Latest news with #Warringtonian
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Is that a mistake?' Luke Littler asks ahead of crunch clash with Gerwyn Price
LUKE 'The Nuke' Littler has laid down the gauntlet to Gerwyn Price ahead of their mouthwatering semi-final clash in the Premier League Play-Offs at the O2 Arena in London. Reigning champion Littler booked his place as the number one seed in the showpiece deciding night earlier this month, but it was only after Thursday's final round of the league phase in Sheffield that the teenage sensation learned who would be in his way to reach the final. The manner in which Price surrendered third spot to Nathan Aspinall by giving up a 5-1 lead against Chris Dobey in his quarter-final means Price will play Warrington's world champion Littler after he had looked primed to face second-placed Luke Humphries. Littler finished off a record-breaking league campaign in style as he claimed a sixth nightly victory in Sheffield to finish on 45 points – a new high in this format of the competition. Although the 18-year-old's record is not great against Price he is certainly confident in his form going into the conclusion of 16 weeks of league action that he mostly led from top spot in the table. 'Gezzy was 5-1 up, if he won that game he would have been third,' Littler said. 'Is that a mistake? Certainly I am ready for next week. He has the record against me, but it is the O2 and I'm looking forward to it. 'I am very happy to break the records I have broken this year. But for myself, winning in Sheffield is a massive boost and a massive bonus and it gives me a lot of confidence going forward next week.' More: I went to watch Luke Littler at the darts and this is what it was like More: What a night as Luke Littler heads to Premier League Play-Offs in top form If Littler does beat Price, he would meet either Humphries or Aspinall in the final as he looks to defend the title he won last year. Price has a 7-6 win record against Littler, including six wins in a row, and he looked to have the measure of the Warringtonian over a 12-month period. But 'The Nuke' has come out on top in their past two meetings, both in Premier League nightly rounds. Littler won 6-3 in their quarter-final in Manchester on April 10 and by the same scoreline in their semi-final in Leeds on May 8.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Littler hits nine-darter on way to solidifying Premier League top spot in Cardiff
LUKE Littler hit a nine-dart finish on his way to solidifying his position at the top of the PDC Premier League table. The Warringtonian world champion achieved darting position in the fourth leg of the Night Seven final against Michael Van Gerwen as he reached the weekly decider for the fourth week in a row. After a brace of 180s, Littler hit a treble 20, treble 17, double 15 combination to check out 141 and send the Welsh capital crowd into raptures. It is his second Premier League nine-darter after hitting one in last year's final against Luke Humphries, his second of the calendar year overall having won a leg in nine darts against Adam Hunt in the Players Championship earlier this month and his sixth in professional tournaments to date. LUKE LITTLER HITS THE NINE DARTER! 🚨 What a moment! Luke Littler joins the nine-dart club in the Premier League this year, as he pins the nine-darter in the fourth leg of this final and now leads 3-1! 📺 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 20, 2025 That put the 18-year-old into a 3-1 lead in a final of the highest quality as Van Gerwen refused to go away, but Littler closed out a 6-4 win to pick up his third nightly win of the year. As closest rivals Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price both left Cardiff without any points, the Warringtonian world champion was able to extend his lead at the summit to six points. His average kept climbing throughout the night as he moved serenely through the gears, topping out at a staggering 112.50 average in the decider against Van Gerwen. But unlike on Night One when he averaged an even higher 113.91 against the Dutchman only to lose the game, Littler closed out victory in a game in which both men broke throw with regularity. Van Gerwen, playing in his first nightly final of the year, deserves credit for not subsiding especially after Littler's nine-darter moved him two legs clear. He fought back to 3-3 and struck back at 4-4 after Littler had broken his throw again, only for the defending champion to make his decisive move. An average of 107.67 saw him comfortably see off Rob Cross 6-2 in the semis - a game that was finished off with a 120 checkout having earlier checked out 109 to quell a Cross fightback. He ensured he would leave with points on the board by beating Nathan Aspinall 6-3 in his quarter-final, averaging a shade over 102. More to follow Quarter-finals Chris Dobey 6-2 Stephen Bunting Luke Humphries 4-6 Michael Van Gerwen Luke Littler 6-3 Nathan Aspinall Gerwyn Price 5-6 Rob Cross Semi-finals Chris Dobey 1-6 Michael Van Gerwen Luke Littler 6-2 Rob Cross Final Michael Van Gerwen 4-6 Luke Littler (Littler hits nine-darter)
