Two of a kind: Is a Lewis/van Gerwen duopoly inevitable?  

Young stars look most likely to share the spoils in darts’ top tier following recent success

Between them, they've won the last two majors on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit and presently have the most engaging rivalry in the sport. After winning his maiden World Championship, 24-year-old Dutch ace Michael van Gerwen has toppled Phil Taylor to become current world ranked number one.

Last Sunday, Adrian Lewis bagged the UK Open title, netting £50,000 and pummelling Terry Jenkins 11-1 in the final with a huge three-dart average of 109 in the process. Lewis, 29, moved back up to third spot in the PDC Order of Merit following his fourth major title win.

In the past 18 months, Lewis and van Gerwen have met countless times in televised tournaments, many of them coming in big majors. Aside from three meetings in the Premier League, they've crossed paths twice in the World Championship, in the World Matchplay, Masters, Grand Slam, World Grand Prix and European Championship.

Most encounters between the two have been of the highest standard, being lauded by fans, pundits and fellow players as among the greatest matches of all time. In terms of wins, they're about even, but both have quite a lot in common. Heavy scoring is the pair's modus operandi, while they're capable of having a string of sub-12-dart legs.

While they are occasionally prone to missing a few doubles, they compensate for that with sheer scoring power. Two other common traits they share is pace of play, which is blink-and-you'll-miss-it-type stuff and their capacity to entertain. The latter has made both Lewis and van Gerwen big draws, be it for major events or on the exhibition circuit.

The waiting game

At the moment, neither player is close to matching Phil Taylor's trophy haul, winning nine individual majors between them. However, they both have time on their side, but as soon as the 53-year-old decides to hang up his arrows for good (most likely when his £3m sponsorship deal with Target ends in 2019), are they likely to share most of the game's big prizes?

Although a lot can change in the short term, at the moment, it looks likely that they wlll share the year's big tournament wins with Taylor. Going on Taylor's early slip-ups on TV, the most recent coming at the UK Open in losing to inexperienced youth player Aden Kirk, there's a possibility that the two could maintain a duopoly over 2014 at least.

Right now, the two look a little bit better than the rest, although they might need to iron out the odd inconsistency from their games. Also, they might have to cope with other players, be they close to them in the rankings or a little lower down, raising their games against them. Terry Jenkins showed how it could be done in beating van Gerwen in the semis in Minehead.

Longer-term, they may have to wait and see if Taylor's early 2014 woes continue for longer than expected. It's likely that The Power will see his game come back upon getting used to his new darts, but if Old Father Time has his way, then they could be ready to step in and duke it out for the title of best player in the world.

Something that could work in their favour is the fact that many of the leading contenders behind them in the rankings are well into their 40s. This applies to Simon Whitlock, Peter Wright, Raymond van Barneveld, Andy Hamilton, Justin Pipe, Robert Thornton, Mervyn King and Gary Anderson.

While some, most likely Pipe, are likely to carry on playing at a high level beyond 50, there's no guarantee that they will be around to keep pace with the Lewis/MvG axis. There are a few other younger players who may either see their best form come back or shoot up the rankings and fulfil their huge potential.

In the former camp, there are James Wade, who may be beginning to edge towards his best, Dave Chisnall, Wes Newton and Kim Huybrechts. Of this group, Wade is the only one with a major to his name. The latter group is headed by Michael Smith, whose game appears to almost be a carbon copy of Lewis's.

Other promising young talents such as Jamie Lewis and Ricky Evans might well challenge the pair one day, with others possibly waiting in the wings. However, potential can be hard to fulfil in any sport, especially one where the higher echelons are dominated by experienced heads.

Older obstacles

A total duopoly is unlikely to materialise in the next five years. Taylor will still be around, while others including Wade and Whitlock may be able to add to their major hauls. Also, with there being nine majors to play for in a calendar year, it's going to be hard for one or the other to win the lion's share. Beyond that, it's a strong possibility.

One of the younger players going through a rough time could end up emulating van Gerwen by winning a few tour events and bringing their floor form to the big stage. Smith may be the most likely to do this, but it's no certainty.

If a duopoly happened, darts would be left with a major rivalry, which would be great for generating media interest, but would the others just be fodder? It could be the case. In all likelihood, they will swap the top spot between them with a few majors going to the Wades and Huybrechtses of the world.