Barney back on track after win over Terry Jenkins

Raymond Van Barneveld got back on track in the Premier League on Thursday night with a comfortable win over Terry Jenkins at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester.

Going into the match, Barneveld was sitting second from bottom in the table with just one win to his name from back in the first week against James Wade.

The Dutchman, as he did in his clash with Phil Taylor last week, stormed into the lead. But he didn’t slip up on this occasion and was 4-0 up, breaking Jenkins’ throw twice and finished legs with 14, 13 and 11 darts.

‘The Bull’ took the fifth leg with a 13 darter to get off the mark for the night, but there was nothing he could do in the next three legs as ‘Barney’ took a 7-1 lead.

Jenkins then started a mini revival taking out double 11 to stay in the game, before hitting a bullseye finish and a 14-darter, giving him three in a row in pulling back to 7-4.

Barneveld’s nerves will have been jangling after having lost his last three matches in this year’s tournament, but the Dutchman managed to keep his cool by finishing off the game in the 12th leg with three 140s and an 81 finish for an 11-darter.

‘Barney’, who scored a three-dart average of 106.92 during the match – the highest of the Premier League so far, said after the encounter, “I’m really pleased with that performance and the average.”

“Tonight the darts went in like they can do and I was really focused. Hopefully I can keep this going every week because I felt comfortable on stage but know there is more in me,” he added.

Barneveld’s opponent next week in Brighton is Mervyn King who took Phil Taylor all the way in a clash which pitted the top two against each other. The match ended all square in a 7-7 draw meaning there are no changes at the top of the League.

King said after his match: “I’m a little bit disappointed that I only got a draw because I had Phil by the throat and let him off.”