2016 Coral UK Open 4th round preview: Taylor to take on Barney

SCHEDULE: Here’s the @Coral UK Open Fourth Round draw & schedule of play for Saturday afternoon pic.twitter.com/Mi2SLFag5i

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 4, 2016

So, settle in, pick up a pitcher of cider and read on for Coral’s picks and previews from the Saturday fourth round afternoon session in Somerset, as Phil Taylor battles old foe Barney in the headline bout.

While, in other great narratives, current holder Michael van Gerwen and world champ Gary Anderson meet last qualifiers standing Rob Cross and Barry Lynn respectively.

Benito van de Pas v Simon Whitlock

Big Ben is off to see The Wizard, the wonderful wizard from Oz, as the young Dutch dartsman faces Australia’s finest arrow export Whitlock.

Fresh from his 47th birthday, The Wizard wowed crowds with a spectacular comeback against Ian White, but accomplished apprentice Van de Pas also took out a high-profile opponent in Mervyn King.

These two have only jostled three times before, with Whitlock (evens to triumph) winning two, though promising up and comer Big Ben (odds-on 4/5 for victory) still looks the better bet.

Peter Wright v Terry Jenkins

There was an almighty roar as crowd favourite Wright (1/3 to win) was drawn along with another stage hero in Jenkins (9/4) and, if head-to-heads are anything to go by, with Snakebite leading with six wins to five, the Scot will not automatically walk this one.

The Bull is capable of getting up a head of steam and jostling any opponent, so a 6/1 price for the match to end 9-6 to Wright looks value. At the very least the walk-ons will be hugely entertaining – anyone up for a Bull shuffle to ‘Don’t Stop the Party’?

Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross

Anyone who saw Mighty Mike smash the televised average record recently knows they are watching darts poetry in motion.

Yet, impressive qualifier and amateur arrowsmith Cross may just have the backing of the Minehead crowd behind him and, should the underdog need inspiration, he need just look at how Rene Eidams rocked MvG at the Worlds.

Still, a 14/1 victory for the outsider is a long shot, so perhaps instead take a punt on Green Machine Van Gerwen to rack up his second 170 checkout of the tournament. You can also back Cross to get a leg on the board, with odds of 7/2 for MvG to win 9-1.

Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld

This duel is the stuff darts dreams are made of, as two true greats of the game, and former winners of this tournament, take to the Main Stage.

Previous and current form tends to go out of the window in wrangles between these wily veterans that know each other so well.

Taylor is odds-on at 1/3 considering his recent revival, though a decade on from his first UK Open crown, can Barney (9/4) beat his long-standing rival?

Both stars made tougher work of their third round matches than expected, but we still fancy The Power to edge it 9-8 in a game that goes all the way (8/1).

Adrian Lewis v John Henderson

Lewis was schooled by mentor Taylor recently in the Premier League, but bounced back accordingly at Butlins, as the Englishman eased to his third round win 9-1.

Jackpot’s prize? To meet cult hero Highlander. Henderson (4/1 match favourite) has only managed to get the better of Lewis (1/3) once in four attempts, so looks unlikely to pose his peer too much of a problem as Jackpot eyes the business end of the UK Open.

Gary Anderson v Barry Lynn

This is the second scuffle from the Saturday afternoon session which sees a qualifier square-up to a pro, as Lynn (who vanquished Brendan Dolan in yet another shock) faces the Flying Scotsman.

Of course, Anderson is odds-on at 1/25 to take this oche outing in his stride, with an appealing 8/1 price for a 9-0 whitewashing. But, in the Coral UK Open anything can happen. Lynn (10/1) will certainly hope so…

See below for the full list of fixtures and don’t forget to stay tuned on ITV4 for the following fifth round from 19:00-23:00 GMT…

2016 Coral UK Open fourth round draw and full schedule

Main Stage
Benito van de Pas v Simon Whitlock
Peter Wright v Terry Jenkins
Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross
Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld

Stage Two
Jamie Caven v Stephen Bunting
Vincent van der Voort v Andy Jenkins
Adrian Lewis v John Henderson
Gary ANderson v Barry Lynn

Board Three
Joe Cullan v Alan Norris
Mark Webster v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Michael Smith v Stuart Kellett
Joe Murnan v Jelle Klaasen

Board Four
Kim Huybrechts v Justin Pipe
Kyle Anderson v James Wilson
Ricky Evans v Darren Webster
Ryan De Vreede v Mensur Suljovic

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