Barney Wins Players Championship

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD won his first Players Championship for over three years with a 6-2 defeat of John Part in the final of Saturday's tournament at the Moorways Centre in Debry.

The Dutch ace claimed the £6,000 title and his first ranking win since April 2008 in the Open Holland Masters with the success, which saw him make a winning return from a summer break in Spain.

Van Barneveld was pushed all the way to an 11th leg in three of his matches, but punishing Jamie Caven for misses in their second round contest, took out 106 to defeat Co Stompe and then edged out Steve Farmer in the quarter-finals.

He also defeated Adrian Bolitho and Brendan Dolan during the event, and a 6-4 win over Paul Nicholson in the semi-finals set up a tasty final against three-time World Champion Part.

Van Barneveld broke in the opening leg of the final and, after Part had levelled, took out a 13-darter to win the third and a brilliant 126 finish on the bull for the fourth - despite the Canadian hitting two 180s in the leg.

Part hit double 16 to take the fifth, but van Barneveld restored his two-leg advantage with a 12-darter, traded 180s with his opponent before landing a key double four to lead 5-2 and then sealed victory in style with a 156 finish.

Part was seeking to win a Players Championship for a second successive weekend - and his fourth event of the year - but had to settle for the £3,000 runner-up prize.

He had produced a moment of magic to win his semi-final against Simon Whitlock, taking out 126 on the bull for a 12-darter with the Australian sat on 45.

Part also overcame Gary Anderson 6-3 in the quarter-finals, and defeated Chris Thompson, Steve Brown - with a whitewash - and Michael Smith during the event.

Nicholson's semi-final appearance was his best display since a victory in Barnsley in June, while Whitlock was defeated in the last four for the third time in the last five Players Championships.

Anderson's run to the quarter-finals included a stunning whitewash win over Mark Dudbridge in the last 16, in which he used just 73 darts in picking up the 6-0 win with legs of 12, 11, 11, 13, 12 and 14 darts for a 123.5 average.

Farmer defeated in-form Wes Newton in the last 16 with a 6-5 triumph after the number one seed missed two match darts, while Mark Walsh came from 5-1 down to see off John Henderson in his run to the fourth round.

Sunday sees a second £35,000 Players Championship being held at the Moorways Centre in Derby, as players continue to battle for qualifying places in next month's World Grand Prix in Dublin