Another draw for Wade at Manchester

RONNIE BAXTER battled back from three legs down to grab a draw with James Wade and deny the reigning Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion his first victory of 2010.

Wade picked up his first point of the season a week ago with a draw against Adrian Lewis in Exeter, but was again punished for failing to close out the win at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.

The left-hander led 4-1 and 6-3 but crucially missed three darts for a 7-4 cushion in the 11th leg before Baxter hit back to claim a point.

"I've been practising hard and am trying turn it around, but the results aren't quite coming for me," said Wade. "For the last couple of weeks I've been playing some good darts and my form is coming back."

Wade took out double top to win the opening leg, but Baxter responded in style with a 121 checkout in the second to level.

Wade moved 2-1 up with a 13-darter and hit a 180 and a 100 checkout in breaking Baxter's throw, while a double five finish saw him take a three-leg cushion at 4-1.

Baxter landed a 180 in a 14-darter to pull back the sixth leg, and landed a 13-dart finish in the eighth after Wade posted a sparking 11-dart leg.

A 127 checkout from Wade saw him take a 6-3 lead, but Baxter finished 83 in two darts to take a fourth leg of the match and then stepped in to win a crucial 11th leg, when the world number three missed three darts at double ten and five before the Blackpool man took out 64.

Baxter then hit double 16 to level the game, although Wade regained his composure to take out 85 in two darts for a 14-darter to secure a minimum of a draw.

His hopes of claiming a first win of the year, though, were ended when Baxter opened the deciding leg with two 180s, and although a potential nine-darter went begging he took the leg in 11 darts to take a point.

"I'm happy to get a draw and it's another step towards the play-offs, which is where I want to be," said Baxter. "My average of nearly 104 shows that my hard work in practice is paying off.

"I'm focused and happy with how it's going so far this season."