PDC CLD

ANDY HAMILTON edged out Michael van Gerwen 6-5 to win a dramatic Championship League Darts Group Two final on Wednesday evening.
The Stoke ace joined World Champion Phil Taylor in progressing to next month's big-money Winners Group in dramatic fashion as he claimed triumph on the second day of the internet-streamed, £200,000 tournament.

Hamilton had won his opening three matches in Tuesday's Group One before fading away to miss out on the Play-Offs, but won five of his seven round-robin games this time around to finish in second place behind Dave Chisnall.

He then won his all-Stoke semi-final with Adrian Lewis 6-2, avenging a defeat by the same scoreline in their league meeting, as he won through to the decider, which proved to be a see-saw affair.

Hamilton took out 121, 98 and double six to win the game's opening three legs, and also missed two darts for the fourth as van Gerwen got off the mark on double six.

The Dutchman then won the next and traded 180s with Hamilton in leg six before pinning a 121 finish on double 14 to level.

Van Gerwen claimed a fourth successive leg on double four, after hitting another 180, as he moved 4-3 up, and after Hamilton levelled on double 16, he posted double ten for a 13-darter to move a leg away from victory.

Hamilton, though, finished the stronger and posted double four to force a decider in which he was first to a double before hitting the bullseye to take out 90 for the win.


Hamilton had reached the UK Open final in June before suffering a form dip over the past month, but he heads into a first round clash with Kim Huybrechts at next month's partypoker.com World Grand Prix full of confidence.

World number two van Gerwen had finished fourth on the final league table after ending the league phase with an outstanding 112 average in a win over Robert Thornton which sealed his semi-final spot.

He then averaged 105 in a 6-3 victory over Chisnall in a high-quality last four game, but fell just short in the decider.

Lewis, the Group One runner-up, will also have to return on Thursday for a third consecutive day, having won five of his league games only to lose out in his all-Stoke semi-final.

Chisnall will also compete in a third successive day, having topped the Group Two league table with five victories but been out-scored by van Gerwen in their last four contest.

Kevin Painter matched van Gerwen in winning four of his league games, but missed out on the Play-Offs on Leg Difference, while Wes Newton's three victories were enough for him to survive for a second successive day.

Robert Thornton and Justin Pipe, though, were eliminated as the Scot paid the price for three 6-5 losses on the day, while Taunton ace Pipe endured a nightmare with seven successive defeats.

Former Championship League Darts finalist Mervyn King, 2011 World Grand Prix runner-up Brendan Dolan and debutant Kim Huybrechts enter the event for Group Three.

They are joined by Group Two runner-up van Gerwen, Lewis, Chisnall, Painter and Newton as the first week of the tournament concludes at Crondon Park GC in Essex.


Prize money is paid at £50 per leg won in the league phase as the eight players meet each other once, before prize money rises to £100 per leg in the Play-Offs.

2013 Championship League Darts
Group Two Fixtures

Board One	Board Two
Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Adrian Lewis	Robert Thornton 5-6 Kevin Painter
Wes Newton 6-5 Justin Pipe	Andy Hamilton 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Kevin Painter 1-6 Michael van Gerwen	Adrian Lewis 6-5 Robert Thornton
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Wes Newton	Justin Pipe 5-6 Andy Hamilton
Kevin Painter 2-6 Andy Hamilton	Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Justin Pipe
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Robert Thornton	Adrian Lewis 6-4 Wes Newton
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Michael van Gerwen	Kevin Painter 6-5 Justin Pipe
Adrian Lewis 3-6 Dave Chisnall	Robert Thornton 4-6 Wes Newton
Robert Thornton 6-3 Andy Hamilton	Wes Newton 2-6 Michael van Gerwen
Justin Pipe 2-6 Adrian Lewis	Dave Chisnall 5-6 Kevin Painter
Wes Newton 6-4 Kevin Painter	Adrian Lewis 6-2 Andy Hamilton
Justin Pipe 3-6 Robert Thornton	Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Dave Chisnall
Robert Thornton 5-6 Michael van Gerwen	Kevin Painter 6-1 Adrian Lewis
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Justin Pipe	Andy Hamilton 6-2 Wes Newton
Semi-Finals
Dave Chisnall 3-6 Michael van Gerwen	Andy Hamilton 6-2 Adrian Lewis
Final
Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Andy Hamilton

League Table

	Pl	W	L	Won	Lost	Leg +/-	£Won	Pts	£Total
Dave Chisnall	7	5	2	40	26	+14	£2000	10	£2300
Andy Hamilton	7	5	2	35	30	+5	£1750	10	£2950
Adrian Lewis	7	5	2	34	29	+5	£1700	10	£1900
Michael van Gerwen	7	4	3	36	27	+9	£1800	8	£2900
Kevin Painter	7	4	3	31	34	-3	£1550	8
Wes Newton	7	3	4	28	37	-9	£1400	6
Robert Thornton	7	2	5	35	36	-1	£1750	4
Justin Pipe	7	0	7	22	42	-20	£1100	0