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Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor lifts the Sid Waddell trophy following his 16th World Championship victory, defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-4 in the final.

By Alex Osborne: The sporting legend that is Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor won his 16th World Darts Championship title in dramatic fashion by defeating ‘Mighty’ Michael van Gerwen 7 sets to 4 in the final. Phil won the bullseye in the practice room but gave the throw away as he often does when playing in a format that may include having to win by two clear legs.

For the first time since 2007, Taylor was the bookies’ underdog going into the final and MvG opened up the match showing just why that was. ‘Mighty Mike’ held his throw comfortably to take a 1-0 lead in the opening set of the match but in the second leg, Phil hit the first 180 of the match and had a showstopper 170 checkout to level the first set at 1-1.

Michael again comfortably held throw to take a 2-1 lead in the first set, in the fourth leg van Gerwen missed his first opportunity for the set on 106 and ‘The Power’ checked out 85 to once again level the set. Taylor could not stop ‘Mighty Mike’ from taking the first set though as he took out 140 (T20, T20, D10) to win the opening set with Taylor back on 80. – 1-0 to Michael van Gerwen.

Phil Taylor threw back-to-back 140s to give himself a comfortable lead in the opening leg of the second set and polished off 68 to take a 1-0 lead. In the second leg, MvG hit his first maximum of the match and Taylor failed to take out 154 leaving Michael to wrap up the second leg, 1-1. Taylor hit a 140 in the third leg to leave him on 127 but ‘Mighty Mike’ took out 98 in two darts for an 11 darter and to break Phil Taylor’s throw. Michael kicked off the fourth leg with a 180 but Taylor was equally as good scoring wise, MvG missed out on a 124 checkout and gave Taylor a shot at 130 to break back but ‘The Power’ missed the bullseye by an inch to leave Michael to clean up the second set with a double 16. – 2-0 to Michael van Gerwen.

MvG had the throw in the third set and an amazing opportunity to take a three set lead against ‘The Power’ and he began the set brilliantly with an 11-dart leg to take a 1-0 lead. In the second leg ‘Mighty Mike’ had a shot at 142 to break Taylor’s throw and he went T20, T20 but missed the double 11 about an inch right leaving Taylor to take out 32 to hold throw, just. MvG’s scoring went a little off the boil in the third leg and Taylor was expecting a shot at 68 but van Gerwen impressively took out 123 on the bullseye to break throw under immense pressure. ‘The Power’ had a bit of breathing space in the fourth leg of the third set leaving him 6 darts at 120 but he only needed three as he Shanghaied 20s to level the set at 2-2. ‘Mighty Mike’ slipped in the fifth leg scoring only 37 on one visit leaving the door wide open for Taylor and he took full advantage by throwing a 140 to give himself six darts at 41 for the set but he only needed 3. – 2-1 to Michael van Gerwen.

Taylor couldn’t stop ‘Mighty Mike’ from breaking his throw in the opening leg of the fourth set with the young Dutchman hitting a 177 and a 140 before checking out from 132. “He’s good,” Taylor said to someone left of the stage. Luckily for Phil, MvG was all over the shop in the second leg, giving him six darts at 57 to break van Gerwen straight back. The crowd began singing “Stand up for Sid Waddell” and ‘The Power’ banged in a 180 in response before looking to the heavens as a sign to Sid Waddell, a nice gesture from Phil. ‘The Power’ won the third leg but could not prevent Michael from levelling the set as MvG took it with Taylor back on 252. In the final leg shootout of the fourth set the players’ exchanged 140s and van Gerwen missed one dart at tops for the set only to watch Taylor checkout 40 to level the match. – 2 sets all.

‘The Power’ kicked off set 5 with his third maximum of the match but van Gerwen still got a look in at 170 in the opening leg, he hit the two treble 20s but missed the bullseye and hit the 25. Taylor made a right hash of the 89 though and van Gerwen came back to take out the 25 to hold throw and take a 1-0 lead in the fifth set. Phil was under no pressure in the second leg of the set and comfortably levelled the set at 1-1 with a double 16. Neither players scoring was to usual standards in the third leg and ‘Mighty Mike’ failed to take out 147 and Taylor took out 65 (25, double top), no problem. Taylor missed one dart at tops in the fourth leg and van Gerwen took out 90 after hitting a 2 with his first dart after going for the bullseye, a sublime recovery from the young Dutchman.Yet another last leg shootout to decide a set, van Gerwen opened with 57 but Taylor could only reply with 45 and ‘Mighty Mike’ eventually checked out 70 to regain the lead in this match. – 3-2 to Michael van Gerwen.

Taylor began the sixth set with a ton and followed it up with a 99 but it was not enough as Michael van Gerwen blasted in another 180 and left himself on double top.‘The Power’ back on 148 hit the two treble 20s but was a whisker away from the double 14 and ‘Mighty Mike’ returned to take out 40 and take the first leg of set 6. Taylor was not at the races in the second leg of the set, back on 167 with MvG on 40 which he hit first dart to win the second leg, his checkout percentage after that was an immense 63%. MvG piled in a 180 in the third leg and followed it up with another and got a look in at 84 but missed and Taylor finished 74 with one dart at double top to make it 2-1 in the sixth set. ‘Mighty Mike’ blasted in another 180 and gave himself six darts at 61 with Taylor back on 254. He missed the double 18 though and ‘The Power’ put pressure on with a 140 but van Gerwen came back to pin the double 18 and take the sixth set against the throw.– 4-2 to Michael van Gerwen.

‘Mighty Mike’ had the darts and held throw in the opening leg of the seventh set after Taylor missed one dart at double 16 on 95 to break. Both players were playing at a phenomenal standard, Taylor narrowly missed double top for a 110 but MvG could not take advantage and Phil returned to take the second leg on double 10. Michael’s scoring wasn’t up to standard at the start of the third leg with two 60s and Taylor got himself in front and a look at 128, he hit single 18, treble 20 and wired the bullseye for the leg and unbelievably ‘Mighty Mike’ took out 83 (17, T16, D9) to steal the leg leaving Taylor shaking his head and saying “What can you do?”

‘The Power’ had a healthy lead in the fourth leg but failed to check out 70 and Michael gave him a scare when he missed double 19 for a 158 checkout and the set but Taylor came back to level the set at 2-2. In yet another set deciding leg ‘Mighty Mike’ opened the door with back-to-back 60s but Taylor could only hit 42 in reply. Taylor threw a superb 174 to leave him on 51 but MvG missed one dart at double 16 on a 103 for the set. Taylor returned and took out the 51 for the set. – 4-3 to Michael van Gerwen.

Both players are scruffy in the opening leg of the eighth set but it was Taylor first to a finish on 79 but he missed double top, van Gerwen failed to take advantage on 100 but ‘The Power’ missed yet again, coming inside on double 10 and double 5. This time, ‘Mighty Mike’ took advantage to win the scrappiest leg of the match so far. MvG looked set to hold his throw in the second leg on 68 but Taylor immensely took out 136 (T20, T20, D8) to break ‘Mighty Mike’ straight back, what a finish! ‘The Power’ cruised the third leg of the set with Michael just dropping off slightly so Taylor had three darts at 32 and finished it to take a 2-1 lead in the eighth set. Another scrappy opening from both players in the fourth leg but back-to-back 140s left MvG on 64 and Taylor pummelled in a maximum to leave him on 24. ‘Mighty Mike’ failed to finish 64 and Taylor eventually hit double three with his final dart in hand to take the eighth set. – 4 sets apiece.

In the opening leg of the ninth set, MvG left himself on tops and Taylor on 129 hit the treble 19 and went double 16, double top, only just missing the double top, an audacious attempt by ‘The Power’ but ‘Mighty Mike’ returned to pin double top first dart to win the first leg. Taylor recovered in the second leg under no real pressure and took out 56 to level the set at 1-1. The pace quickened in the third leg with both players battering the trebles, ‘Mighty Mike’ left 137 and Taylor 167. The young Dutchman failed to finish 137 and Taylor failed to finish 167 and he can’t apply much pressure on Michael’s 78 but he missed and Taylor himself missed double top for a 109 in a tense leg of darts but Michael didn’t miss, 2-1 to MvG.

Taylor doesn’t let that missed double top hold him back and he raced down to 16 after 9 darts and needed only two darts to finish it and level the set again with an 11-darter. In another deciding leg, both players are firing at the big trebles and Michael had an opportunity at 107 as Taylor nervously waited on 40 but the Dutchman missed and ‘The Power’ hit to take the lead! – 5-4 to Phil Taylor.

Three sets on the trot for Phil Taylor and he had the throw in the opening leg of the set and was down to a finish first, 102. MvG got a shot at 96 but failed to take it out and Phil returned to take the opening leg. ‘The Power’ bombed in his fifth 180 of the match to put the young Dutchman under yet more pressure and the imperious Taylor took the leg in 11 darts. In the third leg, Taylor had a look at 164 but failed to finish it, MvG had a shot at 170 and also missed but Taylor surprisingly failed to check out 64 and ‘Mighty Mike’ pinned double 18 for a 106 finish, what a response!

Michael had the throw in the fourth leg but a 177 from Taylor takes way that advantage, ‘The Power’ then threw a 140 to take him down to 126. ‘Mighty Mike’ really needed something big and that is exactly what he got with another maximum! ‘The Power’ failed to finish 126 but MvG made a real hash of a 69 finish after putting his first dart in the single 3 bed and Taylor had a chance at 32 and didn’t let it pass him by. – 6-4 to Phil Taylor.

Michael van Gerwen needed a sporting miracle to come back from 6-4 but Taylor was slow out of the blocks in the first leg and a 140 and a 134 gave MvG some breathing space. He had six darts at 92 but needed only four, a good confidence boost for the young Dutchman. ‘The Power’ had 4 perfect darts in the second leg and was in total control, narrowly missing double top for an 11-dart leg but he pinned it with his twelfth dart to level the set at 1-1. ‘Mighty Mike’ once again dropped down to the bull after hitting two treble 20s with his first two darts, a strange habit that doesn’t make any sense to the pundits.

Taylor had a look at 167 but could not take it and van Gerwen got a chance at 103 with Taylor sat on 36 but he fired wide on double 16. Taylor amazingly missed three clear darts at double 18 though and MvG had another chance, this time at 24 but came inside the double 12, came inside the double six and threw below on double 3! A massive opportunity missed. ‘The Power’ does not miss another chance and takes a 2-1 lead in the eleventh set. Phil Taylor storms through the fourth leg of the set, picking off the trebles all around the board to leave him on 91. Single 17, treble 14 and double 16 for the match!

Phil Taylor proved that he is still the best darts player in the world with an epic comeback against the brilliant young Dutchman Michael van Gerwen but mainly, he was the first name on the Sid Waddell trophy which means the world to ‘The Power’ as the late Waddell was one of Taylor’s biggest fans and the most charismatic commentator in sporting history.

What a contest between two awesome players. Phil Taylor is now a 16-time World Champion, incredible.

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