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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Rob Smyth

Premier League Darts: Luke Littler overcomes Luke Humphries to win title – as it happened

Luke Littler Michael Smith Van Gerwen EPL Luke Humphries Michael Van Gerwen the Premier League Sky Sports London
Luke Littler with the trophy after beating Luke Humphries in the final.
Luke Littler with the trophy after beating Luke Humphries in the final. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

That’s all for tonight. A year ago Luke Littler was doing his GCSEs; now he’s the Premier League champion. If we all live to 200, we’ll never see anything like this ever again. Goodnight!

Littler won his final six legs in 75 darts: 9, 14, 12, 12, 13, 15. A nine-darter can sometimes jigger a player’s concentration; Littler continued to play with a focus that was almost chilling. He’s already the best young darts player we’ve ever seen. Imagine how good he’ll be at 18!

More from Luke Littler

I’m just enjoying it. I’ve been practicing really hard today. You couple probably see it on the oche, I didn’t even want to blink. All the hard work goes into this.

[How will this victory change you?] I don’t know (laughs). I’m a major winner now, I can put my name on the list of all the other major winners. I can’t wait to go to New York next week and then have a week off in Orlando.

Like Luke said, hopefully we’ll meet in many finals, and now it’s 1-1 in major finals! Ah, I don’t know what to say…

Luke Humphries speaks

I was trying to stick in there. There was a massive breeze coming across the stage all night but that’s credit to Luke – he managed it so well all night. Then the breeze stopped after the break and he just played much better. He’s a fantastic player. I think me and Like are the two greatest players in the world at the moment.

It was another great battle. I know I lose a lot but I just love playing him. We’re gonna have many, many more battles in the future. Tonight he was much stronger than I was, and if you look at the season as a whole he deserves to be Premier League champion.

We both played our part in a great tournament. I’m really proud to make the final. I’m gutted not to win but this is darts; you can’t win everything.

I’m proud of Luke. I love him to bits, he’s a great lad. I hope he goes and enjoys himself. He deserves this moment. And like I said, many more finals in the future!

Luke Littler speaks

I just want to say one thing: for all the doubters, hello! I’ve just picked up this [waves trophy] – you’re not doubting any more!

It’s so good to win in front of my family, my girlfriend and my manager. I just said to Luke, ‘I don’t know what to do!’

[On the nine-darter straight after the interval] After the second leg I needed the toilet, so I went off at the break, and when I came back I thought, ‘This is it, we’re on till the end: let’s do it.’

Littler is presented with the trophy, and now he’s starting to dance round the stage to his walk-on music. On the one hand, this victory makes perfect sense, because Littler was top of the league stage and has proved he can live in any company on any stage. On the other hand he’s 17 years old, and the whole thing is utterly mind-blowing.

Updated

Luke Littler isn’t smiling much – he looks slightly overwhelmed by it all. No tears yet, which is a minor miracle when you consider what he’s just achieved.

Humphries looks the happier man; he has taken defeat admirably, and I suspect a big part of him is excited about the heights these two are going to reach in the next few years. Everyone needs a dance partner, or was it a darts partner.

LUKE LITTLER WINS THE PREMIER LEAGUE!

Littler 11-7 Humphries

The pressure finally tells on Humphries. Littler just keeps walloping trebles, and then he returns to his tops and win his first major trophy! Humphries gives him another big hug, a class act as always, and then Littler is off to see his family.

The first half of the final was frankly a bit naff. The second was awesome. Luke Littler, insert age here, came back after the break and gave treble 20 the beating of a lifetime. I’d love to know his average in his last eight legs; it must be north of 110. Oh, and he hit a nine-darter en route.

Updated

Littler holds! Littler 10-7 Humphries

Littler is on 98 after nine, Humphries 145. “Fancy making a comeback, Wayne,” deadpans Glen Durrant on commentary.

Littler leaves tops, so this is Humphries’ chance. He gets the two trebles but then drops short of D20. Littler ensures he won’t be returning.

Luke Littler is one leg away!

Littler 9-7 Humphries

This is marvellous stuff. Humphries goes tops-tops to finish 134 and stay alive in the game. He’s going to make Littler earn this; the averages since the break must be Brobdingnagian.

Littler 9-6 Humphries

Littler starts again with a 180 on his own throw. How do you break that? Not in this leg: Littler bulldozes another 12-darter to move within two legs of unimaginable glory.

“Apologies to both Lukes,” says Simon McMahon. “No more political references, we’ll get enough of that nonsense elsewhere for the next six weeks. Littler is Foden, Humphries Bellingham. The rest, by comparison, are in the Scotland squad.”

Updated

Littler 8-6 Humphries

Humphries withstood a similar barrage halfway through the World Championship final but that was over a longer format. He does really well to hold in 14 darts – and he had to, because Littler was waiting on 70-odd.

Littler 8-5 Humphries

Littler is absolutely rampant! A savage 12-darter, finished on D10, takes him to within three legs of winning the Premier League in his debut season, at the age of you know what!

Updated

Littler breaks!

Littler 7-5 Humphries My days, Littler has gone into overdrive. He misses bull for a 167 but breaks anyway; he’s won the first two legs after the break in 23 darts!

LITTLER HITS A NINE-DARTER!

Littler 6-5 Humphries Uuuuuuuuuuuunbelievable! Luke Littler, 17 flipping years old, comes straight back after the break and whistles in a perfect leg: seven T20s, D19 and finally D12!

Humphries applauds and smiles with a warmth you can’t fake before giving Littler a big hug. The spirit of darts is alive and well.

“It was only a hold of throw…” says Wayne Mardle.

Updated

Averages: Littler 96.85 – 94.75 Humphries

They’re going in the right direction after a nervy start to the game. I fancy an explosion after the break.

Updated

Interval

Littler 5-5 Humphries

Humphries vrooms through the last leg before the interval. He missed bull for a 12-darter but had loads of time to clean up on D8. The final is now a best-of-11 game, just like in the league stage.

Littler 5-4 Humphries

Another stress-free hold for Littler, this time in just 11 darts. He is definitely the better player at the moment. Neither man is at his best but Littler is closer.

Updated

Littler 4-4 Humphries

Glorious darts from Luke Humphries! He was in trouble after another poor leg, with Littler lurking on 20, then out of nothing despite missing his first dart at treble 20. His timing is wonderful.

Updated

Littler 4-3 Humphries

Humphries waves his hands in irritation after another trebleless visit. He’s miles back when Littler hits his beloved double 10 for a 16-dart hold.

Littler 3-3 Humphries

After another scruffy leg on the scoring from both players, Humphries calmly takes out 52 in two darts. Littler was waiting on tops for a break.

Updated

Littler 3-2 Humphries

Littler holds on D6 with Humphries back in the 200s. The standard hasn’t been great so far, with both players averaging in the low 90s, but we know how this works: as soon as one of them starts belting 180s, the other will follow.

Updated

Littler 2-2 Humphries

Now Littler busts on D15 while going for D10 – and then he misses three more on his next visit. Humphries nicks the leg, a hold of throw that will feel like a break, on tops.

Humphries breaks back!

Littler 2-1 Humphries For the third time tonight, Humphries breaks back immediately after losing his throw. This was arguably the best of the lot, a businesslike 11-darter with Littler well back.

Humphries is so good at ensuring a bad leg doesn’t become a bad spell.

Littler breaks!

Littler 2-0 Humphries

It’s been a jittery start, particularly from Humphries. He has six darts from 76 without going out, busting on D15 on his second visit. Littler takes advantage to break on double five.

Updated

Littler holds! Littler 1-0 Humphries

Littler starts with 99, Humphries with an even ton. Both players have a bounce-out en route to a finish, leaving 125 and 58 respectively after 12 darts

Littler gets down to 40 but then Humphries misses two at 40. A nervy leg ends with Littler pinning D10, last dart in the hand.

Updated

In about 45 minutes’ time, there will be a new Premier League champion. First leg, Luke Littler to throw first. Game on!

Here come the players. Both look relaxed, Humphries in particular. It’s as if they’ve played finals galore in the past year.

Updated

Littler has won the bull and will throw first. The final is slightly longer, the best of 21 legs.

The Premier League roll of honour

  • 7 Michael van Gerwen

  • 6 Phil Taylor

  • 2 Gary Anderson

  • 1 James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld, Glen Durrant, Jonny Clayton

The averages are quite close – Humphries 102, MvG 97 – but that flatters Van Gerwen a little. Humphries, like Luke Littler earlier tonight, made a flying start that gave him loads of breathing space and broke the will of his opponent.

Luke Humphries beats Michael van Gerwen 10-5!

Van Gerwen misses one at D16 for a break; Humphries hits the same double with his first dart to complete a serene, almost routine victory. He has beaten an all-time great with the minimum of fuss and will face Luke Littler in a repeat of the World Championship final.

Updated

Humphries breaks back!

Humphries 9-5 Van Gerwen Part of the problem for Van Gerwen, and Smith earlier, is that he needs multiple breaks but he can never relax on his own throw either.

Humphries reinforces the point with an instant break back, taking out 125 with numbing certainty. He’s one leg away from matching Luke Littler’s 10-5 victory.

Van Gerwen breaks!

Humphries 8-5 Van Gerwen MvG hits five consecutive T20s to leave 81 after nine on the Humphries throw, and returns to complete a 12-darter. He still needs two more breaks but he has the hint of a sniff – if he holds in this leg.

Humphries 8-4 Van Gerwen MvG clings on to his throw, taking out 105 with Humphries waiting on 92. That took bottle.

Humphries 8-3 Van Gerwen

Van Gerwen shakes his head in frustration after missing double seven for a 128, which would have given him a break. It wasn’t a great leg – Humphries went out in 19, having missed two at tops himself – but that was MvG’s chance to start one of his irresistible surges. Instead he looks a beaten man.

“Evening Rob,” writes Simon McMahon. “Watching Littler being followed on finals night by Van Gerwen reminds me of when David Cameron stood opposite Tony Blair and told him ‘you were the future once’. Littler’s emergence almost fully formed on to the world stage at Ally Pally in December still makes the heart beat faster. Though I can’t work out if Luke Humphries is Boris Johnson or Gordon Brown.”

Oi! I can’t believe you’ve compared Luke Humphries to Boris Johnson.

“Some of these walk-on songs are getting pretty tired,” says J.R. in Illinois. “If I was in charge things would be different. Just a couple of examples:

“Luke Humphries would walk out to ‘Ether’ by Gang of Four. Ryan Searle would walk out to a different Black Sabbath song than ‘Paranoid’. Either ‘Ironman’ or ‘Sweet Leaf’. Callan Rydz would have the version of ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ from Young Frankenstein. Martin Schindler would walk out to “Archangel Thunderbird” by Amon Düül II. Also, any song by Pitbull would be barred.”

I miss the days of MvG walking out to the Prodigy.

Interval

Humphries 7-3 Van Gerwen MvG starts with 180 on his own throw, then follows it with 26. He looked like he was revving up nicely in legs two and three but that 132 finish broke him in more ways than one.

He does at least hold to end a run of six successive legs won by Humphries. The players walk off for the break, with Van Gerwen knowing he needs to win seven of the last nine legs to go through to the final. He has won from positions like this in the past, particularly during his imperial phase, but I’m not sure he’s ever done so against a man averaging 107.

Updated

Humphries 7-2 Van Gerwen I don’t know what to tell you, except that we’re going to have a Luke-off in the Premier League final. Humphries is awesome.

Updated

Humphries breaks again!

Humphries 6-2 Van Gerwen Five legs in a row for Luke Humphries, three of them on the Van Gerwen throw. He has been relentless, averaging 106, and this particular version of MvG just can’t live with him. Imagine 2024 Humphries v 2016 MvG!

Humphries 5-2 Van Gerwen MvG almost takes out 148 to break Humphries. Almost is the operative word: he wires D14 and Humphries punishes him, again. He’s just too good.

Humphries breaks again!

Humphries 4-2 Van Gerwen This is marvellous stuff from Humphries, who is battering Van Gerwen about the O2. Another 180 gives him control of the leg against the darts, and he hits tops for a 14-darter.

Updated

Humphries 3-2 Van Gerwen Humphries has gone up a gear. He misses bull for a 170 but has time to return for 15-darter and take the lead again. His average is just shy of 110, and Van Gerwen needs this next leg.

Updated

Humphries breaks back!

Humphries 2-2 Van Gerwen Sensational stuff from Luke Humphries, who takes out 132 on the MvG throw: bull, bull, D16. That was a majestic response to being broken in the previous leg.

Updated

Van Gerwen breaks!

Humphries 1-2 Van Gerwen Suddenly Van Gerwen is in the lead. A solid leg left him on 103 after 12 darts, and though the first dart went in the single seven, he hit T20 and D18 with authority.

Updated

Humphries 1-1 Van Gerwen Oof, an early let-off for MvG. Humphries misses two at D12 to take out 81 and break the throw; Van Gerwen returns to hit the same double, last dart in hand.

Humphries 1-0 Van Gerwen

A very comfortable 14-dart hold for Humphries, so comfortable that he could hit a 180 to leave 26.

Humphries will throw first, having finished above MvG in the league.

The walk-ons Van Gerwen is all business, maybe a bit tense. Humphries smiles his way through his new walk-on song, I Predict a Riot. He has the relaxed air of somebody who knows his A game beats anybody else’s – even Michael van Gerwen’s.

It’s time for the second semi-final: Luke Humphries v Michael van Gerwen, the best player in the world against the best player of the past decade.

Luke Littler speaks

[Which part of your game were you most pleased about?] All of it. I just saw that I had five trebleless visits which isn’t too bad. I knew I had the darts at the start so I wanted to get a decent leg going into the break. I’m glad I took my chances.

I’m just enjoying it. The build-up has been amazing. I came here a few hours ago and I’ve been practising as much as I have done, but it’s paid off.

[Practice or a game of Fifa before the final]. Practice.

Updated

Littler was desperate to finish it on a 170, and it was on when the first dart impaled treble 20. The second dropped too low, so he returned to finish 65 on double four.

Smith didn’t turn up, it’s true, but you wonder how much of that was down to the pressure that Littler applied. He started spectacularly, averaging 115 after five legs. And though that eventually dropped to 100.30, he was always at least two breaks ahead.

A scoreline of 10-5 can tell a few different stories; on this occasion it was an emphatic victory.

Updated

Luke Littler beats Michael Smith 10-5!

It’s all over, already: Luke Littler has trounced Michael Smith in the Premier League semi-final!

Updated

Littler 9-5 Smith Littler takes a leg off and Smith goes out in 11 (I think). Now Littler will throw for a place in the final.

Littler 9-4 Smith

Littler is flying again. A fourth 180 leaves him on 42 after nine, and he returns to hit tops for a 12-darter. He’s one leg away from the final, in his debut season. Guess how old he is?

Littler breaks back!

Littler 8-4 Smith This is being played at dizzying speed. Smith misses tops for 120; Littler nails it for 107 and clenches his fist in celebration. That should nip any comeback in the bud.

Smith breaks!

Littler 7-4 Smith Now then. Littler misses two at D10 – he hasn’t been great on that for once – and Smith finishes 50 on tops. Smith still needs two breaks, but for the first time in a while he has a soupcon of hope.

Those last few legs have done some damage to the averages: Littler’s is 100.27, Smith’s 90.65.

Interval: Littler three legs away from the final

Littler 7-3 Smith

Poor Smith looks a beaten man. He just about manages to hold in the final leg before the interval, though Littler missed five darts for an 8-2 lead.

One of the greatest things about darts is the moodswings, which can be dramatic and unforeseeable, but it’s hard to see anything other than Littler finishing the match straight after the break. Smith’s scoring has been nowhere near his usual standard.

Updated

Littler 7-2 Smith

This is a rout. Littler has actually dropped off in the last few legs – but so has Smith, who misses tops for a break and is punished yet again. Smith hit his first two darts at double; he’s missed the last seven.

Littler breaks again!

Littler 6-2 Smith Every game needs a farcical leg, and that was it. Littler missed eight darts from 28, but Smith kept missing as well and Littler ended the nonsense on D2. A 22-dart leg, the hell he’ll care.

Updated

Littler 5-2 Smith

Smith hasn’t had a look-in on the Littler throw. There’s an outside chance when he has a go at 108, but he can’t hit a treble and Littler punishes him.

The two players have hit seven out of eight doubles so far.

Updated

Littler 4-2 Smith He does hold, though he’ll have been worried when Littler had a look at 130. He couldn’t hit a treble with his first two darts and Smith returned to hit double 4.

Littler is averaging about 116.

Updated

Littler 4-1 Smith Littler is bullying Bully, and I’m struggling to keep up. He takes out 92 on D15 with Smith miles back on 261.

Smith has got to hold in this next leg or it’s probably done.

Updated

Littler breaks!

Littler 3-1 Smith No nine-darter – he managed seven perfect darts before missing T19 – but more importantly he has broken Smith already. He pinged his bestie D10 to complete a 12-darter, and now Smith is effectively two breaks behind.

Updated

Littler is six darts into a nine on the Smith throw…

Littler takes out 144! Littler 2-1 Smith

Now we’re talking. Smith hits a 180 to leave 96, only for Littler to hit T20 T20 and a roof-bothering D12. Great stuff.

Littler 1-1 Smith

Littler almost has a pop at 146 against the throw, wiring a second T19 during his set-up. Smith returns, needing 67, and hits his only dart at tops for a 15-dart hold. He needed that, even at this early stage.

Littler 1-0 Smith

Littler starts with 96, Smith 46, and Littler has control of the leg throughout. Eventually he goes out in 14 darts, finishing 68 on D10.

Littler will throw first, having finished top of the league stage. Let’s play darts.

Updated

It’s time to meet… the players

Luke Littler strolls towards the stage, absent-mindedly fist-bumping fans before embracing his family. When he gets on stage he breaks into a smile and starts conducting the crowd to whatever the hell his walk-on song is*. He looks so relaxed; it’s not right.

Michael Smith looks slightly bashful, as he often does during his walk-on. Once the match starts and he gets into his hypnotic rhythm, he’ll be at home.

* Greenlight by Pitbull, it says here.

Updated

Backstage at the O2

“When I was 17 (a long time ago),” writes Krishnamoorthy V, “I did not even know which college I would be getting into.”

Luke Littler’s breezy maturity is quite something, isn’t it? When I was 17 I could barely say “here sir” at registration, never mind go on Jonathan Ross and Children in Need and wind up a Liverpool crowd.

What this Premier League has confirmed, or at least suggested in the strongest terms, is that Littler’s temperament is commensurate with his talent. That’s terrifying for anyone who plans to play professional darts between now and the year 2050.

Preamble

Hello and welcome to live, leg-by-leg coverage of a big night of darts at the O2 Arena in London. With an apology for any possible recency bias, this might be the most mouthwatering Finals Night in Premier League history. In the next few hours, the top three in the world rankings and the most frighteningly brilliant 17-year-old known to man will battle to become Premier League champion.

The standard is such that the reigning champion Michael van Gerwen, who has won a record seven Premier League titles, is some people’s fourth favourite tonight. Van Gerwen faces the world No1 Luke Humphries – who has won all of their last six meetings – in the second semi-final. Before that the phenomenal Luke Littler, who topped the group stage in his debut season and did we mention he’s bloody 17, faces Michael Smith.

The Lukes are favourites to meet in the final, as they did at the World Championship in January. That’s pretty remarkable when you consider this is their first Premier League season, never mind their first Finals Night. And they are playing two of the greats. Van Gerwen has qualified for every Finals Night bar one since his debut in 2013; Smith was world champion last year and continues to make 180-hitting look utterly effortless.

Whoever wins, it will be a great story. Either one of Smith, Humphries and Littler will become the eighth man to win the Premier League, or Van Gerwen will do so for the eighth time himself and make a statement beloved of serial winners: there’s an old sheriff in town.

  • Luke Littler v Michael Smith (7.15pm)

  • Luke Humphries v Michael van Gerwen (8.15pmish)

  • Littler/Smith v Humphries/Van Gerwen (9.30pmish)

Semi-finals are the best of 19 legs; the final is the best of 21

Updated

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