S Poddar
Luke Littler staged an amazing comeback to win the second night of the Premier League in Glasgow, coming from behind to defeat world number one Luke Humphries 6-5 in a last-leg decider thriller. The world champion demonstrated grit during the tournament, especially in his quarter-final against Rob Cross, where he recovered from an intimidating 5-1 gap.
The 18-year-old showed nerves of steel to turn the match around against Cross, ultimately earning his place in the semi-finals. In the final, Humphries had to overcome one further obstacle after he cut the middle finger of his throwing hand and had to apply a plaster. Despite this disruption and obvious frustration brought about by constant whistling from the crowd, he was able to take a 5-4 lead. But Littler kept his cool, producing a clinical 170 checkout and a stunning 55% double success rate. His match average was 101.03, well ahead of Humphries’ 93.68.
“It was a strange final. We both weren’t playing that well,” said Littler, who is currently ranked world number two and took the night’s £10,000 prize.
“Now and again I glance up at the screen and we’re on a 90 average. The crowd got involved.”
Littler’s recent feud with Humphries has been one of the sport’s most intriguing narratives. Having been runner-up to Humphries in last year’s world final, he reversed the script by beating him to claim the 2024 Premier League. His latest win further solidifies his position as a darts rising star.
The audience had a contentious role to play during the night, with referee Kirk Bevins having to step in at one stage and ask fans to cease whistling. Previously, Gerwyn Price, whose reputation is that of a hothead, had reacted to the antics of the crowd by playfully whistling back at them when they were directed towards him.
Littler’s path to the title in Glasgow was far from easy. In the lead-up to this match, he had lost six in a row since his world championship victory, even though he had kept outstanding performances with match averages of over 105 in four of those defeats. Eager to end that run, he dominated Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals, taking him out 6-2. This triumph was especially satisfying, as it reversed his previous week’s defeat to Van Gerwen at the last legs.
Looking back at his incredible come-from-behind win over Cross in the quarter-finals, Littler opined on what he did differently to turn things around:
“I was 5-1 down and then you get a few legs on the spin and my confidence, it just went to the roof and I was able to bring it back.”
Humphries, who won on the first night in Belfast, also had to dig deep in Glasgow, coming from behind to win two successive comeback wins. In his semi-final against Price, he turned it around by winning four legs on the bounce, a feat he had already achieved against Chris Dobey earlier in the session.
Littler became the first player in the modern Premier League setup to come back from 5-1 down and win when she won in Glasgow. Cross, the 2018 world champion, appeared to have the match won but crumbled under pressure, missing three darts for the match as boos rang around the auditorium. Littler took her chance, producing a near-perfect checkout rate of 54.5% and averaging nearly 105.
At the same time, Stephen Bunting’s troubles in the Premier League persisted as he was humiliated with a 6-1 loss against Van Gerwen, who showed a masterclass with a stunning 109 average. Nathan Aspinall had another miserable evening as well, still winless after a 6-4 loss to Price. Humphries, once again resilient, fought back from 4-2 down to defeat Dobey 4-2, copying the week before’s final in Belfast.
Premier League Darts Night 2 Results
Final
- Luke Littler 6-5 Luke Humphries
Semi-finals
- Luke Littler 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
- Gerwyn Price 4-6 Luke Humphries
Quarter-finals
- Rob Cross 5-6 Luke Littler
- Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Stephen Bunting
- Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Gerwyn Price
- Luke Humphries 6-4 Chris Dobey
This win not only solidifies Littler’s dominance but also sends a powerful message to the rest. The Premier League is fast turning out to be a fierce battle night in and night out, with each night producing surprising twists and performances of the night. The young upstart’s performance under pressure proving to be his hallmark characteristic makes him a force to be reckoned with as the competition continues.
