Luke Humphries claimed a crucial 6-4 win over Luke Littler in Manchester, halting the teenager’s push for a record fifth nightly win in this year’s Premier League Darts campaign.
In front of a lively home crowd, the reigning world champion held his nerve in a tense, high-quality clash between the league’s top two players.
Missed Chances Cost Littler Dearly
The defining moments came in leg six, when Littler—needing double five—accidentally hit double 20 to bust a score of 90. He later missed the bullseye in leg nine. These errors, combined with a poor finishing record—just 4 of 21 on doubles—ultimately proved costly.
Despite posting a higher average (96.63 to Humphries’ 93.8), Littler’s 19% checkout rate stood in stark contrast to Humphries’ efficient 46.2%.
Close Call with Nine-Darter
The match also featured a near-historic moment. In the fourth leg, Littler came within a whisker of throwing a nine-darter, only to miss double 12 by inches. Humphries playfully mimicked a binocular gesture, teasing the miss in good spirits. The two exchanged smiles and fist bumps, showing mutual respect.
This came after Gerwyn Price earlier threw a perfect leg in his quarter-final—earning himself a £30,000 set of gold darts from sponsor BetMGM.
League Implications
Humphries’ victory narrows Littler’s lead at the top of the table to five points. A win over Nathan Aspinall in the final could reduce the gap to just three.
Still, Littler remains in a strong position with 28 points and a cushion of at least 13 points over fifth place. With six regular nights remaining, the teenager looks well on course to secure a play-off berth—and possibly still write his name into the history books.
