Continuation of 'Judgement Night' from Manchester.
With the Belgian out of the picture, Lewis and Wright took centre stage with the two rivals taking a very different approach before the match began. Whereas Lewis adopted a rather reserved approach up to the stage, his Scottish opponent chose to dance with the girls that entertain the crowds, hoping to enliven his own performance no doubt, and to win over the neutral support. As ever, Wright also sported a rather colourful outfit, with his multi-coloured trademark Mohican shining out in an ebullient manner, to top the ensemble off garishly.
If it was meant to put Lewis off, in much the same manner as it had almost done to 'Mighty Mike' in an earlier week, it failed in its intention.
Lewis marked time with Wright in the early stages as the legs went with throw, including 100 and 106 checkouts for Lewis, and then he edged ahead 4-3. Leg eight proved to be the decisive one, as Wright lost his way at the end of it, allowing the two-time World Champion to step in and go 5-3 in front. That was soon 6-3, as the match seemed to be going the Stoke man's way. Then, Wright somehow managed to finish on 170, to reduce his arrears to 6-4, as the tension began to increase. With both players having shots at doubles in leg eleven, it was Lewis who crucially hit his to take the victory 7-4.
Wright still had an outside chance of being saved despite his defeat, but that possibility was ended when van Barneveld claimed a draw with current World Champion Gary Anderson, knocking Wright out on leg difference over the nine matches played. Anderson did his best for his fellow Scot, but his 108 average proved not quite good enough to deny the 6-6 result and with it the Dutchman's salvation.
Encouragingly for 'Barney' he seems to save his best Darts for the big matches, but he will need a lot of luck to stay in the event until the final stages, after his poor start this year.
