Defending champion Gary Anderson is into the PDC World Darts Championship Semi Finals

Not even equalling the world record for the most 180s thrown in a match could save unlucky loser Dave Chisnall on Friday.

An extraordinary match at London's Alexandra Palace ended in a 5-3 win for Gary Anderson, who is searching for a third successive PDC World Darts Championship title and now advances to the semi-finals.

Chisnall hit an astonishing 21 180s in the quarter-final, matching Raymond van Barneveld's number of maximums during his unforgettable final against Phil Taylor in 2007.

Gary Anderson remains on course for his third successive PDC World Darts Championship title

Chizzy lost here, however, and Anderson is also looking to make history by going for a third title on the trot. Only Taylor and Eric Bristow have enjoyed three straight successes.

Winning this set up a semi-final against Peter Wright and Anderson — who hit 12 maximums himself — said: 'All I can remember is loads of 180s because Dave is one of the biggest scorers in the game. Hats off to him. He had me done. But I am still here fighting.

'I was a wee bit panicky in the last set and I am now looking forward to the semis.'

Anderson advanced to this year's semi-finals with a 5-3 victory over Dave Chisnall on Friday

Anderson — notoriously nervous before stepping foot on stage, so much so that he is sometimes sick — could still join the pair in the history books.

Phil Taylor loses to Raymond van Barneveld

Phil Taylor has been knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship, losing 5-3 to old rival Raymond van Barneveld in the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace.

The 16-time world champion fought back from 3-1 down to 3-3 but the Dutchman stepped up at the crucial moments.
Van Barneveld faces compatriot Michael van Gerwen in the last four after the top seed beat Daryl Gurney 5-1.
Defending champion Gary Anderson plays fellow Scot Peter Wright in Sunday's other semi-final.
Taylor and Van Barneveld have shared some classic encounters down the years but both players were inconsistent in their fourth meeting at the World Championship.
At 1-1 in sets, England's Taylor, 56, led 2-0 in legs but Van Barneveld then won three legs in a row to take a 2-1 lead.
Taylor led 2-1 in the fourth set but checkouts of 167 and 120 gave the Dutchman a 3-1 advantage.
Five legs in a row helped Taylor level at 3-3 but Van Barneveld composed himself and whitewashed Taylor in the seventh set to go 4-3 up.
In the deciding leg of the eighth set Taylor had the darts but a 180 and 140 allowed Van Barneveld to close out the match with a bullseye as the Englishman faltered.

Friday December 30 Quarter-Finals Evening Session (7pm)

Michael van Gerwen (1) 5-1 Daryl Gurney (24)

Raymond van Barneveld (12) 5-3 Phil Taylor (4)

Friday December 30 Quarter-Finals Afternoon Session (1pm)

James Wade (6) 3-5 Peter Wright (3)

Gary Anderson (2) 5-3 Dave Chisnall (7)

Thursday December 29 Evening Session (7pm)

Peter Wright (3) 4-1 Ian White (14)

Phil Taylor (4) 4-2 Kim Huybrechts (13)

Michael van Gerwen (1) 4-1 Darren Webster

William Hill World Championship Thursday December 29 Afternoon Session (1pm)

Mark Webster (25) 3-4 Daryl Gurney (24)

Dave Chisnall (7) 4-2 Jelle Klaasen (10)

James Wade (6) 4-3 Michael Smith (11)

William Hill World Darts Championship. Evening Session (7pm)

Evening Session (7pm)
Peter Wright (3) v Jamie Lewis (30)
Third Round
Gary Anderson (2) v Benito van de Pas (15)
Adrian Lewis (5) v Raymond van Barneveld (12)

Latest Results

Schedule of Play - (P) denotes Preliminary Round
Preliminary & First Round
Thursday December 15 (7pm)
Jamie Caven (29) 1-3 Kevin Painter
Jamie Lewis (30) 3-2 Mick McGowan
Gary Anderson (2) 3-0 Mark Frost
Michael Smith (11) 3-2 Ricky Evans

Friday December 16 (7pm)
Jerry Hendriks 2-0 Warren Parry (P)
Gerwyn Price (19) 1-3 Jonny Clayton
Steve Beaton (27) 3-1 Devon Petersen
Peter Wright (3) 3-0  Jerry Hendriks

Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Tengku Shah 2-1 Masumi Chino (P)
Terry Jenkins (18) 3-1 Josh Payne
John Henderson (31) 2-3 Andrew Gilding
Benito van de Pas (15) 3-1 Tengku Shah

Evening Session (7pm)
Ross Snook 0-2 Kim Viljanen (P)
Cristo Reyes (32) 3-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Stephen Bunting (16) 2-3 Darren Webster
Michael van Gerwen (1) 3-0 Kim Viljanen

Sunday December 18
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Kevin Simm 2-0 Gilbert Ulang (P)
Justin Pipe (26) 1-3 Chris Dobey
Mark Webster (25) 3-0 Joe Murnan
Ian White (14) 3-0 Kevin Simm

Evening Session (7pm)
John Bowles 0-2 David Platt (P)
Daryl Gurney (24) 3-1 Jermaine Wattimena
Alan Norris (21) 3-2 John Michael
Phil Taylor (4) 3-0 David Platt

Monday December 19 (7pm)
Qiang Sun 0-2 Corey Cadby (P)
Mervyn King (22) 3-2 Steve West
Adrian Lewis (5) 3-0 Magnus Caris
Joe Cullen (28) 3-1 Corey Cadby

Tuesday December 20 (7pm)
Boris Koltsov 1-2 Dragutin Horvat (P)
Brendan Dolan (23) 3-1 Christian Kist
Raymond van Barneveld (12) 3-0 Robbie Green
Simon Whitlock (17) 3-0 Dragutin Horvat

Wednesday December 21 (7pm)
Zoran Lerchbacher 2-1 Simon Stevenson (P)
Mensur Suljovic (8) 3-0 Ron Meulenkamp
James Wade (6) 3-0 Ronny Huybrechts
Robert Thornton (9) 3-0 Zoran Lerchbacher

Thursday December 22 (7pm)
Jelle Klaasen (10) 3-1 Jeffrey de Graaf
Vincent van der Voort (20) 1-3 Max Hopp
Dave Chisnall (7) 3-2 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Kim Huybrechts (13) 3-0 James Wilson

Second Round
Friday December 23
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Ian White (14) 4-1 Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith (11) 4-3 Mervyn King (22)
Benito van de Pas (15) 4-3 Terry Jenkins (18)

Evening Session (7pm)
Darren Webster 4-0 Simon Whitlock (17)
Gary Anderson (2) 4-0 Andrew Gilding
Adrian Lewis (5) 4-0 Joe Cullen (28)

Tuesday December 27
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Mensur Suljovic (8) 3-4 Mark Webster (25)
Robert Thornton (9) 3-4 Daryl Gurney (24)
Dave Chisnall (7) 4-2 Chris Dobey

Evening Session (8pm)
Raymond van Barneveld (12) 4-0 Alan Norris (21)
Phil Taylor (4) 4-0 Kevin Painter
Michael van Gerwen (1) 4-2 Cristo Reyes (32)

Wednesday December 28
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Kim Huybrechts (13) 4-0 Max Hopp
James Wade (6) 4-1 Steve Beaton (27)
Jelle Klaasen (10) 4-0 Brendan Dolan (23)

William Hill World Darts Championship Scores So Far

Schedule of Play - (P) denotes Preliminary Round
Preliminary & First Round
Thursday December 15 (7pm)
Jamie Caven (29) 1-3 Kevin Painter
Jamie Lewis (30) 3-2 Mick McGowan
Gary Anderson (2) 3-0 Mark Frost
Michael Smith (11) 3-2 Ricky Evans

Friday December 16 (7pm)
Jerry Hendriks 2-0 Warren Parry (P)
Gerwyn Price (19) 1-3 Jonny Clayton
Steve Beaton (27) 3-1 Devon Petersen
Peter Wright (3) 3-0  Jerry Hendriks

Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Tengku Shah 2-1 Masumi Chino (P)
Terry Jenkins (18) 3-1 Josh Payne
John Henderson (31) 2-3 Andrew Gilding
Benito van de Pas (15) 3-1 Tengku Shah

Evening Session (7pm)
Ross Snook 0-2 Kim Viljanen (P)
Cristo Reyes (32) 3-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Stephen Bunting (16) 2-3 Darren Webster
Michael van Gerwen (1) 3-0 Kim Viljanen

Sunday December 18
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Kevin Simm 2-0 Gilbert Ulang (P)
Justin Pipe (26) 1-3 Chris Dobey
Mark Webster (25) 3-0 Joe Murnan
Ian White (14) 3-0 Kevin Simm

Evening Session (7pm)
John Bowles 0-2 David Platt (P)
Daryl Gurney (24) 3-1 Jermaine Wattimena
Alan Norris (21) 3-2 John Michael
Phil Taylor (4) 3-0 David Platt

Monday December 19 (7pm)
Qiang Sun 0-2 Corey Cadby (P)
Mervyn King (22) 3-2 Steve West
Adrian Lewis (5) 3-0 Magnus Caris
Joe Cullen (28) 3-1 Corey Cadby

Tuesday December 20 (7pm)
Boris Koltsov 1-2 Dragutin Horvat (P)
Brendan Dolan (23) 3-1 Christian Kist
Raymond van Barneveld (12) 3-0 Robbie Green
Simon Whitlock (17) 3-0 Dragutin Horvat

Wednesday December 21 (7pm)
Zoran Lerchbacher 2-1 Simon Stevenson (P)
Mensur Suljovic (8) 3-0 Ron Meulenkamp
James Wade (6) 3-0 Ronny Huybrechts
Robert Thornton (9) 3-0 Zoran Lerchbacher

Thursday December 22 (7pm)
Jelle Klaasen (10) 3-1 Jeffrey de Graaf
Vincent van der Voort (20) 1-3 Max Hopp
Dave Chisnall (7) 3-2 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Kim Huybrechts (13) 3-0 James Wilson

Second Round
Friday December 23
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Ian White (14) 4-1 Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith (11) 4-3 Mervyn King (22)
Benito van de Pas (15) 4-3 Terry Jenkins (18)

Evening Session (7pm)
Darren Webster 4-0 Simon Whitlock (17)
Gary Anderson (2) 4-0 Andrew Gilding
Adrian Lewis (5) 4-0 Joe Cullen (28)

Happy Birthday Gary Anderson

Gary Anderson (born 22 December 1970) is a Scottish professional darts player from Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation, and a former BDO and WDF world number one. He is the reigning PDC World Champion and is nicknamed The Flying Scotsman.

William Hill World Championship Day Four Afternoon Session

William Hill World Darts Championship
Sunday December 18
Afternoon Session (1pm)

Kevin Simm 2-0 Gilbert Ulang (P)
Justin Pipe (26) 1-3 Chris Dobey
Mark Webster (25) 3-0 Joe Murnan
Ian White (14) 3-0 Kevin Simm

NEW SHOUTOUT BOX ADDED TO PAGES AT THE TOP BLOG PAGE

William Hill World Championship Day Four

William Hill World Darts Championship
Sunday December 18
Afternoon Session (1pm)

Kevin Simm v Gilbert Ulang (P)
Justin Pipe (26) v Chris Dobey
Mark Webster (25) v Joe Murnan
Ian White (14) v Simm/Ulang

Evening Session (7pm)

John Bowles v David Platt (P)
Daryl Gurney (24) v Jermaine Wattimena
Alan Norris (21) v John Michael
Phil Taylor (4) v Bowles/Platt

Preliminary Round - Best of three sets
First Round - Best of five sets

Michael van Gerwen beats Kim Viljanen in first round

World number one Michael van Gerwen began his PDC World Championship campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win against Finland's Kim Viljanen.

Dutchman Van Gerwen has won 25 titles in a record-breaking year and is aiming for a second world title.
He started in fine form at the Alexandra Palace in London on Saturday, outclassing his opponent and finishing with a three-dart average of 103.34.
The 27-year-old will face Spain's Cristo Reyes in the next round.

William Hill World Championship Day Three

William Hill World Darts Championship
Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session 

Tengku Shah 2-1 Masumi Chino (P)
Terry Jenkins (18) 3-1 Josh Payne
John Henderson (31) 2-3 Andrew Gilding
Benito van de Pas (15) 3-1 Tengku Shah

Evening Session 

Ross Snook 0-2 Kim Viljanen (P)
Cristo Reyes (32) 3-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Stephen Bunting (16) 2-3 Darren Webster
Michael van Gerwen (1) 3-0 Kim Viljanen

Preliminary Round - Best of three sets
First Round - Best of five sets

William Hill World Darts Championship Saturday December 17 Afternoon Session (1pm) + Evening Session (7pm)

William Hill World Darts Championship
Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session (1pm)

Tengku Shah v Masumi Chino (P)
Terry Jenkins (18) v Josh Payne
John Henderson (31) v Andrew Gilding
Benito van de Pas (15) v Shah/Chino

Evening Session (7pm)

Ross Snook v Kim Viljanen (P)
Cristo Reyes (32) v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Stephen Bunting (16) v Darren Webster
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Snook/Viljanen

Preliminary Round - Best of three sets
First Round - Best of five sets

William Hill World Championship Day Two

William Hill World Darts Championship
Friday December 16

Jerry Hendriks 2-0 Warren Parry (P)

Gerwyn Price (19) 1-3 Jonny Clayton

Steve Beaton (27) 3-1 Devon Petersen

Peter Wright (3) 3-0 Jerry Hendriks

Gary Anderson Says Michael van Gerwen Is The One To Beat

Two-time defending champion Gary Anderson says Michael van Gerwen is a clear favourite to win the PDC World Championship, which starts on Thursday.

Van Gerwen has not reached the final of either of the past two World Championships, both won by Anderson.
But the Dutchman, 27, has won 25 tournaments in 2016 and is aiming to regain the world title he first lifted at London's Alexandra Palace in 2014.
"He's been a monster over the past two or three years," said Anderson, 45.
"He's the odds-on favourite and he'll be hungry for it, along with half a dozen other boys.
Van Gerwen lost to Anderson at the semi-final stage in 2015 before being beaten by fellow Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 a year later.
"Before, you could pick two or three that were going for the title," continued Scotland's Anderson, ranked number two in the Professional Darts Corporation's Order of Merit.
"Nowadays there are 32 boys that could quite easily turn up and walk away with that title. They're all classy players now.
"There are always players who can sneak under the radar, so it's getting harder and harder every year. We'll just have to see what happens."
Seventy-two players will compete for a record first prize of £350,000, with the final being played on 2 January.
'The second time was just as good'
Anderson beat Phil Taylor 7-6 in the 2015 final and avenged his 2011 defeat by Adrian Lewis to retain his title in January.
"The second time was just as good, but the first time playing Phil on that stage in the final - that meant everything," said Anderson, who will play qualifier Mark Frost in round one during the tournament's opening session.
"In my eyes he's the best there's ever been, so to beat Phil in the final was amazing and then get Adrian back for 2011 was just as good."
Anderson could become only the third player in darts history to achieve three consecutive World Championship wins.
Eric Bristow (1984-86) did so before the sport split into two governing bodies, after which Taylor (1995-2002) and (2004-2006) twice achieved the feat in the PDC version of the World Championship.
"I'm just going to turn up and play darts and I'm not going to think about it," Anderson added. "Once I've finished playing darts, I'll probably start to recognise what I've actually done.
"I never really think about it now and I don't mention it to people that don't know me. They ask what I do for a job, I say I play darts, they ask if I'm any good, and I say I can hold my own. But I never ever mention what I've won."

'I'm not unbeatable,' says Van Gerwen

Van Gerwen has been dominant in 2016, with the UK Open, Premier League, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts among his multiple tournament wins.
In addition, he posted the highest televised three-dart average in history - 123.40 - in a Premier League group match against Michael Smith in February.
Asked if he felt unbeatable after the most successful year of his career, Van Gerwen replied: "Sometimes I feel that way but I'm not unbeatable. Everyone can beat me but they need to play really well if they want to beat me.
"I feel phenomenal at the moment. I hope I can keep that progress going into the World Championship.
"Even if I don't win it, I've still had a fantastic year, but it would be a nice finishing touch on a fabulous year."

William Hill World Championship Schedule of Play

Friday December 16 (7pm)

Jerry Hendriks v Warren Parry (P)
Gerwyn Price (19) v Jonny Clayton
Steve Beaton (27) v Devon Petersen
Peter Wright (3) v Hendriks/Parry

Gary Anderson began his world title defence with a 3-0 victory over Mark Frost

Double world champion Gary Anderson got the defence of his crown off to a perfect start as he breezed through his opening-round match at the World Darts Championship with a straight-sets victory over Mark Frost.

The Flying Scotsman, who beat Adrian Lewis to win last year's title, took the 3-0 victory despite averaging just 96 at Alexandra Palace to see off Frost in just 36 minutes.

He was troubled early on as Frost had darts to win each of the first two legs, but the reigning champion took both out before winning the set on double one.

Anderson claimed the second 3-0 before coming from 2-1 down in the third to make it into round two, where he could face fellow Scot John Henderson.

Darts fans once again turned out in fancy dress as they enjoyed a night at the Palace, where the usual comical signs and wacky outfits were all on display.

While dressed in everything from lederhosen to Christmas suits and from dartboards to sombreros, the excitable crowd seemed to an enjoy their night out, even if Anderson was not overly impressed with the standard of entertainment he and Frost were able to produce.  

'Mark is a cracking player but he didn't really show up tonight, so it made it very hard,' Anderson said.

'He's a good player but he never really showed how he can play the game.

'It's very nerve-racking going up there for the first set (of the tournament), the atmosphere is fantastic and we're doing alright.

'Any player who says they are not nervous about the first round are telling fibs.

Anderson is trying to become just the third player to win three consecutive world titles, after Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow, but believes this year's event is wide open despite the form of world No 1 Michael van Gerwen. 

'We can only try, there are talented players coming through and he (van Gerwen) has a very hard draw but there is the likes of James Wade, Adrian Lewis and Dave Chisnall.

'I think anyone can win it this year.' 

OPENING NIGHT RESULTS 

Jamie Caven (29) 1-3 Kevin Painter

Jamie Lewis (30) 3-2 Mick McGowan

Gary Anderson (2) 3-0 Mark Frost

Michael Smith (11) 3-2 Ricky Evans 

William Hill World Championship Day One

William Hill World Darts Championship
Thursday December 15

Jamie Caven (29) 1-3 Kevin Painter
Jamie Lewis (30) 3-2 Mick McGowan
Gary Anderson (2) 3-0 Mark Frost
Michael Smith (11) 3-2 Ricky Evans

Best of five sets

History Of The PDC

THE Professional Darts Corporation was initially formed as the World Darts Council in January 1992, and is now the leading professional body in the sport with over £7 million in prize money being paid out on its global circuit of tournaments.

The WDC was formed after 16 top professional players, along with managers Dick Allix, Tommy Cox and John Markovic, decided to break away from the British Darts Organisation to take the sport to a new level.

The first WDC event, the UK Masters, took place in October 1992 and the first World Championship was played over the 1993-94 festive period, establishing the partnership with Sky Sports which remains to this day.

The World Matchplay event followed in the summer of 1994, and four years later the World Grand Prix was introduced to the calendar to give three major televised events.

In July 2001, the Board of Directors who had carried the PDC forward since its inception decided to step down in favour of a specialist team, headed by promoter Barry Hearn, who came in as Chairman.

The PDC has built up a reputation as the leading innovator in terms of staging professional darts tournaments and as such is constantly looking towards the future and improving the organisation in every area.

Five ranking tournaments are staged live on Sky Sports each year, broadcasting to a global audience of more than 300 million viewers, and 2005 saw the introduction of the Premier League Darts to great success.

The tournament has grown to become the UK & Ireland's biggest indoor sporting event, being played across 15 league nights around the country, before the top four players then take part in the Play-Offs, and has expanded to be staged in arenas in front of crowds of up to 10,000 fans across a four-month period.

The PDC's commitment to spreading professional darts worldwide led to the Las Vegas Desert Classic being introduced to the calendar in 2002 and the arrival of the UK Open in 2003, which included a series of qualifying tournaments for professional players which now form part of the PDC ProTour.

The first professional tournament in China was staged in 2004, and the worldwide development has continued with the inclusion of more international qualifiers taking part in the PDC World Championship - with countries such as Japan, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia represented.

2007 saw the PDC introduce the ground-breaking Grand Slam of Darts competition, which features 32 players who have reached the finals of major PDC and BDO tournaments competing in Wolverhampton.

The PDC also introduced the innovative internet-streamed Championship League Darts in 2008, while the PDC World Cup - a Pairs tournament featuring 24 countries - season-ending Players Championship Finals and The Masters events have also been added to the circuit of major televised events.

The PDC continues to go from strength to strength with its central aim to ensure the sport receives the recognition and respect professional darts deserves, with both the Qualifying School - where players can win Tour Cards to compete on the PDC circuit full-time - and the introduction of the PDC Unicorn Development Tour and World Youth Championship guaranteeing a pathway to the top for aspiring stars.

The PDC also work with affiliated organisations for a number of region circuits worldwide, notably the DPA in Australia, SDC in Scandinavia, and in North America, where each region stages a series of ranking events each year which produces qualifiers for the World Championship.

The expansion of the PDC across Europe led to the introduction in 2012 of the European Tour series of events, which has expanded to nine tournaments in 2015 being held in the UK, Germany, Austria, Gibraltar and the Netherlands which give leading professionals and emerging talents from across the Continent the chance to compete at the top level.

2013 saw the introduction of the World Series of Darts, which began with the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters and Sydney Darts Masters and see the world's top eight players spreading the professional game worldwide, with events in 2015 being also staged in Yokohama, Perth and Auckland.

PDC Televised Tournaments
World Darts Championship
Premier League Darts
World Matchplay
World Grand Prix
UK Open
European Championship
Grand Slam of Darts
Players Championship Finals
World Cup of Darts
The Masters
World Series of Darts Finals

PDC ProTour (European Tour events, Players Championships & UK Open Qualifiers)
PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour (for PDPA Associate Members who did not win a PDC Tour Card)
PDC Unicorn Development Tour (for players aged 16-23)

Incase You Didn`t Know The Basics To Darts .....

Below is a basic guide for beginners to the sport of darts.

There are a number of different versions of the sport and also a number of different dartboards which are used around the world.

Here you can find details of the most commonly played version - 501 - used in all PDC events on a standard dartboard.

Dart Board Measurements:
Standard height from the floor to the bullseye on the dartboard is 5 feet 8 inches, while the oche (distance between the front of the board and the toeline) should measure 7 feet 9.25inches.

Basic Rules:
In a game of 501 the object is for one player or a team to be the first to reach zero from starting total of 501.

In simple terms, after three darts are thrown, the throwing player subtracts the total scored from his current total until he reaches zero.

In order to reach zero each player must finish by throwing a double i.e. if player one has 36 remaining he must hit double 18 to win, while if player two has 45 remaining he must hit single 5, double 20 to win - or a another combination of scores provided the final dart scores on a double.

Some versions of the game require a 'double start' whereby players must begin the game with a double as well as 'checking out' on a double. The World Grand Prix uses the 'double in, double out' rule.

Games can be played to a 'Best of' format whereby a player or team winning three legs in a 'Best of Five Leg' competition wins the match.

The World Matchplay and UK Open events are examples of tournament played on a 'Best of' format with legs as the scoring format. Games on the PDC ProTour are held over the Best of 11 Legs.

Other tournaments will be played in 'Set' format, whereby players must win a set by winning the Best of Five legs, before claiming the match in the Best of Five Sets.

The PDC World Championship and World Grand Prix are played using the Set format, with differing lengths of games at each tournament.

William Hill World Darts Championship Thursday December 15

Gary Anderson will kick off his quest for a third successive William Hill World Darts Championship on the opening night of the event, Thursday December 15.

The Flying Scotsman has won each of the last two editions of the event, beating Adrian Lewis in last year's final to make it back-to-back Sid Waddell trophies after claiming his first in 2015 with victory over Phil Taylor.

The festivities get underway at Alexandra Palace on December 15,  and it's the two-time defending champ Anderson who will headline the opening night Against Mark Frost ..

And Finally The P.D.C.dancing Girls

Nicola Cowell

Liverpool-born Nicola is a familiar and popular face in world darts having started out as a walk-on girl back in 2008.

Now based in Dubai, she returned to the red carpet during May's Dubai Darts Masters, but is unlikely to return to Ally Pally anytime soon. Her favourite player is Terry Jenkins.

Jessica Linley

Nicknamed 'Barbie' , Londoner Maria also graced our screens for the first time at the 2013 Players Championship Finals in Minehead. 

As well as a model, Maria also enjoys a spot of acting and is poised to make her second appearance on the sport's biggest stage this Christmas.