First point at Westpoint for Wade

JAMES WADE was denied his first win of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts season as Adrian Lewis snatched a point from a thriller in Exeter.

Reigning champion Wade hit three ton-plus finishes in taking a 7-4 cushion against Lewis, but failed to close out victory as the Stoke youngster grabbed a draw.

Wade shook of his below-par form of the opening three weeks with a blistering start to the contest at the Westpoint Arena, bringing the 4,000-strong crowd to its feet in the opening two legs with checkouts of 148 and 104.

He then hit a 180 to set up a double 12 finish for a 13-darter in the third leg as he took a 3-0 lead, only for Lewis to hit back in style.

Lewis landed his first 180 of the game in taking the fourth leg, and punished two missed doubles from Wade in taking out a 13-dart finish of his own to pull back to 3-2.

Lewis then levelled the game by taking the sixth leg, and returned from the break to open the next leg with a maximum - which was matched by Wade before the left-hander landed double ten to regain the lead.

Lewis took out a brilliant 134 checkout to take leg eight, only for double six to edge Wade back in front before the world number three produced a brilliant 132 checkout of bull, bull and double 16 in moving 6-4 up.

A missed bullseye from Lewis, for a 161 finish, was then punished in leg 11 as Wade followed up a 171 score with double 18 to ensure his first point of the season.

Lewis fired in a fifth 180 of the game in taking the next leg, and a 14-darter against the throw ensured the game would go to a decider.

Wade kicked off with a maximum, but Lewis hit a 180 of his own to take him to the finish first, and he returned from a missed bullseye to land double four and secure a draw.

"I gave myself enough opportunities to win the game but 18 months ago I would have killed the game off and I'm not doing that at the moment," said Wade.

"It's my own fault because I didn't play well enough to finish the game off, but hopefully this was a glimmer of the James Wade that is there.

"Perhaps this is a building block for me, and I'm not as negative as I have been for the past three weeks and I know if I turn up and play I can beat anybody on my day."

Lewis said: "I knew James would be determined to get his first win tonight but I went out there and dealt with it.

"Other players have been hitting big finishes against me recently and he did a few against me - the 132 finish was fantastic - and when I went 7-4 down I hit the scores and put the pressure on.

"If I'd been 7-4 up and in James' shoes, I'd have been so relaxed that I'd have won but he hadn't got a point on the board and it's different for him."