IAN WHITE made a dream debut in Championship League Darts as he picked up victory in Group Six of the internet-streamed tournament on Thursday, overcoming Peter Wright 6-4 in the final.
The Stoke ace's rise into the world's top 32 was recognised with his first participation in Championship League Darts, which features eight eight-player groups doing battle before the daily champions face off in next Thursday's big-money Winners Group.
White was one of four players to win four of their seven league matches in one of the tightest groups so far in the event, with Paul Nicholson's five victories seeing him top the table.
Kim Huybrechts and Peter Wright finished second and third respectively, while White narrowly qualified for the Play-Offs on Leg Difference ahead of Gary Anderson - who missed out by one leg after losing his final league game 6-4 to Colin Lloyd.
White then defeated Nicholson 6-4 in their semi-final clash, averaging 100.55 before winning the decider by the same margin in a tight clash with Wright.
The pair hit 180s in the final's opening leg as White held throw with a 97 finish, before Wright levelled with scores of 180 and 171 in a 12-darter.
A 14-dart leg gave White the third before double 16 saw Wright level, with the same bed coming to his rescue in leg six - to complete a 13-darter - after his opponent had claimed his third leg on double 18.
Wright, seeking a break of throw to move ahead, hit another maximum in leg seven, only to miss two darts at double 16 as White posted the same bed to hold - only for the roles to be reversed as the Stoke ace wasted three chances to break as double 16 saw his opponent take the eighth leg.
Wright then missed the bull to win the ninth as the tension mounted, with double eight putting White 5-4 up before he hit a 177 in leg ten, sealing victory by finishing 89 in the middle of the bullseye.
White won his first Players Championship event in Barnsley last month, and will now challenge for the biggest title of his career next week, with a £10,000 first prize plus double-money available in the Championship League Darts Winners Group.
Wright's defeat meant that he suffered the disappointment of losing in the final for a second successive day, after being edged out by Michael van Gerwen 24 hours earlier.
The Mendham-based star, who has risen into the world's top 16 following two ProTour wins this year, made the Play-Offs in all three of this week's groups, but will now return on Tuesday to compete in Group Seven.
He had sealed his place in the final with a 6-3 victory over Kim Huybrechts in the last four, while the Belgian had landed a brilliant nine-dart finish during his run to the Play-Offs.
Huybrechts' perfect leg was the fourth hit so far in this year's Championship League Darts, with Phil Taylor hitting a nine-darter in Group One before two were landed in Tuesday's Group Four, by van Gerwen and Mervyn King.
King, though, was eliminated alongside Colin Lloyd in Group Six after the pair won only two of their seven league matches, while Jamie Caven and Gary Anderson survived to progress to Group Seven.
The five survivors from Thursday's play at Crondon Park GC in Essex are joined in next Tuesday's Group Seven by a trio of former World Champions, as John Part, Richie Burnett and Steve Beaton enter the fray.
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 Six Results
| Board One | Board Two |
| Mervyn King 2-6 Kim Huybrechts | Ian White 6-5 Jamie Caven |
| Paul Nicholson 6-3 Colin Lloyd | Peter Wright 6-4 Gary Anderson |
| Jamie Caven 5-6 Mervyn King | Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Ian White |
| Gary Anderson 2-6 Paul Nicholson | Colin Lloyd 2-6 Peter Wright |
| Jamie Caven 6-2 Peter Wright | Mervyn King 5-6 Colin Lloyd |
| Gary Anderson 6-4 Ian White | Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Paul Nicholson |
| Peter Wright 6-4 Mervyn King | Jamie Caven 6-3 Colin Lloyd |
| Kim Huybrechts 5-6 Gary Anderson | Ian White 4-6 Paul Nicholson |
| Ian White 6-5 Peter Wright | Paul Nicholson 3-6 Mervyn King |
| Colin Lloyd 3-6 Kim Huybrechts | Gary Anderson 6-4 Jamie Caven |
| Paul Nicholson 6-4 Jamie Caven | Kim Huybrechts 5-6 Peter Wright |
| Colin Lloyd 2-6 Ian White | Mervyn King 4-6 Gary Anderson |
| Ian White 6-3 Mervyn King | Jamie Caven 6-5 Kim Huybrechts |
| Gary Anderson 4-6 Colin Lloyd | Peter Wright 4-6 Paul Nicholson |
| Semi-Finals | |
| Paul Nicholson 4-6 Ian White | Kim Huybrechts 3-6 Peter Wright |
| Final | |
| Ian White 6-4 Peter Wright |
Final League Table
Pl
|
W
|
L
|
Won
|
Lost
|
Leg +/-
|
£Won
|
Pts
|
£Total
| |
| Paul Nicholson |
7
|
5
|
2
|
38
|
29
|
+9
|
£1900
|
10
|
£2300
|
| Kim Huybrechts |
7
|
4
|
3
|
39
|
29
|
+10
|
£1950
|
8
|
£2250
|
| Peter Wright |
7
|
4
|
3
|
35
|
33
|
+2
|
£1750
|
8
|
£2750
|
| Ian White |
7
|
4
|
3
|
33
|
33
|
0
|
£1650
|
8
|
£2850
|
| Gary Anderson |
7
|
4
|
3
|
34
|
35
|
-1
|
£1700
|
8
| |
| Jamie Caven |
7
|
3
|
4
|
36
|
34
|
+2
|
£1800
|
6
| |
| Mervyn King |
7
|
2
|
5
|
30
|
38
|
-8
|
£1500
|
4
| |
| Colin Lloyd |
7
|
2
|
5
|
25
|
39
|
-14
|
£1250
|
4
|
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