PDC World Championship: Cullen, Evans and Williams win in straight sets

Catch up with all the action from the afternoon session on day three at Alexandra Palace:

Ricky Evans (53) 3-0 Simon Adams (-)

Evans had some early problems as he hit just one triple in the first leg.

This gave Adams three darts for a break straight from 40 but missed. Evans failed to throw out 124 and so Adams was allowed to come back for 20. That too went via double 10 and double 5 not out.

Evans failed to throw out 64 and so Adams came back again, this time for five. Double 2 went wrong twice and so Adams already missed eight darts on the double.

Evans then? No, he too missed three arrows from 32 and so Adams did take the break this time.

In the second leg Evans was awake and the doubles came easier. He immediately took the break by hitting 54 in two arrows: 1-1. In the third leg, Rapid Ricky threw the first 180 of the match, leaving 61. He missed the double 16, allowing him to hit 94, which went out in two arrows.

The fourth break in a row was also thrown by a good leg from Evans. A 78 went out via tops to make it 2-2.

In the last leg, Evans again threw 180 and another 140 to leave 24. With the first dart in hand, Evans again threw a double 12 and so the set went to Evans.

Evans hits the gas

Another break came right away in the second set.

Evans hit 121 and threw a single 20, triple 17 and the bullseye to make it 1-0 in the second set. 

The second leg was the best so far. Evans threw out a leg in 12 arrows, throwing his third maximum score. An 89 eventually went out for a 2-0 lead.

Evans continued to finish well as Adams was on 38 in the third leg, where Evans was on 112. That went out, making it 2-0. In the second set, Evans threw a 100.2 average.

Evans was throwing well. The first leg in the third set went out in 14 arrows via tops, in which he managed to throw his fourth 180.

Adams had a chance to make it 1-1 from 100 but failed to find a triple. Evans hit 60 from tops to take another break and make it 2-0.

The last leg also went out in 14 arrows. Double 4 made it 3-0.

In the second round Evans will meet Nathan Aspinall.

Jim Williams (47) 3-0 Norman Madhoo (-)

Williams started the match excellently with two 140s and 100, putting him on 121 after nine arrows.

He eventually held 32 and hit the double with his second arrow. Double 16 was thrown for a 1-0 lead.

Williams missed four darts in the second leg, but that did not matter, as Madhoo was nowhere to be seen. Via double 8, it became 2-0.

Madhoo had one chance at a leg but missed double 16. Double 8 did go out for Williams and so it became 3-0.

Madhoo had every chance to win a leg but missed eight darts on the double. Williams finally threw out on double 10 and retained his leg.

In the second and third legs, Madhoo had no chance. Via double 18 and double 16, Williams again won the set 3-0. 

In the third set, the picture was the same. Williams' double 16 made it 1-0. He threw his first 180 in the second leg, which Madhoo had already thrown, and again went on to win the set via double 16.

He also threw his second 180 and via 81 to finish the match in two arrows.

Matt Campbell (57) 3-2 Lourance Ilagan (-)

Campbell started the match well and threw out 82 via double 8.

In the second leg he was 14 arrows out. With the first 180, 81 was eventually thrown out in two arrows. 

Ilagan took the rebreak by throwing out 32. In the fourth leg, he also threw his first 180 but failed to make it 2-2. Five darts on the double went wrong and via tops, Campbell took advantage and took the first set.

Ilagan won the first leg of the second set. With eight left, he deliberately busted as Campbell had 160. 

That didn't pan out, and eventually, Ilagan threw out the leg on double 1. Ilagan threw his second maximum score but did not win the leg. Campbell threw out 70 via double 4, while Ilagan waited for 80: 1-1.

Ilagan had 104 left in the third leg but did not find a triple. The Canadian had 24 left and threw out 24 with the third dart in hand. Thus the first break of the set fell and it became 2-1.

Campell threw his third maximum score in the fourth leg, leaving 57. That went out in two arrows via tops to make it 2-0 in sets.

Campbell misses match darts

In the third set, Ilagan did something right back.

Throwing 140 twice put him on 80 and that went out via double 10 for a break. Campbell threw five perfect darts and provided himself with a good position for the rebreak.

That was also grabbed via double 8 to make it 1-1 again.

Campbell pressed on in his leg, throwing 56 out in two arrows. He took about half of his chances and was hardly in trouble. Ilagan did not give up as he won the leg by throwing out 65 via single bull and tops. Thus, the set went to a decisive fifth leg.

The Filipino did not give home in that leg, but Campbell gave it away by missing five match darts. Ilagan threw out 100 to win the set 3-2.

Campbell relinquished

In the first leg of the fourth set, Ilagan threw out 153 straight away to increase the pressure. Campbell responded by throwing out 100 via double 10 to level the score.

Campbell had six darts for the break, but that too failed and so Ilagan threw himself, via double 16, to 2-1 in the set. Campbell recovered by throwing out 68 in two arrows.

In the last leg, he was waiting on 48, forcing Ilagan to throw out 104. He did so and it became 2-2.

Great last set

Campbell did not seem mentally broken yet, as he continued to throw stoically in the fifth set. Triple 19 and double 18 went out for a two-dart finish.

He threw 180 twice in the following leg to leave 41. That went out via double 16 to make it 2-0 in the set. Campbell eventually won by throwing out 128 via double 16.

Joe Cullen (14) 3-0 Darren Penhall (-)

The match started very well with two 13 darters.

Penhall threw out tops in his leg to take the lead. Cullen threw out the first maximum score in the second leg and eventually threw in the 1-1 via double 8. Cullen then grabbed the break with a high finish.

A 160 went out for the 2-1 and he got to start the fourth leg himself. Cullen was on 127, Penhall 121. Cullen missed the bullseye and Penhall also missed the bullseye.

The Englishman threw 37 out in two arrows via double 16 and won the first set.

Cullen scores well and avoids trouble

Cullen continued in set two where he scored well in the first leg.

With 18 left he did not go for double 9, but 10 double 4 and that went out in two arrows for the 1-0. 

Penhall came back by throwing out double 10, so the first two legs went with the darts. Cullen had 129 standing and that had to go out as Penhall was waiting at 32.

Triple 19 went in, so did the first double 18, but not the second.

Cullen was allowed to come back anyway, as Penhall failed to throw 32 out. With the first arrow in the hand, Cullen finished it off via double 18 to make it 2-1.

Penhall had 8 left in his leg but threw double 13 instead of 4. Cullen failed to get 94 out and so Penhall had another chance and he did take it.

Cullen opened with 180 and then threw 180 again. The seventh did not hit and so no nine darter. In 14 darts the leg finally went out via double 4 to make it 2-0 in sets.

In the third set, Cullen delivered the final blow by throwing out 82 in two darts via bullseye and double 16.

Cullen still threw his fifth maximum score in the second leg, leaving 20. Double 10 made it 2-0. Penhall did throw out 101 from double 12, but Cullen hit his fifth match dart from double 2 to win 3-0.