2220: Phil Taylor has just left the stage after an awesome performance against qualifer Anton Pein.

The Austrian didn't know what hit him and he failed to win a leg against the defending champion who looks like he means business.

He was a best price of 8/11 for the title at the start of the day. Tournament sponsors Ladbrokes are still offering 4/6 now. Another display like this against Mick McGowan in round two and that will shorten up considerably.

2130: Heavily-sweating players have been a feature of the World Championships since their 80s hey day - and day one of the 2007 renewal has lived up to expectation.

John Part must have lost pounds in tonight's first-round clash and it wasn't just the lights of the Circus Tavern stage which were making him perspire.

It doesn't take a lot to make the man known as 'Darth Maple' sweat - us Lifers feel the moniker comes from the Canadian's love of the syrup on his morning pancakes - but Alan Green added more beads to his brow tonight.

Green pushed Part all the way with a special performance, but he fell just short.

Fair play to chubby Mr Part though, he held his nerve in a thrilling final set, coming through it 6-4.

He had missed three darts to win the match earlier in the set and then rattled off three legs in a row to wrap up victory.

However, he'll have to do better than this to add to his 2003 world crown.

If darts players take ice baths, now's probably the time.

1730: There's been a real buzz about Mick McGowan since he qualified for this tournament and he's just shown the wider public why.

The Irishman looked classy from start to finish as he accounted for the 31st seed Matt Clark.

At 2-1 down in sets and legs 'Superman' looked to have bailed himself out with a brilliant 161 shot-out but it turned out to be merely a stay of execution and McGowan closed things out in the next.

Should Phil Taylor - as expected - beat Anton Pein this evening, it'll be 'The Power' v McGowan in the next round. Light the blue touchpaper and retire.

1640: Terry Jenkins manages to avoid the same fate as his fellow seeds Ronnie Baxter and Steve Maish as he cruises past Mark Lawrence, winning through 3-1.

The sixth seed looked pretty impressive which is a shame for our betting preview as he's in the same quarter as James Wade. Still, though, it's a result we saw happening and still fancy 'The Gladitor' to do the business.

1530: Two matches down and two surprise results already as Wynand Havenga creates a little piece of history at the Purfleet.

The first South African to appear in the Ladbrokes.com World Championship takes to the stage looking like a hybrid of 'Big' Cliff Lazarenko and former BDO champion Ted 'The Count Hankey'...and has the darts to match the look.

Steve 'Magic Man' Maish took him all the way - even further than Baxter v Gray - but Havenga held firm before jigging with delight in front of a raucous crowd.

An expletive slips out in his post-match inteview in the Sky studio but no-one is too fazed...the big South African looks to be a real crowd-pleaser and besides, who is going to tell a man of his size to watch his language.

1415: We're just 75 minutes in and already we've had the first shock of the tournament with world No 44 Adrian Gray sending 10th seed 'Rocket' Ronnie Baxter crashing out.

Baxter showed plenty of guts as he fought back to level after both two and four sets but he had his chances in the decider and couldn't finish it off. In fact even when he was fighting hard in the middle of the match it wasn't vintage Baxter.

It's a second straight first-round exit for the Rocket in Purfleet, but take nothing away from Gray. His 'look' will no doubt see him branded the 'David Beckham of darts' but he can clearly toss tungsten and looks a real prospect.

The ever-popular veteran Bob Anderson, his likely second-round opponent, should be on his guard...