Thursday 16 April 2015 20:44, UK
Stephen Bunting faces a make-or-break night in his bid to win a Premier League play-off place in Aberdeen on Thursday.
The Premier League debutant sits eighth in the table after avoiding elimination a fortnight ago and faces two keys matches against top-four rivals Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor.
‘The Power’ also doubles up in Aberdeen as he attempts to rediscover his early-season form. He plays Dave Chisnall and Bunting at either ends of the order of play, while there is an all-Dutch affair as Michael van Gerwen faces reigning champion Raymond van Barneveld.
Both players produced performances at opposite ends of the spectrum in Sheffield last week. Chisnall stole the headlines after blowing Gary Anderson away for the second time in this Premier League season, and then backed it up by averaging 114.17 in a 7-1 demolition of James Wade.
Taylor, meanwhile, averaged just 86.80 in his loss to Raymond van Barneveld - his fourth defeat in five matches - and is hanging onto his top-four spot.
The players met in Manchester on Judgement Night, where Chisnall edged a scrappy affair, and a repeat result will all but assure him of a place in the play-offs.
"You don't know what's going to happen because there's another five or six games to go, so we'll see what happens but I'm putting in a lot of practice and I'm feeling good when I go on stage," said Chisnall.
"I felt really comfortable last week and I played well - I started well and finished well and I want to do that again when I play Phil.
"Last time, I started slowly and he let me in but I can't expect that again so I've got to make sure I'm ready for him on Thursday."
Bunting’s first Aberdeen assignment is against an in-form Adrian Lewis, who has won his last two Premier League games and picked up victories in two of the three Players Championship events staged in Barnsley last weekend.
Bunting beat Lewis for his first ever Premier League victory on night five in Exeter, and although he is on a four-game winless run, the St Helens thrower took Michael van Gerwen to a deciding leg last week.
Lewis survived Judgement Night and backed that up with a win over Wade, and now has his sights set on a top-four finish.
"The weekend was fantastic for me and my finishing under pressure in the last couple of weeks has been good," said Lewis. "I'm on their tails and I'm looking forward to playing Stephen.
"Stephen's had a steady tournament. He hasn't taken the league by storm but he's very professional, keeps himself to himself and he's a very good player who's doing a good job."
James Wade’s play-off hopes were hit by two defeats in Sheffield and things get no easier for him in Aberdeen, where his opponent will be cheered on by a partisan crowd.
Gary Anderson fell to an on-fire Dave Chisnall on night 10 but the world champion remains clear of the chasing pack in third place.
‘The Flying Scotsman’ was a 7-4 winner against Wade when they met in Belfast in February, but he is eyeing an improved performance in front of his own countrymen.
"We only get up to Scotland twice in the Premier League so it's definitely a special night for me," said Anderson.
"Getting into the play-offs is the aim and with the standard of players now nothing's a given. You saw that by the way Dave Chisnall played last week.
"James is a superb player and if you get a chance against him you know you've got to take it. When he gets chances, he usually takes them out and he's a player you've got to hit with everything and take out your shots before he does."
His play-off place all but assured, Michael van Gerwen will put his unbeaten record on the line when he faces fellow Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld.
The 2013 Premier League winner is on a five-game winning run, which includes a 7-2 victory over Van Barneveld in Dublin, and he edged a tight contest with Stephen Bunting last week to claim his eighth victory in 10 outings.
Having avoided elimination on Judgement Night, Van Barneveld came out fighting last week and comfortably dispatched an off-colour Phil Taylor for just his third win of the campaign.
The reigning champion needs a strong finish in order to reach the play-offs, and he has asked for support from the Aberdeen crowd.
"I hope the Scots will support me," he said. "It's like a home game for me and the fans there, like in Ireland, Wales, England, Germany and Holland, are fantastic.
"Michael's in amazing form at the moment and hopefully I can have a good game against him. I'm fighting to get into that top four and I still believe it can be done.
"There are some unbelievable talents but I'm still alive in the competition. The last four weeks have been okay, I've had three ton-plus averages and won five points."
Phil Taylor is hoping to repeat his night three victory over Stephen Bunting when they take to the stage for a second time in the final game of the night.
Taylor made it a homecoming to forget for Bunting on night three when he claimed a 7-1 victory in Liverpool in February.
However, ‘The Power’ failed to ignite against Raymond van Barneveld last week and had an 18 per cent checkout success rate. The 54-year-old faces a difficult run-in and knows he needs to take maximum points against Chisnall and Bunting.
"It's an important night and it could be a big night in terms of the play-offs in a few weeks’ time," said Taylor.
"It's always a challenge playing twice but it's one I'm looking forward to because Dave and Stephen have been great this season.
"Stephen wasn't at his best when we played last time but he's hung in there and he's still fighting to get into the play-offs, and Dave's impressed everyone."
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