Littler Triumphs As Brighton Sees Two Nine-darters
6 March 2025
Luke Littler won night 5 of the Premier League in Brighton on an evening which saw 2 nine-dart finishes.
The 18-year-old declared his 2nd night victory of the year with a 6-3 win in the last over Nathan Aspinall.
Defending champion Littler struck 5 180s as he triumphed once again, 4 days after surging James Wade 11-2 to win the UK Open.
"I have actually always been confident in my own capability, but the method my darts are going at the minute, it's probably the very best I've ever used a consistent basis," Littler told Sky Sports.
World number one Luke Humphries hit the very first Premier League nine-darter of 2025 in the quarter-finals but was beaten by Rob Cross, who went on to seal his own ideal leg versus Aspinall before losing a decider.
The pair both receive a set of strong gold darts, worth an approximated ₤ 30,000 each, from league sponsors BetMGM.
Littler's triumph sees him cut the gap on league leader Humphries to 2 points from 7, with the pair conference in Nottingham next week.
In a rematch of January's world last, where Littler become darts' youngest champ, he triumphed once again in Brighton with a 6-2 triumph over Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals.
The Dutchman, a seven-time Premier League champion, has yet to make a final in this year's competitors.
All the action as it took place in Brighton
Humphries beats Littler to win Exeter final
27 February 2025
Humphries beaten regardless of nine-dart finish
Humphries hit the best leg with 2 180s before a 141 checkout to go 2-0 ahead against Cross.
But the 30-year-old, who was seeking his 3rd nightly win of the campaign, ended up losing 6-4 to his fellow Englishman.
It was the 17th best leg in the Premier League considering that its beginning in 2005.
But 2018 world champion Cross hit seven 180s of his own and balanced 111.19 as he got the victory.
Littler was far from his best in his opener against Chris Dobey, where he tracked 5-4 before levelling and clinching the decider with a 110 surface.
Gerwyn Price paid the price for missing functions as he went down 6-3 to Van Gerwen, while Stephen Bunting stays without a point after a fifth successive defeat, beaten 6-2 by Aspinall, who averaged 106.
Sky repeatedly apologised to audiences after their TV pictures cut out at numerous stages during the early part of the evening.
Premier League Darts Night 5 outcomes
Luke Littler 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen 2-6 Luke Littler
Rob Cross 5-6 Nathan Aspinall
Gerwyn Price 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Littler 6-5 Chris Dobey
Rob Cross 6-4 Luke Humphries
Stephen Bunting 2-6 Nathan Aspinall
Premier League Darts is played across 16 preliminary weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.
Each of the eight gamers is guaranteed to face the other 7 in the in weeks 1-7 and 9-15, with the weeks 8 and 16 components done off the table. It means we will get 4th v 5th in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.
Players make 2 points per quarter-final win, an extra point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.
The leading four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with very first dealing with fourth and second versus 3rd in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.
Premier League Darts Night 6 order of play
Nottingham, 13 March, 19:00 GMT
Luke Humphries v Luke Littler
Rob Cross v Chris Dobey
Stephen Bunting v Gerwyn Price