Jones' do battle in run of PDC events

Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones showed flashes of his old self against high levels of opposition in the PDC Players Championship over the weekend.

'The Wanderer' made the short trip to the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham and did his best work on Saturday, reaching the third round.

Jones displayed a clinical edge in two 6-1 wins, first putting out up-and-comer Steve Brown before seeing off the talented Dave Chisnall.

The luck of the draw didn't favour the Wednesfield darter much more in the third round as he landed the in-form Robert Thornton.

Thornton was on a roll after winning the UK Open the previous Sunday and Jones could not knock him out of his stride, losing 6-3.

But Jones' erractic form continued in yesterday's second event as he lost, again by 6-3, to two-time PDC world champion John Part.

Jones had produced one of his best performances of recent times in whitewashing Part 6-0 in last December's Players Championship finals.

The 47-year-old will now focus his attention on the next tournament, the second European tour event of the year in Berlin, Germany this weekend.

Joining him on the trip will be namesake Mark Jones, from Brierley Hill, after he qualified for the event with a win at the NIA on Friday night.

Jones wasn't allowed to compete at the UK Open the previous week after failing to register in time to play his third round tie at Bolton's Reebok Stadium.

But the 42-year-old plasterer made it on time and enjoyed a slice of luck as soon as he arrived, with a bye through the first round.

It left Jones only needing a win against Andrew Gilding to make it to the year's second European tour event in Germany next weekend.

Jones did the rest to book his trip to Berlin with a 6-3 win, before returning to the venue for Saturday and yesterday's Players Championship.

Again, Jones made it to second round and banked £400 after a 6-2 win over Ian Jopling, but then lost 6-5 to Raymond van Barneveld.

But Jones' luck ran out yesterday as he went out at the first hurdle as he was drubbed by Denis Ovens, who turned up 'the Heat' in a 6-1 victory.

Meanwhile, Stourbridge's Nick Fullwell landed two second round finishe in the Players Championship in a battling two days of displays.

Fullwell added £800 to his tally for the year after winning both of his matches at the National Indoor Arena but that's as far as it went.

Steve Evans was the first to fall to Fulwlell on Saturday in a 6-3 victory but Michael van Gerwen then ended his chances with a 6-1 win.

Then came Chris Thompson yesterday and another 6-3 win but Richie Howson proved too much, the Essex darter winning 6-2.

Ronnie Baxter was the outright winner of Saturday's event, while van Gerwen took the spoils from yesterday's tournament.