Cadby Misses Chance for Darting Immortality

A string of tournament wins in Australia and a triumph in the World Youth Championship, together with some superb performances against the PDC elite, have catapulted the young Aussie into the full media glare. Almost by accident he also stands on the verge of being unique in modern darts. The career of Phil "The Power" Taylor has been built on the ruthless ability to gain the upper hand upon opponents. For nearly thirty years he has dominated every generation of challengers, by raising his game and working out his competitors, both technically and psychologically. From Bristow and Priestley through to Gary Anderson and MVG no player has ever truly gotten the measure of Phil. Perhaps the ultimate expression of Taylor's individual dominance can be seen in his record against individual players over the years. Using can summarise Taylor vs "the rest". The record shows 197 players challenging Phil, more than once, with 117 of them failing to win a game. Only eight have won 50% of their efforts, the best of these being Peter Evison with a 4-4 tie! Corey Cadby is therefore in a unique position. Until today he had played Taylor on three occasions and lead 2-1. As the only player to have a positive record, over more than two games, victory would have meant a three-one record and the opportunities for further competitive games few and far between.

Photo: Tim Murdoch/PDC