The 2006 Holsten Premier League was the second year of the Professional Darts Corporation's popular darts league. The 2006 league was launched with the top six players in the PDC world rankings and the addition of a wildcard player, Raymond van Barneveld who decided to switch from the British Darts Organisation just weeks after reaching their 2006 World Championship final.

Barneveld, a four-times BDO World Champion went on to achieve the perfect nine-dart finish on 23 March against Peter Manley, on the fifth night of the 2006 Premier League at the Bournemouth International Centre. It was the same night that he faced Phil Taylor for the first time since his switch, the match ended in a 7–7 draw.

Taylor and Barneveld dominated the league stages, with both players winning every match in the league phase against the other 5 players in the league. Taylor came out on top 8–6 in their other meeting in Doncaster.

Given the form of Taylor and Barneveld in the group matches, there was much anticipation of a clash between the two in the final. However, it failed to materialise as Roland Scholten averaged 104.13 in the semi-final to hammer Barneveld (average 91.79) by 11 legs to 3. Phil Taylor averaged 105.03 in his 11–3 semi-final win over Colin Lloyd (average 99.42).

Phil Taylor successfully defended his title by seeing off Scholten in the final by 16 legs to 6. Taylor's average in the final was 101.41 to Scholten's 92.01.

Barneveld and Taylor would ultimately have their next meeting in the final of the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship, with Barneveld ending Taylor's three-year reign as champion.

Format The format had a slight change from 2005. Previously, all twelve legs of a match had to be completed – regardless of whether a winner had already been determined. From 2006, a match would finish when a player reached the 8 legs victory target, unless the match reached 7–7 when the points would be shared and the match drawn.

Venues Like the inaugural Premier League Darts event, all 11 venues were used, but this time venues in Scotland (Aberdeen) and Wales (Newport) were also used.

Results

16 February – Week 1 King George's Hall, Blackburn Score Wayne Mardle 95.01 6 – 8 Phil Taylor 99.45 Peter Manley 86.38 4 – 8 Roland Scholten 90.15 98.66 8 – 1 Ronnie Baxter 92.03 Phil Taylor 106.79 8 – 1 Colin Lloyd 95.59

23 February – Week 2 Seaburn Leisure Centre, Sunderland Score Ronnie Baxter 87.22 4 – 8 Roland Scholten 89.23 Wayne Mardle 92.98 4 – 8 100.55 Colin Lloyd 92.16 8 – 6 Peter Manley 88.25 Roland Scholten 94.66 4 – 8 Phil Taylor 97.71

2 March – Week 3 AECC, Aberdeen Score Colin Lloyd 92.33 3 – 8 Ronnie Baxter 85.20 Peter Manley 87.21 8 – 5 Wayne Mardle 85.88 91.48 8 – 3 Roland Scholten 80.28 Ronnie Baxter 95.35 4 – 8 Phil Taylor 101.05

16 March – Week 4 Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton Score Phil Taylor 97.09 8 – 2 Wayne Mardle 85.20 Colin Lloyd 86.02 6 – 8 Peter Manley 89.89 Ronnie Baxter 98.95 8 – 3 Peter Manley 91.45 Roland Scholten 93.28 8 – 3 Wayne Mardle 88.62

23 March – Week 5 Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth Score 100.69 8 – 3 Peter Manley 95.18 Roland Scholten 90.17 7 – 7 Ronnie Baxter 88.98 Colin Lloyd 87.82 7 – 7 Wayne Mardle 90.33 Phil Taylor 100.88 7 – 7 94.14

Nine-dart finish The Premier League's first nine-dart finish occurred, when Raymond van Barneveld hit one during the ninth leg of his match against Peter Manley, checking out with T20, T19 and D12.

30 March – Week 6 Sands Centre, Carlisle Score Phil Taylor 107.75 8 – 1 Peter Manley 100.35 Ronnie Baxter 97.02 4 – 8 Colin Lloyd 99.44 Wayne Mardle 88.47 7 – 7 Roland Scholten 89.38 Peter Manley 86.41 3 – 8 96.83

6 April – Week 7 Newport Centre, Newport Score Roland Scholten 86.97 8 – 5 Colin Lloyd 91.67 Ronnie Baxter 92.66 7 – 7 Wayne Mardle 86.87 Peter Manley 84.56 3 – 8 Phil Taylor 102.19 101.72 8 – 4 Colin Lloyd 90.35

20 April – Week 8 The Dome Leisure Centre, Doncaster Score Phil Taylor 93.24 8 – 5 Ronnie Baxter 97.64 Colin Lloyd 99.67 8 – 6 Roland Scholten 97.44 Wayne Mardle 86.44 3 – 8 Peter Manley 91.00 101.04 6 – 8 Phil Taylor 104.75

27 April – Week 9 Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre, Stevenage Score Roland Scholten 84.35 6 – 8 Peter Manley 86.36 Colin Lloyd 87.59 3 – 8 Phil Taylor 99.35 Wayne Mardle 94.60 8 – 5 Ronnie Baxter 89.41 83.89 3 – 8 92.98

4 May – Week 10 Rivermead Centre, Reading Score Peter Manley 86.71 3 – 8 Ronnie Baxter 86.39 103.44 8 – 5 Wayne Mardle 97.78 96.14 8 – 6 Colin Lloyd 92.11 Phil Taylor 93.48 8 – 3 Roland Scholten 86.26 Ronnie Baxter 101.33 2 – 8 104.35 Wayne Mardle 83.58 4 – 8 Colin Lloyd 91.07

Play-offs – 29 May Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth Score Semi-finals (best of 21 legs)Roland Scholten 104.13 11 – 3 Raymond van Barneveld 91.79 105.03 11 – 3 Colin Lloyd 99.42 Final (best of 31 legs) Phil Taylor 101.41 16 – 6 Roland Scholten 92.01

Table and streaks Table PosNamePldWDLPtsLFLA+/-LWAT100+140+180sAHC 1 Phil Taylor W 12 11 1 0 23 95 45 +50 35 17311344100.31148 2 12 10 1 1 21 93 49 +44 37 1901144598.50164 3 Roland Scholten RU 12 4 2 6 10 71 78 −7 25 178984088.84137 4 Colin Lloyd 12 4 1 7 9 67 83 −16 20 174962992.15161 5 Ronnie Baxter 12 3 2 7 8 63 79 −16 21 174852692.68158 6 Peter Manley 12 4 0 8 8 58 84 −26 19 2141121389.48160 7 Wayne Mardle 12 1 3 8 5 61 90 −29 16 201982489.65140

NB: LWAT = Legs Won Against Throw. Players separated by +/- leg difference if tied.

Streaks

Player Week Play-offs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 SF F colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=6 Raymond van Barneveld colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 Roland Scholten colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=6 Colin Lloyd colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=3 colspan=3 Ronnie Baxter colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=3 colspan=3 rowspan=3 colspan=2 Peter Manley colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=6 Wayne Mardle colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=3 colspan=3 NB: W = Won D = Drawn L = Lost N/A = Did not play

Player statistics

The following statistics are for the league stage only. Playoffs are not included.

Phil Taylor Longest unbeaten run: 12 Most consecutive wins: 6 Most consecutive draws: 1 Most consecutive losses: 0 Longest without a win: 1 Biggest victory: 8–1 (v. Colin Lloyd and v. Peter Manley) Biggest defeat: Player Undefeated

Raymond van Barneveld Longest unbeaten run: 7 Most consecutive wins: 4 Most consecutive draws: 1 Most consecutive losses: 1 Longest without a win: 1 Biggest victory: 8–1 (v. Ronnie Baxter) Biggest defeat: 6–8 (v. Phil Taylor)

Roland Scholten Longest unbeaten run: 4 Most consecutive wins: 2 Most consecutive draws: 2 Most consecutive losses: 4 Longest without a win: 4 Biggest victory: 8–3 (v. Wayne Mardle) Biggest defeat: 3–8 (v. Raymond van Barneveld (twice) and v. Phil Taylor)

Colin Lloyd Longest unbeaten run: 2 Most consecutive wins: 1 Most consecutive draws: 1 Most consecutive losses: 2 Longest without a win: 3 Biggest victory: 8–4 (v. Ronnie Baxter and v. Wayne Mardle) Biggest defeat: 1–8 (v. Phil Taylor)

Ronnie Baxter Longest unbeaten run: 2 Most consecutive wins: 1 Most consecutive draws: 1 Most consecutive losses: 2 Longest without a win: 5 Biggest victory: 8–3 (v. Colin Lloyd and v. Peter Manley) Biggest defeat: 1–8 (v. Raymond van Barneveld)

Peter Manley Longest unbeaten run: 2 Most consecutive wins: 2 Most consecutive draws: 0 Most consecutive losses: 5 Longest without a win: 5 Biggest victory: 8–3 (v. Wayne Mardle) Biggest defeat: 1–8 (v. Phil Taylor)

Wayne Mardle Longest unbeaten run: 3 Most consecutive wins: 1 Most consecutive draws: 3 Most consecutive losses: 5 Longest without a win: 9 Biggest victory: 8–5 (v. Ronnie Baxter) Biggest defeat: 2–8 (v. Phil Taylor)

Top match Averages Darts averages are based on the total number of points scored divided number of darts thrown (multiplied by 3 in this case to give a "3 dart average"). There were 16 matches where a player managed an average in excess of 100 per visit to the board. Phil Taylor achieved this during seven matches, Raymond van Barneveld six times. Roland Scholten, Ronnie Baxter and Peter Manley each averaged over 100 during one match in the competition.

107.75 – Phil Taylor v Peter Manley (week 6) 106.79 – Phil Taylor v Colin Lloyd (week 1) 105.03 – Phil Taylor v Roland Scholten (final) 104.75 – Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld (week 8) 104.35 – Raymond van Barneveld v Ronnie Baxter (week 10) 104.13 – Roland Scholten v Raymond van Barneveld (semi-final) 103.44 – Raymond van Barneveld v Wayne Mardle (week 10) 102.19 – Phil Taylor v Peter Manley (week 7) 101.33 – Ronnie Baxter v Raymond van Barneveld (week 10, Baxter lost match 2–8) 101.72 – Raymond van Barneveld v Colin Lloyd (week 7) 101.05 – Phil Taylor v Ronnie Baxter (week 3) 101.04 – Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor (week 8, Barneveld lost match 6–8) 100.88 – Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld (week 5) 100.69 – Raymond van Barneveld v Peter Manley (week 5) 100.55 – Raymond van Barneveld v Wayne Mardle (week 2) 100.35 – Peter Manley v Phil Taylor (week 6, Manley lost match 1–8)

References

External links Report on the 2006 final