the brink now. Surely the greatest comeback of all if he manages to | :25:39. | :25:46. | |
come back and win this game. Well, here we go, Phil Taylor for a place | :25:47. | :25:56. | |
in the final. Trouble 18, double 16. No, so James Wade still alive. Stay | :25:57. | :26:05. | |
there for the bull's-eye. Bull's-eye for the one, two, two. Just not | :26:06. | :26:16. | |
happening for James Wade tonight. Here we go, then, two 16 s for a | :26:17. | :26:26. | |
place in the final for a fourth victory in a row. 88. Their riches. | :26:27. | :26:39. | |
Clinical, calculating, cool, calm and collected. He is through to the | :26:40. | :26:49. | |
inaugural final of the Champions League of Darts. | :26:50. | :27:02. | |
James Wade worked so hard this afternoon to book his place in the | :27:03. | :27:09. | |
last four but he has been well and truly dispatched by that man, Phil | :27:10. | :27:16. | |
Taylor. Powering into the final. James Wade won their last two | :27:17. | :27:22. | |
meetings in the Shanghai Masters semifinals and the Tokyo Masters, | :27:23. | :27:27. | |
two close matches but look at bat, 11-3. That is a thrashing. It is and | :27:28. | :27:36. | |
the stats don't like, James Wade didn't have the energy of Phil | :27:37. | :27:40. | |
Taylor tonight. Over the last couple of months, ... Phil Taylor came in | :27:41. | :27:48. | |
fresh and he showed why having that break has paid dividends. He has | :27:49. | :27:53. | |
given himself more chances and he has taken them. He couldn't compete. | :27:54. | :27:57. | |
He couldn't because Phil Taylor has come into this tournament really | :27:58. | :27:58. | |
fresh. He is in the final now. And he did | :27:59. | :28:09. | |
everything right, didn't make any mistakes, got his chances and took | :28:10. | :28:13. | |
them and you said he was dispatched and he has done that. He will want | :28:14. | :28:20. | |
to put his feet up for a few minutes now and recharge and then get | :28:21. | :28:24. | |
himself ready for the final. It is surprising because we said before | :28:25. | :28:28. | |
the start of the night's matches, we said James Wade had done very well | :28:29. | :28:32. | |
to get into the semifinal because he lost yesterday and was under a lot | :28:33. | :28:36. | |
of pressure. We also said if he gets a good start, we might see him and | :28:37. | :28:42. | |
we used the phrase, battle hardened. There was no fight this afternoon. | :28:43. | :28:50. | |
There needs to be a postmortem as to what has gone on. On the European | :28:51. | :28:54. | |
tour that we play regularly, there is more than one games on a Sunday | :28:55. | :28:59. | |
and he played really well this afternoon but not, to those | :29:00. | :29:05. | |
standards, tonight. He has to figure out why. Yes and because the pattern | :29:06. | :29:09. | |
of this tournament, it is what has happened to him. Played well in the | :29:10. | :29:14. | |
first game, not so well in the second and gave himself a lot of | :29:15. | :29:18. | |
work to do to win the third match. No second chances at this stage. And | :29:19. | :29:22. | |
these guys are used to it, playing knockout darts most of the year. Not | :29:23. | :29:30. | |
many are group circuits. It will be interesting to see what he thinks. | :29:31. | :29:35. | |
Phil Taylor is in the final. The second semifinal is underway. Phil | :29:36. | :29:41. | |
Taylor is on his way into the studio. This is your third interview | :29:42. | :29:48. | |
in two days. Two hours! I'm shattered! | :29:49. | :29:52. | |
How do you feel? Shattered. That's where I was on I had to come all the | :29:53. | :30:01. | |
way up the stairs. Shut your face, you! It's all right for you. You | :30:02. | :30:07. | |
have made a lot of people judging by them waving at you. That's what I | :30:08. | :30:13. | |
mean. Only one of them responded, by the way. Brilliant performance. | :30:14. | :30:18. | |
Thank you, thank you. What you have to be thinking now is you got rid of | :30:19. | :30:22. | |
that game a lot quicker than you may have imagined and have more time to | :30:23. | :30:25. | |
rest before the final, is that a good thing? I don't think there is | :30:26. | :30:31. | |
any difference in terms of resting. They depends... Michael against | :30:32. | :30:39. | |
Gary, this is going to be a cracker, I think. This could go a long way so | :30:40. | :30:44. | |
I might have a bit longer than I think. Or because Gary hasn't been | :30:45. | :30:50. | |
practising, been away on holiday and Michael has been winning, it could | :30:51. | :30:53. | |
be over in half an hour, you don't know. You have 20 minutes from the | :30:54. | :30:57. | |
end of the second semifinal until your Mac. Thank you. Before you came | :30:58. | :31:03. | |
up here, Paul was saying you are looking fresh, do you feel | :31:04. | :31:07. | |
refreshed? I feel shattered, I am old! No, not at all. One game in the | :31:08. | :31:14. | |
morning and two gains at night time is not for me any more, do you know | :31:15. | :31:18. | |
what I mean? But I will push on and try. There is massive prize money at | :31:19. | :31:23. | |
the end of it. This is the hardest I've ever worked in my life, for | :31:24. | :31:28. | |
less money than this, 1000% less money than this! I will carry on, | :31:29. | :31:33. | |
push on and try to win this. How much do you want Michael and Gary to | :31:34. | :31:38. | |
batter themselves? I wanted to go to a tie-breaker! You're asking a | :31:39. | :31:42. | |
question you already know the answer to this he is crafty. Of course I | :31:43. | :31:50. | |
do. Is like Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury knocking seven bells out of | :31:51. | :31:53. | |
each other and saying, you've got the winner. Obviously, of course you | :31:54. | :31:57. | |
do. You want them to go out there, drag it out and be as long as you | :31:58. | :32:01. | |
can. I would rather play Gary Anderson or Michael van Gerwen at 11 | :32:02. | :32:05. | |
o'clock tonight. When you came out this afternoon after you won... I | :32:06. | :32:12. | |
had a haircut. You are still looking good. You claimed Michael van | :32:13. | :32:20. | |
Gerwen's head within the shed. No, I said he was in the shed. He denied | :32:21. | :32:24. | |
that and said he was fully focused on beating whoever is put in front | :32:25. | :32:28. | |
of him. Might be as big as the shed if he wins this, a big shed as well. | :32:29. | :32:36. | |
He is a brilliant player, cocky and confident, gives it large. Some of | :32:37. | :32:39. | |
the face as he pulls up there, trust me, he has pulled some places in his | :32:40. | :32:44. | |
time but never as ugly as Michael van Gerwen, close. I try. He is a | :32:45. | :32:52. | |
character, he wears his heart on his sleeve and he cries, he does cry a | :32:53. | :32:58. | |
lot. He is one of those characters, he is like Nigel Benn, you have do | :32:59. | :33:02. | |
batter him into submission, otherwise you won't beat him. He is | :33:03. | :33:04. | |
a brilliant player stopped did you watched the video of the | :33:05. | :33:14. | |
players what they think about you? What they've done is say what you've | :33:15. | :33:21. | |
done for the sport. I've made them rich, that's what I've done! When we | :33:22. | :33:25. | |
first left the BBC and BDO, there was no money, I was winning, winning | :33:26. | :33:31. | |
and winning. I brought a lot of money into it. A lot of these | :33:32. | :33:34. | |
players, a lot won't tell you, they might say it on camera but they | :33:35. | :33:40. | |
won't mean it, they've earned a lot of money off me. But I've earned a | :33:41. | :33:45. | |
lot myself. Without the players, without you, BBC, sky, ITV, I | :33:46. | :33:50. | |
wouldn't be talking to you now. It's not about me. To be honest it's | :33:51. | :33:54. | |
about these people down here, paying their ticket money to come and see. | :33:55. | :33:58. | |
You have made a lot of people happy in the last few days. I have spoken | :33:59. | :34:02. | |
to a lot of these darts fans who have come to Cardiff and they've | :34:03. | :34:05. | |
been saying, I've come here, I've never seen Phil Taylor before in | :34:06. | :34:08. | |
action and I want to see him before he packs it in. Any plans? LAUGHTER | :34:09. | :34:15. | |
For those people who went tuning in this afternoon? At people will be | :34:16. | :34:20. | |
asking for their money back! You have been hinting at finishing. I | :34:21. | :34:25. | |
have to finish, of course I have, probably in about 18 months' time. I | :34:26. | :34:29. | |
have qualified for next year anyway, I will see my career out. Whatever | :34:30. | :34:34. | |
I'd qualified for, if I qualify for the Lincolnshire open, I will play | :34:35. | :34:39. | |
in it. Making good progress on that Six Nations England and Wales to get | :34:40. | :34:44. | |
that you want. Talking rugby again? You want to go to the match. He has | :34:45. | :34:50. | |
a complex about England, hasn't he? Not at all. | :34:51. | :34:55. | |
I present Six Nations coverage as well, I have to be impartial. | :34:56. | :35:00. | |
England is light snow at Christmas, you know it's coming that you don't | :35:01. | :35:03. | |
now how deep it will be, a bit slushy now and again. Time to look | :35:04. | :35:05. | |
forward now to our second semifinal. I like playing Michael. I must be | :35:06. | :35:17. | |
one of the only players out there who likes playing him, because | :35:18. | :35:20. | |
Michael is like myself. He gets up there and gets on with the game. | :35:21. | :35:25. | |
Gary is great otherwise he wouldn't be back to back world champion. He | :35:26. | :35:29. | |
is a big talent, and he knows that as well. I need to find a weakness | :35:30. | :35:37. | |
in his game. I've had some right ding-dong games. To me, that's when | :35:38. | :35:41. | |
I enjoy the game. Michael will be heads favourite, but I have a really | :35:42. | :35:49. | |
good record against him. You are not allowed to make any mistakes because | :35:50. | :35:53. | |
you can afford them with Gary, as simple as that. He's won 18 | :35:54. | :35:59. | |
tournaments out of 19, so he's definitely up there. He's like a | :36:00. | :36:03. | |
machine when he gets going. Like I say, if I get him, I'm there to be | :36:04. | :36:08. | |
Timani knows that. I have had eight couple of good results against him, | :36:09. | :36:12. | |
so I feel all right. We will see what happens. I'm really looking | :36:13. | :36:18. | |
forward to it. It's an amazing tournament, it's a long format, so | :36:19. | :36:21. | |
it probably suits me. I hope I can put in a better performance. Oh, | :36:22. | :36:27. | |
yes, game on! Gary Anderson has 13 wins the Michael van Gerwen's 31 and | :36:28. | :36:33. | |
there has been one draw. When you look at these numbers, it is so | :36:34. | :36:38. | |
tough to call. It is tight. Michael van Gerwen's first nine average is | :36:39. | :36:42. | |
slightly higher, because he has more practice under his belt and more Mac | :36:43. | :36:46. | |
experience in the last few weeks. You are commentating on this one | :36:47. | :36:51. | |
plasma yes, I am doing shortly. Two players, when they start eating | :36:52. | :37:02. | |
their groove, the 180s, two of the biggest 180s hitters in the game. | :37:03. | :37:06. | |
Gary has got better as the tournament has gone on but not | :37:07. | :37:09. | |
firing on all cylinders at the moment, he will have doing this one. | :37:10. | :37:14. | |
The fact Michael lost to Phil and Anderson has sailed into the | :37:15. | :37:19. | |
semifinal, played three and won three, does that make a difference? | :37:20. | :37:23. | |
I think the losses will help Michael. He hasn't lost a lot | :37:24. | :37:28. | |
recently. When you win 50 odd games out of 50 odd matches you find | :37:29. | :37:31. | |
yourself thinking, I'm going to win, I'm going to win, then you get a | :37:32. | :37:35. | |
loss and it makes you go, OK, now I have to switch back on again. That's | :37:36. | :37:40. | |
what Michael is like. It's like pouring water on a gremlin, it just | :37:41. | :37:45. | |
wakes him up a bit more. He will say, we've made mistakes, let's fix | :37:46. | :37:49. | |
it. That's not to say Gary has had it easy in the three matches? No, | :37:50. | :37:54. | |
he's done what he needed to do. He's got through the game, I wouldn't say | :37:55. | :37:58. | |
easy but with a little bit of ease. He hasn't played his best but done | :37:59. | :38:02. | |
enough to get over the line. This is a different thing now, the | :38:03. | :38:06. | |
semifinals, one away from the final and two away from winning the | :38:07. | :38:09. | |
tournament. He's been there before, knows what it's all about and what | :38:10. | :38:16. | |
he has to do. Can I just say how much we are loving the darts? They | :38:17. | :38:19. | |
are singing stand up if you love the darts. You don't get this if you're | :38:20. | :38:22. | |
doing football or the Six Nations on BBC, Phil Taylor kiss me on the head | :38:23. | :38:25. | |
before he went out and said, I love talking to you. They are kisses from | :38:26. | :38:34. | |
Stoke! Alan, you are off to the commentary box, thank you for your | :38:35. | :38:38. | |
time. The crowd already, you are ready at home, let's join John | :38:39. | :38:43. | |
McDonald. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, who will join Phil Taylor | :38:44. | :38:47. | |
in the final? We are about to find out as we present the second | :38:48. | :38:51. | |
semifinal of the Champions League of Darts. Ladies and gentlemen, it's | :38:52. | :38:57. | |
time to meet the players, and it's time to meet the former two time | :38:58. | :39:03. | |
Premier League champion and the reigning back-to-back two time | :39:04. | :39:11. | |
champion of the world... The Flying Scotsman... | :39:12. | :39:19. | |
And now, ladies and gentlemen, from the Netherlands, it's time to meet | :39:20. | :40:16. | |
the reigning world number one, the former champion of the world... | :40:17. | :40:22. | |
Mighty... # Seven Nation Army - | :40:23. | :40:30. | |
The White Stripes It is all getting a little bit | :40:31. | :41:19. | |
raucous here in Cardiff. COMMENTATOR: The world number one | :41:20. | :41:31. | |
Michael van Gerwen takes on the world champion, Gary Anderson, for | :41:32. | :41:35. | |
the right to play in the final against the greatest player of | :41:36. | :41:39. | |
all-time, Phil The Power Taylor. What a climax we have the first ever | :41:40. | :41:44. | |
Champions League of Darts. And with these two on stage, it is almost | :41:45. | :41:53. | |
guaranteed to be entertaining. These are box office players, and they | :41:54. | :41:56. | |
tend to bring the best out of each other. Michael van Gerwen, has the | :41:57. | :42:03. | |
tournament average around about 100. I think it is fair to say he's not | :42:04. | :42:10. | |
hit top gear yet. But you can also level that accusation at the world | :42:11. | :42:15. | |
champion Gary Anderson. Despite winning every game he's played so | :42:16. | :42:19. | |
far this weekend, he's just been doing a professional job. We know he | :42:20. | :42:26. | |
has more in the tank. Well, they certainly feed off each | :42:27. | :42:31. | |
other when they get the pace of the game. Big scorers, as we've seen so | :42:32. | :42:39. | |
often. Van Gerwen debt is underway. The crowd have been looking forward | :42:40. | :42:43. | |
to this one, and so have we. Whoever wins this one will be playing, as we | :42:44. | :42:51. | |
mentioned, the Power in the finals of which ever one of these two it | :42:52. | :42:59. | |
is, we will have two cracking games to finish off in Cardiff. Gary | :43:00. | :43:07. | |
Anderson certainly the start of the year. He fires in his first 180. He | :43:08. | :43:12. | |
looked the most likely person in world darts to be able to beat van | :43:13. | :43:17. | |
Gerwen. Nobody else was really doing it, but Anderson managed it on more | :43:18. | :43:25. | |
than one occasion. A couple of finals in the World Series. He has | :43:26. | :43:29. | |
the game and composure at right times. He has certainly got the | :43:30. | :43:34. | |
scoring and both players know that that other person could beat them if | :43:35. | :43:38. | |
they are not an full charge. Needed two trebles so can't do it | :43:39. | :43:56. | |
this time. Anderson hit a 180 in the leg and needs tops to put the first | :43:57. | :44:01. | |
one on the board. A bit low there. He will be disappointed. I know it | :44:02. | :44:06. | |
is only the first leg, but it can mean so much. | :44:07. | :44:14. | |
Both players feeling the pressure. Anderson returns. A wry smile from | :44:15. | :44:28. | |
the world champion. He takes the first leg. He won't be bothered | :44:29. | :44:33. | |
about averages, they just want to beat their opponents. | :44:34. | :44:41. | |
Michael van Gerwen only as the one world title to his name. But he's | :44:42. | :44:52. | |
won everything else. There are only a couple of big TV titles in | :44:53. | :44:57. | |
existence that he doesn't currently hold. | :44:58. | :45:03. | |
He will certainly feel better if he wins this one. The crowd are really | :45:04. | :45:10. | |
responding to these two players. Maximum? Just 140. That is a bit of | :45:11. | :45:25. | |
a mistake from van Gerwen. What it was, he just looked like there was | :45:26. | :45:30. | |
so much room underneath, that's why he went for it. He didn't even think | :45:31. | :45:36. | |
about missing. The problem is, in that fact he has been let off, the | :45:37. | :45:41. | |
168 is a finish you can't take out in three darts, but you can set it | :45:42. | :45:48. | |
up, set it up very well. If Gary Anderson had scored more than he did | :45:49. | :45:53. | |
he would have had a shot for a 2-0 lead but as it like it will be 1-1. | :45:54. | :45:59. | |
Double tops he wants wants and gets. He will feel better now he has hit | :46:00. | :46:04. | |
the double. Doesn't want to miss too many doubles early on in the match. | :46:05. | :46:10. | |
Just makes those next doubles a bit harder. Wasn't really a grimace, was | :46:11. | :46:23. | |
it? That will do for the world champion, his second 180. He has | :46:24. | :46:34. | |
certainly got his scoring boots on. Probably quite obvious who the lads | :46:35. | :46:43. | |
in Orange are supporting. The future's bright, the future's | :46:44. | :46:48. | |
orange... Certainly when this young man came along. As it surprised you | :46:49. | :46:55. | |
just how good Michael van Gerwen has become? Not really, but the standard | :46:56. | :47:06. | |
on a regular basis, or when you look at the standard trees to have, they | :47:07. | :47:09. | |
always rise and develop and get more players involved. But the continual | :47:10. | :47:16. | |
times he does it, that's what's really impressive. He just wants to | :47:17. | :47:23. | |
win everything. His desire is incredible. Double top. | :47:24. | :47:30. | |
Same target hit by the world champion. Three consecutive breaks | :47:31. | :47:41. | |
of throw here. It is anyone's in the opening stages. By a virtue of both | :47:42. | :47:47. | |
darts at the double in the first leg, the averages have dropped a | :47:48. | :47:50. | |
little bit, but the scoring has been pretty good. Michael yet to hit a | :47:51. | :47:58. | |
180, Gary with two. I am sure Michael will hit one at some point. | :47:59. | :48:01. | |
Neither one of these players wants to be too far behind, because it is | :48:02. | :48:07. | |
hard to get back, especially against the throw, when people are playing | :48:08. | :48:15. | |
12 and 13 dart legs. Michael van Gerwen hasn't picked -- | :48:16. | :48:24. | |
won any of the past few meetings between these two but has | :48:25. | :48:27. | |
significant victories against Gary Anderson. Last year he was trailing | :48:28. | :48:33. | |
10-7 and won the last four legs. This is his first 180, a potential | :48:34. | :48:41. | |
11 darter coming in for a 2-2 scoreline. Yes, wants to clean it up | :48:42. | :48:48. | |
pretty quick and clean it up pretty quick he does. Two darts, and then | :48:49. | :48:55. | |
the quality. The Cardiff crowd are loving it, | :48:56. | :49:14. | |
they really are. Known for their vocal singing, the Welsh sporting | :49:15. | :49:22. | |
fans. They've certainly been outstanding all over this weekend. | :49:23. | :49:29. | |
And why wouldn't they? We have the world champion and world number one, | :49:30. | :49:36. | |
slugging it out to play the greatest player in the final. It is heating | :49:37. | :49:42. | |
up here in this one. Anderson's scoring has probably been the best | :49:43. | :49:45. | |
of the tournament so far. We mentioned it, winning his three | :49:46. | :49:50. | |
games, but he has been improving as the tournament has gone on. This | :49:51. | :49:56. | |
would really get the crowd going... Bull. Arles, very nearly. The | :49:57. | :50:01. | |
biggest checkout you can get. Double top for Anderson for a fifth | :50:02. | :50:06. | |
consecutive break of throw. That's exactly what we've got. Well, the | :50:07. | :50:12. | |
crowd are loving it, we are loving it, I hope you are loving it at | :50:13. | :50:14. | |
home. It opens the door. If van Gerwen can | :50:15. | :50:17. | |
put in a couple of big scores. Those lists doubles in the opening | :50:18. | :50:41. | |
leg didn't do anything for the averages, but they've been going up | :50:42. | :50:46. | |
and up and up since then. Michael van Gerwen now around the 105 Mark, | :50:47. | :50:52. | |
and this is a bit more like it. From MVG. | :50:53. | :50:57. | |
There's no doubt they are both certainly in the rhythm and on the | :50:58. | :51:05. | |
scoring. They seem to be finding the treble on a regular basis with the | :51:06. | :51:09. | |
first or second dart, which is obviously important for the scoring. | :51:10. | :51:14. | |
A slip there, disappointed with that one, went treble 18. Yet another | :51:15. | :51:26. | |
chance for a break of throw. Not with darts like that and mathematics | :51:27. | :51:33. | |
like that, leads a bogey. It is rare that you see Michael van Gerwen do | :51:34. | :51:36. | |
that once in a game, let alone twice. And he might be punished for | :51:37. | :51:42. | |
it. A 177 from Anderson will give him three darts at a double for the | :51:43. | :51:46. | |
first holder of throw in this match. Van Gerwen will be very frustrated. | :51:47. | :51:56. | |
Surprising. Players are normally meticulous with leaving finishes, | :51:57. | :52:00. | |
and he is punished. Anderson holds throw for the first time in this is | :52:01. | :52:01. | |
an. Now leads 4-2. Here comes MVG! When Gary Anderson is celebrating | :52:02. | :52:22. | |
things like that, when he has a bit of swagger about his game... That is | :52:23. | :52:28. | |
when Gary Anderson is that his most dangerous. -- at his most dangerous. | :52:29. | :52:35. | |
He has had a couple of slips but on the whole he is playing pretty well | :52:36. | :52:39. | |
here. Van Gerwen is not doing that much wrong. Trailing by two, but | :52:40. | :52:49. | |
looking in pretty good position here to move back within one. He doesn't | :52:50. | :52:52. | |
want Anderson to get too far away. That is fine for MVG, he will | :52:53. | :53:03. | |
return, looking to hold his throw for the first time. Only needs | :53:04. | :53:10. | |
double 16. And after failing to hold his throw at all against Phil Taylor | :53:11. | :53:15. | |
in the group stages, this would make him feel a little bit better about | :53:16. | :53:19. | |
proceedings, although another miss here and he's in a bit of bother. | :53:20. | :53:26. | |
Right on the wire, 111 from Anderson here and we have a serious gap | :53:27. | :53:34. | |
opening up. Double top... That was a big chance for Gary. He has let van | :53:35. | :53:41. | |
Gerwen off the hook. He certainly has. Anderson, by virtue of that 140 | :53:42. | :53:53. | |
had an opportunity to finish but couldn't hit a treble with the first | :53:54. | :53:54. | |
two darts. He's back in again. A little high, | :53:55. | :54:06. | |
but still happy with the visit. Back-to-back 140s. Leads him on 161. | :54:07. | :54:37. | |
Van Gerwen trailing. Not challenging in this leg so far. | :54:38. | :54:44. | |
Gary has thrown a Batley and Spen is -- a bag of spammers. Rescue sick, | :54:45. | :54:55. | |
leaving himself made two dart finish. But a maximum here from the | :54:56. | :55:02. | |
world number one... Pressure applied, asking the question of | :55:03. | :55:06. | |
Anderson. Does he have an answer? Double 18. Double 9. That would have | :55:07. | :55:12. | |
hurt, that really would have her. Gary Anderson in command of the leg. | :55:13. | :55:20. | |
He had a big visit. Anderson hit the 180, putting the pressure on. Just | :55:21. | :55:28. | |
couldn't quite hit the 96 finish. Two on the wire causing the trouble. | :55:29. | :55:37. | |
Great game. 212 in four darts, that's what the world number one | :55:38. | :55:42. | |
does and does it on an alarmingly regular basis. In a blink of an eye | :55:43. | :55:48. | |
you can be in control of the leg and then you've lost it. And he keeps on | :55:49. | :55:54. | |
doing it, he keeps on doing it! 180 number four the Michael van Gerwen, | :55:55. | :56:00. | |
112 for the tournament. It is incredible, isn't it? | :56:01. | :56:06. | |
Sometimes those visits are important, as well. We love to see | :56:07. | :56:13. | |
the 180s and a big finishes, but sometimes the tidy up scores can | :56:14. | :56:24. | |
mean so much. 2-edged and 20. -- 220. And that will make it just a | :56:25. | :56:32. | |
shade easier. It should mean he gets a dart, Michael van Gerwen, to go | :56:33. | :56:38. | |
into the lead for the first time this match. He might get two at the | :56:39. | :56:43. | |
double. Only the one, double top. Moves across, opens up the bed but | :56:44. | :56:49. | |
cannot stay out of the way of the first couple of darts. Now then, now | :56:50. | :56:54. | |
then, this would really hurt van Gerwen. Just couldn't quite get over | :56:55. | :56:59. | |
their far enough, you could see how close it was, but it wasn't in. | :57:00. | :57:10. | |
Double 5 will do it. 5-4. For the first time Gary Anderson trails in | :57:11. | :57:14. | |
this one. An important leg here for Gary. Was leading 4-2, has lost the | :57:15. | :57:22. | |
last three legs. He has had chances. Van Gerwen is just turning on the | :57:23. | :57:30. | |
gas, just a little bit higher. Back comes Anderson. Darts of the highest | :57:31. | :57:36. | |
quality here in Cardiff. Anderson will be telling himself, | :57:37. | :57:54. | |
just get to the break level. Give himself an opportunity to come out | :57:55. | :57:58. | |
all guns blazing and take out the world number one. Good thinking from | :57:59. | :58:04. | |
van Gerwen there. Not quite this time. Two darts at | :58:05. | :58:25. | |
the treble 18. Now he needs to hit it for the bull. How close is it? He | :58:26. | :58:30. | |
knows it is not in, but is just checking. Van Gerwen returns. Two | :58:31. | :58:39. | |
darts for a 6-4 lead for the world number one. Double 16, double 16 he | :58:40. | :58:44. | |
takes out first time. Michael van Gerwen has roared back into this | :58:45. | :58:50. | |
one. He trailed 4-2, leads 6-4, against the world champion, Gary | :58:51. | :58:51. | |
Anderson. Gary Anderson against Michael van | :58:52. | :59:10. | |
Gerwen, rapturous applause when these came out and in Cardiff and | :59:11. | :59:16. | |
it's living up to its billing. What a match here at the Motorpoint | :59:17. | :59:21. | |
Arena. Absolutely incredible. Paul and Mark, look at these stats, this | :59:22. | :59:26. | |
is just incredible darts. This has been a very good game so far. Gary | :59:27. | :59:31. | |
Anderson was the boss of this game in the first eight legs but Michael | :59:32. | :59:34. | |
van Gerwen in leg nine found his first lead and has managed to take | :59:35. | :59:38. | |
advantage with that last shot just before the break, to get a bit of | :59:39. | :59:42. | |
aggression. Gary Anderson under the cosh a bit. What is your assessment, | :59:43. | :59:48. | |
Mark? High quality staff, both players miss darts in the first | :59:49. | :59:52. | |
legs, a bit of nerves. Gary got himself in front. We talked about | :59:53. | :59:57. | |
Michael, did the other 4-2 and got himself in a 6-4 lead. An | :59:58. | :00:01. | |
interesting position Gary is in, given he played three and a won | :00:02. | :00:05. | |
three. Went into the interval in front in every single match and now | :00:06. | :00:09. | |
confronted with a big challenge. Yes, a big challenge against the | :00:10. | :00:13. | |
biggest player in the world. We will find out where Gary's game is out | :00:14. | :00:17. | |
right now. He's been in the ascendancy going into these breaks, | :00:18. | :00:21. | |
but now it is a different task. When he comes back I think he will throw | :00:22. | :00:26. | |
everything at MVG as soon as he can and MVG will be loving the fact he | :00:27. | :00:31. | |
is in front rather than behind. Phil was sitting in your chair a while | :00:32. | :00:34. | |
ago and said he wanted them to bash themselves up and that is what | :00:35. | :00:38. | |
they're doing. This plays into his hands perfectly? Absolutely. If you | :00:39. | :00:43. | |
looked at Phil at this stage he was 8-2 and almost home. Whoever gets | :00:44. | :00:46. | |
throughout this will know they have been in a gay man still have a final | :00:47. | :00:50. | |
to come. Let's have a look at nickname's final checkout. | :00:51. | :01:06. | |
Gary has done really well to get the ascendancy at the start but Michael | :01:07. | :01:12. | |
has done even better to wrestle it back from the Scotsman. How much of | :01:13. | :01:16. | |
this do think it is down to the fact Michael lost the big game against | :01:17. | :01:20. | |
Phil Taylor last night, which is why he is in this position, gunning for | :01:21. | :01:26. | |
Phil Taylor? It's a huge because he hasn't lost a lot in the last couple | :01:27. | :01:31. | |
of months. It is almost refocusing him and sometimes that is what | :01:32. | :01:37. | |
losing does to you. We talked about it, Michael van Gerwen will be | :01:38. | :01:45. | |
deadly. I will ask you now, nail your colours firmly to this post. | :01:46. | :01:52. | |
Scotland or Netherlands? If it was 5-5, I would've said Gary but I have | :01:53. | :01:55. | |
to say MVG. And me. COMMENTATOR: I remember in the World | :01:56. | :02:07. | |
Championship campaign when Gary Anderson went on to win his first | :02:08. | :02:12. | |
title, he found himself trailing and he went off for the break, walked | :02:13. | :02:18. | |
past me and mind and then he came back after the break with fire in | :02:19. | :02:28. | |
his belly and and he threw devastating darts that took him to | :02:29. | :02:31. | |
the victory and then he went on to win his first title, defending it | :02:32. | :02:36. | |
the following year. He will need something similar against Michael | :02:37. | :02:39. | |
van Gerwen here to book his place in the final for the first ever | :02:40. | :02:45. | |
Champions League of Darts. He is like a dog with a bone. Doesn't want | :02:46. | :02:49. | |
to let go. Certainly one of the aggressive players. Seems to pull | :02:50. | :02:55. | |
the best out of himself when he feels a little angry. He needs a | :02:56. | :03:04. | |
little more of that. Gary does. No need to take this out on the | :03:05. | :03:11. | |
bull's-eye, there is no need to! I'm sure he would like to hit it. Gary | :03:12. | :03:21. | |
is in a position now, four legs on the trot, 4-2 ahead, now five legs | :03:22. | :03:29. | |
on the trot, just want it to continue. He has to stop the rot as | :03:30. | :03:33. | |
soon as possible and hopefully get on one of his runs where he can | :03:34. | :03:40. | |
produce darts like that. It is a fifth 180 four Gary Anderson. It | :03:41. | :03:53. | |
might be a sixth. Not sure Gary liked that. It was almost in. He is | :03:54. | :04:05. | |
back to scoring well. 20, double top, to stop the rot. Now | :04:06. | :04:33. | |
double 10. We have a response. Very important for Gary to take that leg | :04:34. | :04:40. | |
and take it well. Now leads the challenge the van Gerwen throw like | :04:41. | :04:43. | |
you did in the early part of this match. Gary Anderson, for a long | :04:44. | :04:51. | |
time, every single time he used to play on the TV, before he went on | :04:52. | :04:59. | |
stage,... That is as good as 180 with Van Gerwen. Anderson used to be | :05:00. | :05:02. | |
physically ill, Satch with the nerves. And yet he could still | :05:03. | :05:06. | |
produce darts that would take him to big titles. Looking good for Van | :05:07. | :05:16. | |
Gerwen in this leg. I feel Gary needs another one to give him an | :05:17. | :05:19. | |
outsides chance, if van Gerwen misses the 54, though... Anderson | :05:20. | :05:28. | |
hits with a 12 darter and he responds with an 11 darter. These | :05:29. | :05:34. | |
are top two in the world, knocking lumps out of each other. They are | :05:35. | :05:39. | |
certainly toe-to-toe now on the scoring particularly. Again, Gary in | :05:40. | :05:47. | |
the same position he was five minutes ago, just needs to win his | :05:48. | :05:54. | |
throw well. He has hit another maximum. Maximums are flying in | :05:55. | :05:57. | |
here. Just the 58 but he wanted to stay on | :05:58. | :06:15. | |
the 20s, even though it is hard to find the treble because he has left | :06:16. | :06:19. | |
the 170. But Van Gerwen is much better placed. Van Gerwen for | :06:20. | :06:27. | |
another break of and a 9-5 commanding lead. This would really | :06:28. | :06:43. | |
hurt. For the bull's-eye. Treble 18. Interesting. Treble 20. It matters | :06:44. | :06:59. | |
not. Van Gerwen comes back. Gary Anderson is left needing to do | :07:00. | :07:02. | |
something extraordinary to stop the world number one setting up a final | :07:03. | :07:09. | |
with Phil The Power Taylor. Is certainly on a roll. Gary is | :07:10. | :07:20. | |
certainly a quality player he needs to pull out his absolute best in the | :07:21. | :07:24. | |
next 15 or 20 minutes. If you can. To be in with a chance of getting | :07:25. | :07:30. | |
into the final tonight. He's just had that blip in the middle but this | :07:31. | :07:40. | |
is better. This is the sort of stuff Van Gerwen has been doing for a | :07:41. | :07:41. | |
while. Anderson has been able to stop him | :07:42. | :08:02. | |
on a number of occasions. Is it all too late rush to mark --? | :08:03. | :08:39. | |
Michael van Gerwen trailed 4-2 to the world champion. He has won eight | :08:40. | :08:45. | |
of the last nine legs. This is a man that for a good few years in PDC | :08:46. | :08:51. | |
darts, could barely win games. He was in tears on a regular basis. | :08:52. | :08:55. | |
Other players questioned if he would ever be any good. It is not as if | :08:56. | :09:01. | |
Gary has had that many chances either. It is not as if he's missed | :09:02. | :09:06. | |
a lot of doubles and let Michael in. He deserves the right to win the | :09:07. | :09:12. | |
leg. Van Gerwen effectively stealing the darts here, looking to leave a | :09:13. | :09:22. | |
finish. Which he will do. 135 should start. He really need the trouble | :09:23. | :09:29. | |
with this last one. 160 is a tall order, 135 could be done. Trouble 50 | :09:30. | :09:41. | |
not to be. Anderson is not going to take the 160 and Michael van Gerwen | :09:42. | :09:46. | |
will get two match starts here to set up the final. Double top and the | :09:47. | :09:53. | |
world number one Michael van Gerwen wins it. The best player in the | :09:54. | :10:00. | |
world right now. The greatest there has ever been, in the final of the | :10:01. | :10:06. | |
first Champions League of Darts. He will play Phil The Power Taylor in | :10:07. | :10:08. | |
Cardiff. In the 2014 World Championship | :10:09. | :10:34. | |
third-round, Van Gerwen won 4-3 from 3-1 down and Anderson credit that | :10:35. | :10:39. | |
defeat for firing him up on words. Only one winner this evening and | :10:40. | :10:44. | |
that is Mighty Mike, the Dutchman, he is into the final. We have got I | :10:45. | :10:51. | |
suppose, the dream final, the final everyone wanted. It is the right | :10:52. | :10:56. | |
stage, the right players, now we just have to have the performances. | :10:57. | :11:00. | |
Michael van Gerwen after that break just absolutely sprinted for the | :11:01. | :11:04. | |
line. But performance, his best of the week. He's gradually been | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
getting better. Did really well early on and now he is gunning. He | :11:10. | :11:18. | |
was doing his damage in the first nine and I don't think Gary | :11:19. | :11:20. | |
recovered from those four legs on the spin. | :11:21. | :11:28. | |
As the tournament caught up with Gary? I think the middle part of | :11:29. | :11:36. | |
that game, everything changed. Gary started really well, he was in the | :11:37. | :11:40. | |
lead and what you have to do with Michael van Gerwen is keep that lead | :11:41. | :11:43. | |
because if he gets in front of you, he is like Mo Farah, he tends to get | :11:44. | :11:48. | |
quicker and quicker. He never looked back when he got that lead, it was a | :11:49. | :11:54. | |
different lead. -- a different game. Different territory for Anderson, | :11:55. | :12:01. | |
sadly he had to claw his way back. It must require a different set of | :12:02. | :12:06. | |
mental skills. Yes but credit to Michael, you put him under pressure. | :12:07. | :12:13. | |
When Gary got that break at 4-2, Michael never looked back. He came | :12:14. | :12:20. | |
out and did a professional job and got himself in the final. Michael is | :12:21. | :12:27. | |
not coming for an interview because he has a final to get ready for | :12:28. | :12:31. | |
against Phil Taylor in about 20 minutes. We can hear from Gary | :12:32. | :12:33. | |
Anderson. All right after that? He came | :12:34. | :12:43. | |
flying. He did at the start but it wasn't good enough. I made a mess of | :12:44. | :12:52. | |
a few of the legs. He kicked on from his advantage. I keep thinking if I | :12:53. | :13:00. | |
could break and get as throw, I was only a couple of legs behind but it | :13:01. | :13:04. | |
wasn't to be. I was quite happy at the start. You met Michael van | :13:05. | :13:10. | |
Gerwen when he is bang on form, he played his best. It was that the | :13:11. | :13:22. | |
start, I was 4- two up, but then he picked up and did what he does. When | :13:23. | :13:27. | |
he came into this it was, he said because he had been playing hard. | :13:28. | :13:32. | |
You had that break, did it make a difference? I've had nine hours and | :13:33. | :13:40. | |
four weeks practice. I'm actually quite happy with the way I played. | :13:41. | :13:44. | |
There have been some scrappy darts and some good ones. The crowd were | :13:45. | :13:50. | |
fantastic. This is going out on the big screen. What would you say to | :13:51. | :13:57. | |
them? Party more! Just about. I think last night was party mode. At | :13:58. | :14:05. | |
five o'clock this morning it was still kicking with the streets. They | :14:06. | :14:09. | |
are singing your name, go and join them. In case you missed it earlier, | :14:10. | :14:15. | |
he couldn't get any sleep last night and he got up at 4am to have a | :14:16. | :14:18. | |
little walk around Cardiff which would have been very interesting. | :14:19. | :14:25. | |
Gary Anderson walks away as a losing semifinalist but ?25,000 richer. | :14:26. | :14:31. | |
Phil Taylor against Michael van Gerwen in the final. | :14:32. | :14:40. | |
Stand by and expect fireworks. I think it's fair to say that. Phil | :14:41. | :14:47. | |
Taylor has been trying to conserve energy in his earlier matches in | :14:48. | :14:50. | |
case he was up against someone like Van Gerwen in the final. There will | :14:51. | :14:55. | |
be no love lost here. They both want to put their name on this title for | :14:56. | :14:58. | |
the first time because I want to come back and say, that is my name | :14:59. | :15:02. | |
on the trophy and I want to defend it. Abu Dua to do that is to win it | :15:03. | :15:12. | |
first. Michael van Gerwen will be a slight favourite. Is their mutual | :15:13. | :15:17. | |
respect between these two? From a professional respect, absolutely. | :15:18. | :15:21. | |
They would be talking to each other at this point, head plugs in years, | :15:22. | :15:25. | |
looking at the border and getting things done. Michael will probably | :15:26. | :15:29. | |
try to bring a very angry, aggressive game of the blood Phil | :15:30. | :15:34. | |
Taylor will probably want to reciprocate. Phil Taylor will try to | :15:35. | :15:40. | |
do what he did last night. It has to be a difficult game,. Phil Taylor | :15:41. | :15:47. | |
will be buoyant but Michael Van Gerwen will be gunning for him at | :15:48. | :15:52. | |
the same time. It will be an interesting game. The final coming | :15:53. | :15:58. | |
up in about 17 minutes. In the meantime, we will have a bit of fun | :15:59. | :16:01. | |
because lots of celebrities have got involved with the nine darts | :16:02. | :16:05. | |
challenge on the BBC sport website to take a look at this. | :16:06. | :16:12. | |
I don't like the way you are holding it. | :16:13. | :16:19. | |
Don't talk! Have some respect for the game. The best thing about darts | :16:20. | :16:32. | |
is that anyone can do it and if you get really good, you can do tricks. | :16:33. | :16:38. | |
As a darts expert, I thought about this, complicated strategy. Hit the | :16:39. | :16:45. | |
board, not the wall. Come on! Three! Always a brilliant atmosphere and in | :16:46. | :16:48. | |
Cardiff, I'm sure that will be three times as good as normal. Last one. | :16:49. | :16:56. | |
Gosh! It ricocheted. That is probably worth about a hundred, | :16:57. | :17:04. | |
isn't it? Darts was huge in Bolton one I was growing up. Both my mum | :17:05. | :17:08. | |
and my Nanna were in the local darts team. If I score anywhere near | :17:09. | :17:16. | |
anything on that board, I will be very happy. 20. The worry is that | :17:17. | :17:25. | |
you will invite another sportsman to do it. Phil Tufnell will be the most | :17:26. | :17:33. | |
traditional. He will be fluid. Come on! You want 51 to beat Phil | :17:34. | :17:39. | |
Tufnell. Now you want 50. I like the pressure, the moment that | :17:40. | :17:54. | |
darts player is looking, that ultimate pressure of trying to hit a | :17:55. | :17:58. | |
triple. I was think a much I would be shaking if I was trying to do it. | :17:59. | :18:07. | |
I have never played darts before. Look at that! Whenever we play, he | :18:08. | :18:16. | |
seems to be a hundred odd in front of me. LAUGHTER | :18:17. | :18:22. | |
I'm too intimidated. What can I do? You look at the physique, I was made | :18:23. | :18:40. | |
and primed to play darts. Haven't played this game in 30 years. I do | :18:41. | :18:45. | |
watch it amongst the mayhem and the Dutchman isn't bad, is he? He's | :18:46. | :18:51. | |
bald, as well. That's not bad, is it? Great shot. Great shot. | :18:52. | :19:03. | |
When you are playing someone who is 11 foot two, who just leans forward | :19:04. | :19:12. | |
and puts the darts in, what is that? I'm really pleased with my | :19:13. | :19:16. | |
performance today. These are my peers. You cheated! I now stand | :19:17. | :19:23. | |
literally above them but also mathematically above them. Well | :19:24. | :19:30. | |
done, Greg, he has obviously been spending a lot of time in his local | :19:31. | :19:35. | |
pub. I have no idea why I agree to this but the producer thought it | :19:36. | :19:38. | |
would be a good idea if I did the nine darts challenge on live | :19:39. | :19:43. | |
television. I didn't have to do this in the Rio Olympics. Two | :19:44. | :19:46. | |
commentators here who will talk me through it. You will commentate. I | :19:47. | :19:52. | |
have no idea why I'm doing this. You will need some well starts. Well | :19:53. | :20:00. | |
starts, that is a good start. -- Welsh darts. I'm sure we will see a | :20:01. | :20:10. | |
ton 40. No pressure. I haven't played for about 30 years. We are | :20:11. | :20:16. | |
about to see if you are as good as Sarah cox, Alan Shearer, Trevor | :20:17. | :20:22. | |
Nelson, no pressure! 61, he's getting better. 62, a great start. | :20:23. | :20:29. | |
You can do it! Four, 12 and 20. 36 on top of 98. | :20:30. | :20:47. | |
Deep breath. We will edit this out. What you mean, it's live! | :20:48. | :20:54. | |
Shanghai 5s. That isn't bad. 65. 163 in nine darts, not bad at all. | :20:55. | :21:08. | |
That's not allowed. So you are better than Alan Shearer. What did I | :21:09. | :21:17. | |
get? 163. That's not bad considering this is live. I know how those guys | :21:18. | :21:20. | |
are feeling. You said you were nervous. That was the first time | :21:21. | :21:25. | |
I've played darts for about 30 years. My best checkout was double | :21:26. | :21:32. | |
two. That is one of the hardest ones. Thank you. Humiliation on live | :21:33. | :21:38. | |
television. I need a nicknames so we should ask you via Twitter and | :21:39. | :21:42. | |
Facebook, get involved. Keep them clean! These guys have been telling | :21:43. | :21:46. | |
us what they are highlights of this weekend have been. Highlight so far | :21:47. | :21:51. | |
has to be the high quality finishing that we have seen. James Wade | :21:52. | :21:56. | |
starting with 161 in the afternoon session. Setting the tone for what | :21:57. | :22:00. | |
we were about to see the rest of the day. He will need two troubles. This | :22:01. | :22:04. | |
would be a killer. A killer bull's-eye! James Wade | :22:05. | :22:21. | |
really put the Cat amongst the pigeons. As if that shot wasn't good | :22:22. | :22:27. | |
enough, he did one better, 164. He could use treble 19 twice and the | :22:28. | :22:32. | |
bull's-eye, but he went a conventional route, treble 20, | :22:33. | :22:38. | |
treble 18 and another bull's-eye. Triple 20 or two triple 19 is. Could | :22:39. | :22:48. | |
he? He could! Then, to go one better, Phil The Power Taylor takes | :22:49. | :22:53. | |
167 against Michael van Gerwen. At that point in the match, he needed | :22:54. | :22:57. | |
something to go his way, treble 20, treble 19 and the bull's-eye. | :22:58. | :23:06. | |
People are saying Phil Taylor is finished, he is far from finished, | :23:07. | :23:11. | |
still playing at a very high standard. This would be for 167, | :23:12. | :23:22. | |
third break in a row. Yes! My moments of the week and so far was | :23:23. | :23:28. | |
Phil Taylor's celebration after he wins the penultimate leg against | :23:29. | :23:31. | |
Michael van Gerwen last night. We thought Phil Taylor was going to | :23:32. | :23:36. | |
take it easy and he wasn't going to expend useless energy. When that 138 | :23:37. | :23:46. | |
went in, it wasn't an accident that he celebrated like it did. The | :23:47. | :23:51. | |
context of the match was a kind of worlds will collide, it was the best | :23:52. | :23:56. | |
of all time against the best in the world. Hadn't lost since losing to | :23:57. | :24:03. | |
Phil Taylor 36 games ago. It was a big moment, a big celebration and a | :24:04. | :24:07. | |
big statement of Phil Taylor. Telling the world, I am duffing up | :24:08. | :24:09. | |
the Dutchman and he did. We were talking about two worlds | :24:10. | :24:22. | |
colliding and it is happening all over again. We had it last night, | :24:23. | :24:27. | |
that was the start and now we will see who will finish it. Michael van | :24:28. | :24:31. | |
Gerwen was playing better now than he was yesterday, Phil Taylor has | :24:32. | :24:35. | |
steadied off. Doing the same thing all weekend. Interesting to see who | :24:36. | :24:40. | |
will win this because I wanted to be an angry contest. I want drama and I | :24:41. | :24:46. | |
don't think I will be disappointed. It will definitely be angry, they | :24:47. | :24:51. | |
will be pumped up. It will be very interesting. I think it will be a | :24:52. | :24:57. | |
steady start by both players. We will see who can kick on. It is fair | :24:58. | :25:03. | |
to say, it took us a while to get to the big checkouts but when they did, | :25:04. | :25:07. | |
they were really impressive. It was an edgy start with the first game | :25:08. | :25:12. | |
yesterday but shortly after, James Wade lit the touch how things went | :25:13. | :25:15. | |
over the course of yesterday and today. Full credit to him, he has | :25:16. | :25:22. | |
played really well. Now, all about Van Gerwen and Taylor, the greatest | :25:23. | :25:26. | |
ever against the greatest right now. We will find out who will be the | :25:27. | :25:30. | |
first ever Champions League champion. More build-up to come | :25:31. | :25:33. | |
after we find out which moments mark and Alan chose. The nine-darter on | :25:34. | :25:41. | |
the big TV stage. They all love to see it, we all love to watch it. | :25:42. | :25:44. | |
Phil Taylor said earlier in the week, you wanted to hit one on the | :25:45. | :25:52. | |
BBC. I was commentating on the game. Thornton hit the two 180 's and you | :25:53. | :25:56. | |
could feel the noise level is rising in the auditorium, as it was in the | :25:57. | :25:58. | |
commentary box. Phil Taylor really wants to do this. | :25:59. | :26:04. | |
Yes. It is on. Double 12... Oh! Double 12, just wasn't to be, it was | :26:05. | :26:29. | |
a long way off. It slipped! Good to see you smiling, though! I can't | :26:30. | :26:33. | |
swear, can I but it was a rubbish dart. | :26:34. | :26:50. | |
There is only one Jason Mohammad, only one Dan Dorton and he has been | :26:51. | :27:11. | |
with us all week. -- Dan Dawson. What a couple of days it has been. | :27:12. | :27:16. | |
It has been phenomenal and look at the showpiece we have got, the | :27:17. | :27:19. | |
greatest in the world right now against the greatest there has ever | :27:20. | :27:25. | |
been. Some love Phil Taylor, some love Michael van Gerwen. That lad | :27:26. | :27:32. | |
loves his Nan, good on him! Did you think these two would be in the | :27:33. | :27:40. | |
final? There was always a chance. Ominously, for Phil Taylor, Michael | :27:41. | :27:47. | |
van Gerwen has just put in his best performance of the weekend in the | :27:48. | :27:50. | |
semifinals. If you have time this right, we could see something very | :27:51. | :27:54. | |
special from him. But Phil Taylor knows how to win big titles and he | :27:55. | :27:58. | |
is desperate to get a big TV title to his name. We were let down do | :27:59. | :28:06. | |
that and we are ready for you, Jason. It looks a wonderful | :28:07. | :28:09. | |
atmosphere. Two legends of the game. The head to | :28:10. | :28:25. | |
heads, it can be a bit misleading because Michael van Gerwen had a big | :28:26. | :28:30. | |
dip in form a few years back but recently it has been all him and | :28:31. | :28:38. | |
that is what he has to cling to. Mentally, I think he is very fresh. | :28:39. | :28:49. | |
11 TV nine-darter is for the power and five from McGhee. -- Mighty | :28:50. | :28:53. | |
Mike. It will be littered with 180 s. What | :28:54. | :29:06. | |
has been amazing is talking to the players when they have come up and | :29:07. | :29:11. | |
having a chat. You get that sense of relief it is over and then they have | :29:12. | :29:14. | |
another group match to concentrate on. I wonder how these two guys are | :29:15. | :29:21. | |
feeling, given what is at stake tonight. Put everything into it now, | :29:22. | :29:25. | |
nothing left after the night. Do what you can and don't leave | :29:26. | :29:29. | |
anything in your locker. Both guys know that. It is what we will see. | :29:30. | :29:35. | |
We talk about Will Championships and all the big titles as well these two | :29:36. | :29:41. | |
have played, but what about tonight, the first time this event has been | :29:42. | :29:46. | |
held. The first time it has been on the BBC as well. Does that make it | :29:47. | :29:48. | |
even more special? Yes, everything has got to start | :29:49. | :29:58. | |
somewhere. 40 years from now, this tournament could be willing to the | :29:59. | :30:02. | |
future. We will be seeing, who won the first one? Was it Michael van | :30:03. | :30:08. | |
Gerwen, Phil Taylor? They want to be the answer to that question. Michael | :30:09. | :30:15. | |
has just gone through in the second semifinal. Does that make a | :30:16. | :30:19. | |
difference? Not really. Phil will be happy that he played first. Michael | :30:20. | :30:24. | |
has got to pick up where he left off, he has got momentum. He will | :30:25. | :30:30. | |
want to set off like a house on fire in the final. What about the crowd? | :30:31. | :30:35. | |
How important? You have stood in front of massive crowds. How | :30:36. | :30:39. | |
important is it to get the fans on your side early on? It is | :30:40. | :30:43. | |
interesting. If Gary Anderson made the final, he probably would have | :30:44. | :30:48. | |
been the crowd favourite. With van Gerwen Ann Taylor, it is 50-50. When | :30:49. | :30:53. | |
it comes to games like this, sometimes the winner in the game at | :30:54. | :30:59. | |
that point gets the most. Whoever really does breakthrough and gets at | :31:00. | :31:03. | |
two leg lead, they will have the crowd on their side. ?100,000 to the | :31:04. | :31:10. | |
winner. The players are standing by. The referee will talk us through | :31:11. | :31:11. | |
this one. Point, barrel, flight. The dart, the | :31:12. | :31:29. | |
straightest, near weightless, an elegant and gracious tool. Despite | :31:30. | :31:37. | |
trepidation, calculation, perspiration, a binding weight of | :31:38. | :31:41. | |
expectation. Yearning for a celebration. Time to raise the | :31:42. | :31:52. | |
anti-, a flutter, a flick, a flight of fancy. Anything is possible in | :31:53. | :31:57. | |
this Champions League of dance finale. Point, barrel, flight. And | :31:58. | :32:06. | |
how it flew. Men named the mighty, the Power, whittled down to two. In | :32:07. | :32:15. | |
Google tilt, baptism, first, a brand-new narrative. Demand is, as | :32:16. | :32:20. | |
special ambience. The world awaits. Step forward, champions. And if that | :32:21. | :32:29. | |
has not got you ready, I do not know what else we can do? Very well said. | :32:30. | :32:37. | |
A fantastic voice. It is fantastic listening to what he can do for the | :32:38. | :32:42. | |
sport. He is the voice of darts and he has got me ready. 2006, the first | :32:43. | :32:49. | |
time they played, van Gerwen was 17. Taylor was the winner. That was in | :32:50. | :32:54. | |
the Netherlands. Now it is a full house in Cardiff. The expectation is | :32:55. | :33:00. | |
massive. Yes, and yesterday's game has done nothing to dampen that | :33:01. | :33:05. | |
expectation. We expect big scores and big finishes. I think the final | :33:06. | :33:09. | |
will deliver. I am sure you are ready at home. We cannot wait. Let's | :33:10. | :33:17. | |
join John McDonald. Eight of the very best in the world came, ladies | :33:18. | :33:22. | |
and gentlemen, and only two remain. Welcome to the final of the | :33:23. | :33:33. | |
Champions League Of Darts. We are live on the BBC. It is time to meet | :33:34. | :33:38. | |
the final is. Please welcome, from Stoke-on-Trent, England, he is the | :33:39. | :33:48. | |
record-breaking, history making, 16 times the champion of the world. | :33:49. | :34:02. | |
Now, ladies and gentlemen, from the Netherlands, it is time to meet the | :34:03. | :34:45. | |
world number one, and the former champion of the world, might the | :34:46. | :34:58. | |
Michael van Gerwen. -- Mighty Michael. | :34:59. | :35:09. | |
MUSIC: "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes. | :35:10. | :35:47. | |
Michael van Gerwen, 23 victories, Phil Taylor, 29 victories. There | :35:48. | :35:55. | |
have been two draws. Enjoy it. Get those feet up in the company of | :35:56. | :36:05. | |
Vassos Alexander and Alan Warriner. Yes, we hope, we expect we are in | :36:06. | :36:10. | |
for a tungsten treat. For the second time in 24 hours in Cardiff, it is | :36:11. | :36:14. | |
the best in the world against the best of all time. Last night it was | :36:15. | :36:19. | |
a great game, this is for the title. Van Gerwen has hardly put a dart | :36:20. | :36:25. | |
from all year. 19 titles in 2016 so far. He has won his last 16 | :36:26. | :36:30. | |
tournaments and take two nine daughters already this week, both in | :36:31. | :36:35. | |
Barnsley, annoyingly. He has won 58 of his last 61 matches. Two of those | :36:36. | :36:40. | |
three defeats were at the hands of Phil Taylor, in Sydney last month in | :36:41. | :36:46. | |
another best of 21 leg final, Taylor was the winner, 11-9. Last night, | :36:47. | :36:52. | |
mighty Mac did not manage to hold his throw. I have just been chatting | :36:53. | :37:02. | |
to Phil. He is proud of his new exercise regime. His mind as clean | :37:03. | :37:08. | |
as a bell. He was on holiday while MVG was cleaning up. This is it, the | :37:09. | :37:13. | |
best-known and the best ever, a live-in legs, 100 grand, and the | :37:14. | :37:18. | |
first-ever Champions League Of Darts on the line. How could you not look | :37:19. | :37:24. | |
forward to this? The two big powerhouses of world darts. World | :37:25. | :37:29. | |
number one Michael van Gerwen, he seems to win everything in his path. | :37:30. | :37:38. | |
In his path today, the legend of darts, Phil "the Power" Taylor. He | :37:39. | :37:43. | |
took the plaudits last night. The atmosphere was fantastic. This is | :37:44. | :37:50. | |
electric. As you said, this is not a great game, this is for the title. | :37:51. | :38:06. | |
17 world titles between them. The 16 time world champion, Phil Taylor. He | :38:07. | :38:13. | |
threw some absolutely sensational darts, both this afternoon and | :38:14. | :38:19. | |
against MVG last night. Has he got it in him at 56 to produce that, too | :38:20. | :38:24. | |
produces best five times in two days? If he can do the same as he | :38:25. | :38:30. | |
did last night, Michael will find it very tough. If you spin the coin, if | :38:31. | :38:37. | |
Michael can produce his best, Phil will also find it tough. If we can | :38:38. | :38:45. | |
get that happy medium, we could be in for a cracker. Sometimes you | :38:46. | :38:49. | |
build these games up, two fantastic players and stars of the game, and | :38:50. | :38:55. | |
it does not work out. Last night was brilliant. The atmosphere is | :38:56. | :39:00. | |
certainly good. The crowd are loving it. A slow start from both players, | :39:01. | :39:06. | |
you have to say. 12 darts thrown from each of them. Nobody is on a | :39:07. | :39:12. | |
finish yet. Yes, certainly a slow start. Maybe some nerves. There | :39:13. | :39:18. | |
always is in any game in the first couple of legs. Important to get the | :39:19. | :39:22. | |
first leg on the board. Whichever player wins the first leg, he will | :39:23. | :39:28. | |
not mind if it is a 25 darter. Taylor hits the first maximum of the | :39:29. | :39:35. | |
final. That has woken everybody up. Double 16 to hold his throw. Did he | :39:36. | :39:42. | |
need that? Remember, he failed to hold his throw all through last | :39:43. | :39:47. | |
night's match, MVG. This is a chance for Phil Taylor to break him again. | :39:48. | :39:56. | |
He only needs the one dart. It was certainly a mixed bag on the | :39:57. | :40:02. | |
scoring. That maximum from Phil Taylor gave him the opportunity. Van | :40:03. | :40:06. | |
Gerwen had a chance and did not take it. Taylor had the chance and he did | :40:07. | :40:09. | |
not miss. He has got a new step machine at | :40:10. | :40:25. | |
home, Phil Taylor. He says it is really doing him good. | :40:26. | :40:36. | |
The noise in that auditorium is amazing. They are really enjoying | :40:37. | :40:47. | |
this weekend and is final. It has -- it has been a pleasure to be here at | :40:48. | :40:52. | |
the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. Yes, it really has been a cracking | :40:53. | :40:58. | |
atmosphere all weekend. We are building to what we hope will be a | :40:59. | :41:04. | |
thrilling, enthralling climax. It is all set up. Van Gerwen really has to | :41:05. | :41:16. | |
get his scoring boots on. He has not yet got going. Only one score of 400 | :41:17. | :41:29. | |
plus from MVG so far. -- of 100 plus. He does not want the same as | :41:30. | :41:35. | |
last night to happen, when he could not win his throw. He ended up being | :41:36. | :41:44. | |
so far behind, he could not get back. This is for a two leg lead. | :41:45. | :41:50. | |
Yes. He has woken up. He certainly has. | :41:51. | :42:06. | |
He needed that one. You could see the grimace from van Gerwen. It has | :42:07. | :42:11. | |
been a slow start from the young Dutchman. He needed that. He really | :42:12. | :42:17. | |
needed that. You can see what it meant to him. We mentioned that MVG | :42:18. | :42:23. | |
has won his last six tournaments. If he wins here, it will be seven in a | :42:24. | :42:28. | |
row. Phil Taylor once did it in a row. It just shows you the quality | :42:29. | :42:40. | |
that is out there. Darts like these from Taylor. Another maximum. | :42:41. | :42:48. | |
He leaves himself 95. Taylor leaving himself something handy. Van Gerwen, | :42:49. | :43:03. | |
you would think, would go for the bull as a first dart, because if he | :43:04. | :43:08. | |
goes for the treble and misses, he will not get another throw. That is | :43:09. | :43:16. | |
my point. If Taylor takes this out, the pain will increase. Two darts at | :43:17. | :43:21. | |
double 1243 leg lead. -- at double 12 for a three leg | :43:22. | :43:41. | |
lead. That is a big let. Michael van Gerwen's face when Phil Taylor | :43:42. | :43:44. | |
missed, it tells you what it means. It really does. He was fired up. | :43:45. | :43:54. | |
Phil Taylor had a dart at double 12, a dart at double six. That is what | :43:55. | :44:01. | |
it meant when he missed them. Certainly both players are fired up. | :44:02. | :44:03. | |
That is a prime example. Can he send another one over the | :44:04. | :44:22. | |
top? Powerful scoring again, 140, 142 start this leg. The scoring has | :44:23. | :44:30. | |
been fantastic, it really has, over the whole weekend. Even if it has | :44:31. | :44:35. | |
not been a maximum, he has been pretty good at the scoring on a | :44:36. | :44:41. | |
consistent basis. Even there, single five, but he managed a reasonable | :44:42. | :44:49. | |
score. Averaging 105, that is tonight. 104 throughout the | :44:50. | :44:54. | |
tournament. This is for the 3-1 lead. He will be back if you misses. | :44:55. | :45:02. | |
Stand up if you love the darts! And right now, Phil Taylor, you would | :45:03. | :45:26. | |
think, is loving his darts. Five missed doubles in a row for Phil | :45:27. | :45:34. | |
Taylor. How the tide's turning. 102. He went for six, double 18. I can't | :45:35. | :45:41. | |
believe he missed that. A massive opportunity. | :45:42. | :45:49. | |
That is a steadying dart. Already, even this early in the match, you | :45:50. | :45:59. | |
feel he needed that. Keeps his nose in front. Certainly warming up | :46:00. | :46:07. | |
nicely. Phil looks as composed as ever. Michael kind of battling with | :46:08. | :46:15. | |
himself at the moment. He knows he's not in Top Gear. He's much more | :46:16. | :46:24. | |
methodical, isn't he, then Gary Anderson, who we just saw. Phil | :46:25. | :46:30. | |
Taylor takes his time. Will that affect van Gerwen's rhythm and | :46:31. | :46:38. | |
concentration? I don't think so. Not particularly slow, Phil, but he's | :46:39. | :46:42. | |
methodical in the way he sets up the throw. Michael very fast, as you can | :46:43. | :46:48. | |
see. Like a lot of young Dutch players. Seems to be fighting his | :46:49. | :46:55. | |
own battle. He's disappointed when he doesn't get a shot. He's got to | :46:56. | :47:01. | |
calm himself down. There's a lot to play for here. Phil is calm and | :47:02. | :47:10. | |
unflappable, but MVG seems to react to every dark this really. | :47:11. | :47:20. | |
Just checking the score. He knows that van Gerwen isn't on a finish. | :47:21. | :47:28. | |
That's why he didn't go further bull finish route. Double 16 when he | :47:29. | :47:33. | |
comes back for another break of throw for Phil Taylor. To move two | :47:34. | :47:36. | |
breaks head. That one was right in the green bit. | :47:37. | :47:49. | |
He's in a bit of trouble. But we do know he's capable of silly | :47:50. | :48:15. | |
darts, Michael van Gerwen, and seemingly he can just turn them on | :48:16. | :48:21. | |
from. Like this. He needs to do it all the way through the leg, and | :48:22. | :48:28. | |
challenge every leg, if he's going first or against the throw. The more | :48:29. | :48:33. | |
opportunities you get, the better you feel, certainly when you hit | :48:34. | :48:38. | |
them. You've got to get the opportunity in the first place. He's | :48:39. | :48:43. | |
only had three darts and double so far, MVG. You imagine a fourth is | :48:44. | :48:47. | |
coming in this lake. He will not be too worried about | :48:48. | :49:21. | |
this leg. He will just keep pounding that treble. He doesn't get a shot, | :49:22. | :49:27. | |
he goes on to the next leg. Double 16. | :49:28. | :49:48. | |
Disappointed with the 96, you could see there. He knows he has to score | :49:49. | :49:56. | |
heavier. Doesn't want to be giving Phil Taylor the chance again. He's | :49:57. | :50:00. | |
trying to claw his way back in the game. It's been a feature of the | :50:01. | :50:11. | |
weekend, the Icelandic anchor. A chance for Taylor here. Not the best | :50:12. | :50:18. | |
of visit. You can see the shape of the head from Michael at the back. | :50:19. | :50:23. | |
Phil, just doing his own thing, as he always done. | :50:24. | :50:34. | |
Van Gerwen will be looking at finishing the 207 in two visits, if | :50:35. | :50:40. | |
he can. He might have two. Well, it feels a bit like Christmas, | :50:41. | :50:56. | |
with Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen here in the final. A full | :50:57. | :50:59. | |
house, cracking atmosphere. Not to be. Stand up for the legend, | :51:00. | :51:14. | |
our said. He would have loved it here. Double 16. Another opportunity | :51:15. | :51:25. | |
goes for van Gerwen. He knows it's crucial, even at this early stage. | :51:26. | :51:27. | |
Trouble 16, double 8. He's done it! He's cleaning up these | :51:28. | :51:46. | |
legs, very clinically. Every time he gets the opportunity. That's what | :51:47. | :51:49. | |
wins you matches. Almost halfway there for Taylor. A | :51:50. | :51:59. | |
race to 11. We mentioned how much he's been | :52:00. | :52:16. | |
winning, Michael van Gerwen, in the last month or two. Therefore, he's | :52:17. | :52:25. | |
been playing an awful lot. Surely that's got to take it out of you at | :52:26. | :52:31. | |
some stage? I'm sure it will. He has had a holiday this year, which is | :52:32. | :52:36. | |
something you need to do, despite his youthful age compared with a lot | :52:37. | :52:41. | |
of the players in the top 16. He's one of the youngest. He has to win | :52:42. | :52:49. | |
this leg. Taylor can't leave a finish. He will make a big hole in | :52:50. | :52:58. | |
it, certainly. Van Gerwen can't leave a finish. He could be in | :52:59. | :53:05. | |
trouble here. Taylor two visits from 162. The way he's been finishing, he | :53:06. | :53:13. | |
gets the chance, he'll take it. He missed five darts and a double in a | :53:14. | :53:18. | |
row earlier in the match, but other than that, it's been really | :53:19. | :53:23. | |
clinical. That is what has kept the averages down for both players, that | :53:24. | :53:29. | |
first leg. There was a bit of nerves, obviously. Well, well, well. | :53:30. | :53:33. | |
18. He's not giving van Gerwen that | :53:34. | :53:54. | |
second chance. Even the 148, a big finish. He's not giving him the | :53:55. | :54:00. | |
opportunity to have a go at it. If Michael had missed there, it would | :54:01. | :54:05. | |
have got the adrenaline going. He's not giving him the chance. He's | :54:06. | :54:10. | |
taking the opportunity away every possible time. How tough is it to | :54:11. | :54:18. | |
play a semifinal, wait 20 minutes, then come back and play a final? | :54:19. | :54:22. | |
It's never easy, because the adrenaline is very high from the | :54:23. | :54:26. | |
game you've just played. Some players say it's better to play in | :54:27. | :54:31. | |
the second semifinal, so you haven't got too long to wait. Some say is | :54:32. | :54:37. | |
better in the first one. It's a personal choice. I would rather play | :54:38. | :54:44. | |
in the first one, then come down and get yourself ready for the next | :54:45. | :54:47. | |
game. These players play so many tournaments, play two or three times | :54:48. | :54:50. | |
on the finals day. They should be used to it. | :54:51. | :55:02. | |
Both these players are really strong front runners. Michael van Gerwen | :55:03. | :55:09. | |
knows he can't let Phil Taylor go any further ahead, really. There's a | :55:10. | :55:17. | |
break after ten legs. What ever happens, Taylor will be leading at | :55:18. | :55:24. | |
the break. If van Gerwen could take this leg, he would love a break | :55:25. | :55:28. | |
after it. Just needs to get back there. Despite the large deficit, | :55:29. | :55:35. | |
which has been reduced to three. He took out one 10. Not under any | :55:36. | :55:53. | |
pressure. Look at Phil Taylor. Straight back in the red! Claiming | :55:54. | :56:09. | |
the maximum as only he can. The boy is certainly earning his tuppence. | :56:10. | :56:19. | |
He might have to do it again. 180! They are on their feet, and they | :56:20. | :56:25. | |
won't bother sitting down. Phil Taylor, within one dart of the | :56:26. | :56:30. | |
perfect lake this afternoon. -- perfect leg. | :56:31. | :56:38. | |
Would have left double 12. The crowd wanted it. I'm sure he wanted it. | :56:39. | :56:46. | |
Didn't quite get the trouble numeric 19. | :56:47. | :56:58. | |
How about that? The Power. He is all over Mighty Mike now. A 7-3 lead in | :56:59. | :57:11. | |
a race to 11. # Hey, baby! | :57:12. | :57:33. | |
# I want to know # If you will be my girl. | :57:34. | :57:42. | |
All smiles from Phil Taylor before the match, and smiles in the | :57:43. | :57:47. | |
interval. I hope the noise and the atmosphere is getting to you at | :57:48. | :57:51. | |
home. The atmosphere is just incredible. We are witnessing | :57:52. | :57:56. | |
something very special from the legend that is Phil The Power | :57:57. | :58:09. | |
Taylor. He won 10-4 with a high average. But this is the one that | :58:10. | :58:14. | |
counts. It is, if you get the right amount of legs. At the start of the | :58:15. | :58:21. | |
game, Phil was outscoring Michael. The disparity between the scoring | :58:22. | :58:26. | |
stats of the first nine darts was about 16 points. That is not the | :58:27. | :58:31. | |
Michael van Gerwen we know, so Phil has taken advantage of that. He just | :58:32. | :58:36. | |
held on throw, and at the end, almost gave us an nine-darter. So | :58:37. | :58:41. | |
what has happened to Michael van Gerwen? He's not playing as well as | :58:42. | :58:46. | |
he did this afternoon in that clash with Peter Wright. The first leg was | :58:47. | :58:55. | |
very sloppy from him. He conceded an easy break to Phil, and then Phil | :58:56. | :59:00. | |
has just kept in front. Phil has kept him at arm 's length. What do | :59:01. | :59:07. | |
you think has happened to Michael? Did he overdo it in the final? I | :59:08. | :59:13. | |
think he's just had an off leg to start the final. The first leg can | :59:14. | :59:18. | |
dictate an awful lot. He's had a dodgy first leg. Phil has had an | :59:19. | :59:26. | |
nice break, and hasn't submitted to Michael van Gerwen. We've seen a bit | :59:27. | :59:30. | |
of aggression in some of the video we've seen, but it hasn't happened | :59:31. | :59:35. | |
yet. Phil Taylor has been too good. A lot of guys had some beer their | :59:36. | :59:40. | |
hands ready to throw in the air, but it didn't happen. So close. When | :59:41. | :59:47. | |
Phil missed the trouble 19, he turned his attention to the trouble | :59:48. | :59:53. | |
10. He stayed focused. Over the weekend we have looked at the facial | :59:54. | :59:58. | |
expressions and body language. You can read so much into a darts | :59:59. | :00:04. | |
player's mental state by their facial expressions. Michael isn't as | :00:05. | :00:09. | |
composed and happy as he was this afternoon. Absolutely right. There's | :00:10. | :00:14. | |
a lot of shaking of the head. But Phil Taylor isn't giving anything | :00:15. | :00:19. | |
away with his body language and facial expressions. If we see | :00:20. | :00:22. | |
something from him, it is when the other guy is looking at the board. | :00:23. | :00:28. | |
Compere Michael this afternoon, the fist pumping, looking at the camera | :00:29. | :00:34. | |
and thinking he will win this. He looks very, very tense. I don't | :00:35. | :00:38. | |
think that first leg has helped him. He's very nervous, which is unlike | :00:39. | :00:47. | |
him. Phil has taken advantage of it and has opened up a lead. He has to | :00:48. | :00:50. | |
go now. Thank you very much indeed. Game on. | :00:51. | :00:55. | |
What do you think, is there any way back for MVG? He has to come | :00:56. | :01:01. | |
straight out of the blocks from the word go. He really has to play at | :01:02. | :01:08. | |
his best. It is not just winning the legs, it is winning the legs against | :01:09. | :01:12. | |
someone who is playing better than you. He needs to win this first leg, | :01:13. | :01:18. | |
take one leg at the time. As we have seen so often in this game, it can | :01:19. | :01:23. | |
change around very quickly. The way Phil Taylor is going, you just | :01:24. | :01:28. | |
cannot see it. You get the feeling that if Michael van Gerwen is going | :01:29. | :01:31. | |
to push Phil Taylor, if he is going to beat him, he is going to have to | :01:32. | :01:37. | |
produce best darts. If he does, we are all in for a treat. That is what | :01:38. | :01:42. | |
everybody wants. I am sure that Michael wants it as well. He is | :01:43. | :01:47. | |
certainly looking better on the scoring. He let himself down. He | :01:48. | :01:53. | |
needs to get a couple of legs on the board and fire himself up. Back | :01:54. | :02:03. | |
comes Taylor. Unlucky. Apart from the fact he has not hit the maximum, | :02:04. | :02:09. | |
he has not left a finish. Six darts, if he needs them. Taylor is back on | :02:10. | :02:17. | |
184. He will be back. He has made it more hard work than it should have | :02:18. | :02:24. | |
been. When you're behind, those doubles seem that little bit | :02:25. | :02:26. | |
smaller. That is what happens when you're | :02:27. | :02:41. | |
behind. If he was 7-3 in front, he might have got that. He is feeling | :02:42. | :02:47. | |
the pressure. This is a virtual match point, championship point for | :02:48. | :02:52. | |
Phil Taylor. This is for an 8-3 lead. Relentless on the doubles, | :02:53. | :03:00. | |
Phil Taylor. Michael van Gerwen is certainly feeling the pressure. | :03:01. | :03:05. | |
Pressure can destroy or create, it can drive you to victory or despair. | :03:06. | :03:10. | |
We love it. Michael van Gerwen does not at the moment. | :03:11. | :03:17. | |
He has only lost 17 legs in four and a half matches, Phil Taylor. Not bad | :03:18. | :03:26. | |
going. He has beaten everyone up. With | :03:27. | :03:41. | |
darts like this. He mentioned about having a bit more of a break because | :03:42. | :03:46. | |
of his age, feeling tired on some of the pro tour events. People | :03:47. | :03:50. | |
questioned it. If you can produce darts like these in some of the big | :03:51. | :03:55. | |
television events, he is right. He says he wants to quietly fade away, | :03:56. | :04:00. | |
the fade of the scene over the next 18 months or so. This is anything | :04:01. | :04:06. | |
but fading away quietly. He will certainly never fade away. He is | :04:07. | :04:14. | |
playing like Robin Hood at the moment. | :04:15. | :04:23. | |
This is better from van Gerwen, but is it too late in the leg? Taylor is | :04:24. | :04:46. | |
finishing like a master. Tops, to increase the pain. That is | :04:47. | :05:02. | |
an unusual miss. Especially the way the game has gone. He needed that. | :05:03. | :05:08. | |
He really, really needed to get that. You cannot imagine Phil | :05:09. | :05:14. | |
Taylor, with three darts in his hand, aiming at the double ten, will | :05:15. | :05:22. | |
fail to take it out. There it is. It is 9-3. He is two legs from the | :05:23. | :05:31. | |
title. That is better from van Gerwen. Is it too late? Is it too | :05:32. | :05:41. | |
late from van Gerwen byes -- is it too late for van Gerwen? The | :05:42. | :05:46. | |
scoreline is well in the favour of the Power. Two legs away from | :05:47. | :05:57. | |
victory and the title. He may need a couple of nine darters, Michael van | :05:58. | :06:03. | |
Gerwen. He has had two this week, but he left them in Barnsley. | :06:04. | :06:14. | |
Looking for a good setup. That is not bad. The difficulty he has got, | :06:15. | :06:23. | |
it is breaking Taylor. The weight Taylor is playing, you would think | :06:24. | :06:27. | |
he would have to do it in four visits. He is not doing it. | :06:28. | :06:35. | |
For an 11 dart leg, that does not matter. You get the feeling they | :06:36. | :06:45. | |
needed an 11 darter to get himself going. Yes, that is what he needs. | :06:46. | :06:50. | |
He was quite a long way of the double. When you have missed with | :06:51. | :06:55. | |
your first visit, it puts pressure on the next one. That will make him | :06:56. | :06:58. | |
feel better. Will he believe he can still win | :06:59. | :07:09. | |
this, Michael van Gerwen? Not that this point. He knows he has not | :07:10. | :07:13. | |
played well, he has a long way behind. He knows there is a massive | :07:14. | :07:19. | |
task ahead. As we have said all along, when Taylor has been in | :07:20. | :07:29. | |
front, he needs to get to -- two or three legs to get into the groove. | :07:30. | :07:35. | |
He is not going to get scrappy legs to get back into the match when he | :07:36. | :07:40. | |
is 9-4 bank. How does he get back into the grave? First job first, get | :07:41. | :07:45. | |
this leg done and move onto the next one. He has not got the rhythm that | :07:46. | :07:50. | |
we are so used to seeing from van Gerwen. Scoring is his greatest a | :07:51. | :07:58. | |
set. Big 180 squares. It has not happened. Some of the big finishes | :07:59. | :08:02. | |
we have seen over the weekend, it has not happened. He stares down at | :08:03. | :08:09. | |
his darts in the background, Michael van Gerwen. Phil Taylor peppers the | :08:10. | :08:21. | |
treble 20 with another 140. He is just one leg and a bit away now. | :08:22. | :08:32. | |
It should stay there. There is leg after leg where Michael is leaving | :08:33. | :08:48. | |
himself too much to do. That is 180. Will he get the opportunity to take | :08:49. | :08:52. | |
the leg. He seems to be doing it at the end of the leg and not the | :08:53. | :09:05. | |
start. This is for 10-4 Taylor. Now, a big opportunity for van Gerwen. It | :09:06. | :09:09. | |
is the stealing of the leg that will make him feel good. He gets it. Back | :09:10. | :09:23. | |
to 9-5. That was not against the throw, importantly. If he can just | :09:24. | :09:27. | |
make this one. Is that the turning point? Suddenly veered as a spring | :09:28. | :09:34. | |
in the Dutchman's step. He was on was that the point of no return. | :09:35. | :09:36. | |
Back comes Taylor. He has got to keep this power | :09:37. | :09:49. | |
scoring to take this leg. Again, he has missed the treble. He started | :09:50. | :09:54. | |
the leg with the maximum, but he has not followed it up. He has hit seven | :09:55. | :10:00. | |
maximums, Michael van Gerwen, to Phil Taylor's four. The difference | :10:01. | :10:08. | |
has been the 140s. Taylor has hit 14, van Gerwen, just seven. Another | :10:09. | :10:18. | |
visit without a big treble. Even a ton on the last two visits would | :10:19. | :10:22. | |
have put him in prime position. You feel this is the last opportunity | :10:23. | :10:25. | |
for him to get his teeth into the match. He will come back for 81, | :10:26. | :10:35. | |
will Phil Taylor. It was the middle bit of the leg that hard for van | :10:36. | :10:37. | |
Gerwen. Yes. Yes, indeed. On the brink of | :10:38. | :10:54. | |
the title now, Phil Taylor. One leg away. You can see what that means to | :10:55. | :11:06. | |
Phil Taylor. He has basically extinguished the chance that Michael | :11:07. | :11:09. | |
van Gerwen had created to try and claw his way back into the match. He | :11:10. | :11:20. | |
was looking to go to 9-6, but that bull's-eye puts Phil "the Power" | :11:21. | :11:24. | |
Taylor one leg away. Michael van Gerwen had a 180 and 171, in a leg | :11:25. | :11:31. | |
in which he had the darts, and he did not have a dart at a double. He | :11:32. | :11:40. | |
hits another maximum. I am sure these two players were dreaming of | :11:41. | :11:44. | |
Champions League glory. Saturday afternoon. It looks like Phil Taylor | :11:45. | :11:54. | |
is going to take the title, unless we have something extraordinary | :11:55. | :11:55. | |
happening from van Gerwen. He is in the last chance saloon, | :11:56. | :12:16. | |
Michael van Gerwen. He cannot afford to lose another leg. He is five down | :12:17. | :12:28. | |
with six to play. He has not produced it throw upon throw. He has | :12:29. | :12:34. | |
not hit the big scores. Not that every visit. We are so used to that. | :12:35. | :12:41. | |
Maybe that defeat last night against Taylor really did hurt him. It is | :12:42. | :12:50. | |
match point. Championship point to Phil Taylor. 114 for the title. | :12:51. | :13:08. | |
Double 17 seals it for the Power. The inaugural Champions League Of | :13:09. | :13:17. | |
Darts scores to Phil Taylor. He has been imperious all weekend. Five | :13:18. | :13:23. | |
victories from five. Five easy victories from five. Is he enjoying | :13:24. | :13:30. | |
himself? You bet. Congratulations, Phil Taylor. In his career, he has | :13:31. | :13:36. | |
claimed more than one mountain and you always felt he was somewhere | :13:37. | :13:40. | |
near the summit. To date is at the top. He has beaten Michael van | :13:41. | :13:47. | |
Gerwen to be the Champions League darts champion. He is enjoying the | :13:48. | :13:54. | |
moment. The crowd have loved it, we have loved it. I hope you have | :13:55. | :13:58. | |
enjoyed it at home. Phil Taylor is the man. | :13:59. | :14:04. | |
Ladies and gentlemen, you deserved a magnificent final, and you got one. | :14:05. | :14:20. | |
Now it is time for our presentation. Please welcome the chief executive | :14:21. | :14:23. | |
of the Professional Darts Corporation, Mr Matthew Porter, and | :14:24. | :14:29. | |
the UK marketing manager for the sponsor, Mr Chris Watson. Ladies and | :14:30. | :14:37. | |
gentlemen, I am sure you would like to show your appreciation for our | :14:38. | :14:42. | |
runner-up, receiving a ?50,000 cheque and the trophy. That goes to | :14:43. | :14:46. | |
a young man having an incredible year. Mighty Michael van Gerwen. | :14:47. | :15:12. | |
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for a! | :15:13. | :15:26. | |
Our winner, receiving ?100,000, the magnificent trophy, and, the very | :15:27. | :15:37. | |
first time ever in history, the University Champions League of Darts | :15:38. | :15:38. | |
champion, Phil The Power Taylor! Take it in, Phil. Enjoy that moment. | :15:39. | :16:26. | |
You told me, young Mr Taylor, that you were going to take it slowly and | :16:27. | :16:34. | |
go out quietly. I did! It's what I wanted to do. It's fantastic. I | :16:35. | :16:40. | |
really appreciate the Cardiff crowd. Some of these at the front here | :16:41. | :16:46. | |
really got behind me. Come on, Phil. They are brilliant. Thank you, | :16:47. | :16:51. | |
Cardiff. Take a look at that trophy. Yours will be the first ever name on | :16:52. | :17:02. | |
it. I'm over the moon with this. I really am. Just to get to the final | :17:03. | :17:08. | |
was tough. This is the top eight players in the world. This isn't a | :17:09. | :17:13. | |
Muppet show, trust me. This is hard work. To play three games in a day | :17:14. | :17:19. | |
for me was tough. I was worried about the final. I ran out of | :17:20. | :17:23. | |
energy, and was dropping down a bit, but I just seem to click at the | :17:24. | :17:29. | |
right time. You've got to go out and play. Talk to me about Michael | :17:30. | :17:37. | |
again. He's been playing so much darts recently, to come into this in | :17:38. | :17:42. | |
the form he was. Michael is brilliant. He's been playing so | :17:43. | :17:49. | |
well. But I think he's been playing too much, and it showed in the | :17:50. | :17:54. | |
final. Michael's better than that. He plays tournaments week in, week | :17:55. | :18:00. | |
out. He's probably played 12 days out of 14. It's difficult. Michael, | :18:01. | :18:06. | |
come in. Phil said it there that you've been playing a lot of darts. | :18:07. | :18:14. | |
Was it too much for you tonight? I don't want to say too much. But I | :18:15. | :18:21. | |
know I can do a lot better. He was the better player. He won all his | :18:22. | :18:27. | |
games this weekend. I can only save fair play to Phil. It's been awhile | :18:28. | :18:33. | |
since he won a big tournament. One of the things is, unfortunately, you | :18:34. | :18:42. | |
cannot win all the time. I feel good. I feel fantastic, to be fair, | :18:43. | :18:48. | |
but I've let myself down this weekend. I think they disagree with | :18:49. | :18:52. | |
that. A quick word on all those who have been supporting you this | :18:53. | :18:57. | |
weekend. They've been brilliant. They did well, and I hope I can show | :18:58. | :19:02. | |
them more next time when I'm here for the Premier League. Hope to see | :19:03. | :19:08. | |
you soon, everyone. I'm disappointed. Disappointed with | :19:09. | :19:11. | |
myself, I'm back need to have a moment of rest. To lift this trophy | :19:12. | :19:22. | |
is great. We will see you for a while yet. You will be in for a | :19:23. | :19:30. | |
while yet? The last time I was what Cheng this was an 1992. Will you be | :19:31. | :19:39. | |
back to defend it? Of course I will. Sorry, I didn't hear you. Of course | :19:40. | :19:45. | |
I will be back. You heard it. He's coming back next year. Ladies and | :19:46. | :19:53. | |
gentlemen, your 2016 champion. Wonderful work from Caroline Barker | :19:54. | :19:57. | |
there with Phil Taylor. Absolutely brilliant. He was absolutely | :19:58. | :20:03. | |
wonderful. I really enjoyed that interview. Mike Gregory, that is the | :20:04. | :20:07. | |
funniest thing I've heard all weekend, and it came from Phil | :20:08. | :20:14. | |
Taylor. What did you think about Phil Taylor there's saying that | :20:15. | :20:18. | |
Michael is playing too much? He may have a point. If Michael is winning, | :20:19. | :20:24. | |
he's confident and playing well. So he doesn't want to have brakes, as | :20:25. | :20:28. | |
the young player. He may want to address that. It's a busy schedule | :20:29. | :20:34. | |
at the end of the year. When you are winning, you just want to carry on | :20:35. | :20:39. | |
playing. What you cannot see is people in their seats jumping up and | :20:40. | :20:45. | |
down. They are really far away from where Phil is. There are very few | :20:46. | :20:50. | |
sports men or women who could do that to a live crowd. Absolutely | :20:51. | :20:57. | |
right. If you look at snooker, their crowns don't get this big. Darts | :20:58. | :21:02. | |
crowds are getting bigger all the time. You are playing up to -- in | :21:03. | :21:08. | |
front of up to 1100 people sometimes. And they were so | :21:09. | :21:12. | |
respectful to all the players as they were playing. It was great to | :21:13. | :21:17. | |
hear Phil saying that there was a group of players at the front who | :21:18. | :21:24. | |
were saying, come on, Phil, you can do this. Yes, sometimes you need a | :21:25. | :21:29. | |
little kick from the front row. Stand up for Sid Waddell. Yes, we | :21:30. | :21:39. | |
saw that. Back to the point about Phil Taylor. There are very few | :21:40. | :21:43. | |
sports stars who could do this to a crowd. In snooker, they have Ronnie | :21:44. | :21:48. | |
O'Sullivan. Whenever he performs, he puts bums on seats, people buy the | :21:49. | :21:53. | |
tickets. It's exactly the same for this bloke. Phil is in the same | :21:54. | :22:00. | |
bracket. He's a legend. The best player to play the game. And the | :22:01. | :22:06. | |
crowd still love him. They want him on top. He's done well this weekend | :22:07. | :22:10. | |
to use that to his advantage. The crowd has been with him all the way. | :22:11. | :22:15. | |
He's been the best player this weekend. 11-5 it finished. When you | :22:16. | :22:22. | |
look at the matches they have had, it has been pretty tight. 11-9 | :22:23. | :22:29. | |
recently in the Sydney Masters final, for examples. Tight matches, | :22:30. | :22:37. | |
but today it finished 11-5. We have to take things into consideration. I | :22:38. | :22:41. | |
do think Michael van Gerwen was empty in the tank. First leg, very | :22:42. | :22:48. | |
scrappy. The first leg after the break, van Gerwen starts to charge, | :22:49. | :22:53. | |
Ann Taylor stops it immediately. The 15th leg was enormous. Double 18 | :22:54. | :22:59. | |
left by van Gerwen, and then Phil Taylor hits and 81 checkout, which | :23:00. | :23:05. | |
stops van Gerwen completely. He was never going to win after that. You | :23:06. | :23:11. | |
said that Michael has to keep Phil on nine, because when he hits ten, | :23:12. | :23:19. | |
it's all over. Keeping Phil on nine, he's keeping pressure on him. But | :23:20. | :23:26. | |
once he hit ten, Michael's got to be nigh on perfect Windows legs. Six | :23:27. | :23:34. | |
darts in the middle that let that leg slip away, and then the match | :23:35. | :23:40. | |
slipped away. That great moment when he did the trademark point, and just | :23:41. | :23:46. | |
looked so call. He did, because he knew the importance of that moment. | :23:47. | :23:51. | |
He knew he had him. We will see a lot of these guys for the rest of | :23:52. | :23:55. | |
the season. I think it's important for van Gerwen to get some rest now, | :23:56. | :24:01. | |
before the world Grand Prix in a week's time. Not long to rest, but | :24:02. | :24:06. | |
Phil Taylor will be very dangerous in Dublin next week. Phil Taylor is | :24:07. | :24:10. | |
the first champion in the Champions League of Darts. Has it captured the | :24:11. | :24:16. | |
imagination of the public? It has. We have been very privileged to be | :24:17. | :24:25. | |
part of the coverage here with you. Mark is very privileged to be here | :24:26. | :24:28. | |
as well. Wales is the perfect place to have this tournament. Wales is a | :24:29. | :24:33. | |
hotbed of darts. Can't wait to come back next year. Players could | :24:34. | :24:39. | |
showcase their darts. It culminated in the dream final, and Phil was the | :24:40. | :24:44. | |
standout player of the weekend. He never looked in danger, and is a | :24:45. | :24:50. | |
worthy champion. It has been a great pleasure having you on the BBC and | :24:51. | :24:54. | |
doing this show with you. Phil Taylor is the winner of the | :24:55. | :24:59. | |
Champions League. A very familiar name on yet another darts trophy. | :25:00. | :25:05. | |
Phil proving he's still got The Power. | :25:06. | :25:10. |