Taylor rocked by Lewis defeat at O2

Joining in the fun and arrows was LIAM HAPPE.

BEER, bullseyes and… Mr Blobby?

That's right, the stars of Premier League Darts had arrived in town for their 2011 season opener at the O2.

The four-month darting marathon has become an annual institution on Sky, with eight of the sport's top performers doing battle on a weekly basis in a bid to be crowned the league champion.

The concept is a mass departure from the established knockout tournaments held to crown world champions in darts, but still attracts massive crowds in party mood from start to finish.

And after debuting in 2005 for a springtime tour of the nation, the venues keen to host the events are getting bigger with each passing year.

Last week saw the O2 stage the league’s curtain-raiser for the second year running and the PDC hotshots will return to the capital for the finale at Wembley Arena in May.

A rabid near-sell-out crowd in north Greenwich were treated to some eventful tasters of what could be in store this season every Thursday night.

And the spectators provided their fair share of entertainment, too, with some dressing up as everything from Captain America to the Spice Girls in drag - and of course, Noel Edmonds’ spotty sidekick.

The 2009 Premier League champion James Wade, so far the only man able to break Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor’s stronghold on the title, came up short in the opening contest against league debutant Mark Webster.

The Welshman's 8-3 victory was followed by another newcomer kicking off in style, with PDC World Championship finalist Gary Anderson besting Aussie Simon Whitlock 8-5.

Terry Jenkins scored a hard-fought upset over former five-times world champion Raymond van Barneveld by eight legs to six, but the crowd predictably reached peak levels for the main event of the evening.

Reigning PDC world title holder Adrian Lewis took on Premier League champ and 15-times world title winner Taylor in a battle of Stoke’s darting heavyweights.

To the surprise of many, Lewis made short work of an unwell and out of form Taylor with an emphatic 8-2 win to become the early pace setter in the league table.

Despite the poor showing, Taylor was thrilled to be performing in such an illustrious arena, saying: “The O2 is a fantastic venue, it’s awesome.

“To look out the hotel window and see it is brilliant.”

The oche icon felt the hectic schedule which comes with the Premier League, as well as his other commitments, may leave him in need of some time off.

He admitted: “I feel absolutely shattered, to be honest. I need a break.

“It’s not Adrian’s fault, it’s mine. I just need to go and put it right now, I was awful tonight.

“There were a few things I’ve done wrong and I know what I’m doing wrong so it’s up to me now to put them right.

“I need a bit of private time, I think, because if I don’t stop this then I might as well finish.

“This isn’t me at the moment.”

Lewis, on the other hand, confessed his fine form as of late didn’t protect him from some early stage fright.

“I was bricking it,” the champion explained.

“Going up onto the O2 stage I wasn’t feeling too confident but it’s one of those things you take in your stride and I got the job done.

“It’s great here but I wish there were more darts events in Stoke.

“My private life isn’t brilliant at the moment but as soon as you get on that stage with a 15-time world champion, my mind says ‘right, this is it’ and I go out to win.”

Indeed, Lewis feels the triumph over the sport’s greatest ever player puts momentum on his side throughout the 2011 campaign.

He said: “I’ve overcome a major obstacle by playing Phil Taylor in the first match.

“Who else can do what he can do?

“If you can beat Phil, you can beat anybody, it’s as simple as that.

“We’ve got 15 weeks of this and it’s probably the hardest tournament other than the world championship.

“You’ve got to stay consistent over four months whereas the Worlds are only two weeks and if I can win the final, then brilliant.”

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