Terry Jenkins 8, Raymond van Barneveld 6.

TERRY Jenkins battled back from 6-4 down to claim victory against Raymond van Barneveld in their 888.com Premier League Darts opener.

Dutch ace van Barneveld, who missed out on the play-offs for the first time last season since he joined the PDC in 2006, seemed set to make an ideal start to this year’s campaign when he won five out of six legs in mid-game to edge towards victory.

However, Jenkins hit three 180s in clawing his way back ahead before closing out the victory.

After van Barneveld took the game’s opening leg, Jenkins replied with a 12-darter to level and a 180 in breaking before double 10 won him a third successive leg to move 3-1 up.

Van Barneveld replied with his first maximum of the game in a 14-darter before breaking throw with a 76 finish.

A brace of double 16 finishes pushed the Dutchman 5-3 up, before the Ledbury ace matched a 13-darter from van Barneveld by hitting double top to stop the run in the ninth leg.

Jenkins, though, missed the bull for a 170 finish in the next, and then wasted seven darts at double four as van Barneveld edged home on double eight to lead 6-4.

However, he then missed two darts to reach seven legs and ensure a point in the next, as Jenkins broke on double four.

A 13-darter saw him level, before he hit a 180 in a third straight leg before a 76 check-out moved him 7-6 up.

Van Barneveld battled to grab a point in the decider, but missed a dart at double 18 for a 113 finish and Jenkins capitalised on tops for the win.

Jenkins said: “I’m happy with the win but not happy with the way I played.

“In practice I was whacking everything but didn’t happen when I got on stage.

“Ray struggled a bit and we both followed each other, so it’s good to scrape a win out of it.

“I’ve played well in the Grand Slam and also in the World Championship and it’s disappointing I didn’t play as well as that in this game.”