Luke Littler rocketed to the top of the Premier League darts table with his third win of the season, defeating Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in a dramatic Berlin final.
Littler advanced to a high-scoring 6-3 quarter-final against Stephen Bunting, defeated Gerwyn Price for the third week in a row, and this time dispatched Van Gerwen to clinch his third Premier League title in four weeks, defeating the Welshman 6-4.
The world number one averaged 106.36 points and scored four times in the frenetic match at Uber Arena, with Littler seeing off the Dutchman with more than three tons in the final three legs, including two ‘big fish’ checkouts.
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Luke Littler records consecutive 170 seconds and wins Premier League Week 8
Littler lost an early three-leg lead, but increased his lead to 5-3 when he scored his first 170 finish of the night, repeating the feat on his next throw hold to earn £10,000 and five points for the night’s win, moving him two points ahead of Johnny Clayton in the standings.
Van Gerwen sent on Luke Humphries and Josh Lock to surprise Creighton and give them their first Premier League win of the season. They reached the final for the first time since the second night, and that run earned them three points and moved them into the top four.
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Josh Lock falls to the floor after defeating Johnny Clayton 6-3 after first Premier League win
Price defeated Jan van Veen, who returned from last week’s tournament after missing last week’s tournament due to a kidney stone, en route to the semi-finals, and remained in third place ahead of Van Gerwen, leaving defending champions Humphries midway through the league and out of the play-off places.
“Big Fish” double helps Littler win the night
Littler took the early initiative in the final by breaking Van Gerwen on D10 after finishing on 81, with ‘The Nuke’ holding his throw with a 126 checkout at the bullseye to take a 3-0 lead into the race.
Next Van Gerwen kept his throw and finished above his own ton to break Littler and hit the bullseye for 124, taking 88 to level the score, but after a wayward finish Littler narrowly reversed.
Littler opened a two-leg buffer with the first ‘big fish’ of the night, but saw Van Gerwen miss a dart at the top and force a deciding final leg, before the 19-year-old sealed the win with another impressive 170 finish.
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Luke Littler explains decision to change darts on Premier League night eight
“Germany wasn’t too bad tonight,” Littler told Sky Sports. “I played very well and they were on my side at times. I was back in the 170s!”
“I think this is definitely the best I’ve played all night. I said before the game that if I win the first game, I’m going to change my darts in the second game. That’s going to be a conversation for some people. The target wasn’t quite right, so I made some adjustments, but it worked out tonight.”
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Highlights of the darts match between Luke Littler and Stephen Bunting in the Berlin Premier League
Berlin wins, Littler wins again
Littler was predictably booed by a section of the Berlin crowd before each match, but showed no ill effects from the reaction as he scored a 103 checkout for a four-leg advantage against Bunting.
Bunting, who posted an average of 107.47, avoided a whitewash with an impressive 167 finish on the bullseye and held onto his next throw, but Littler won back-to-back legs and advanced to the semi-finals.
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Stephen Bunting checks out 167 on the bull to regain legs against Luke Littler
Littler averaged 108.58 in the semi-final against Price and threatened to go as far as he did in last week’s dramatic final after the Welshman scored a 152 checkout to move to a 4-3 advantage.
The world No. 1 won the next match with 11 darts, taking advantage of Price’s missed dart at the bullseye to break for double five and claim his 13th victory over the ‘Iceman’ in their last 14 meetings.
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Gerwyn Price scores a 152 checkout in the semi-final against Luke Littler
In the opening game of the night, lackluster play prevented Creighton from posting its highest points against the Rock, but the Rock sparked wild celebrations after securing a 6-3 victory and securing their first points of the Premier League season.
Lock opened the semi-final against Van Gerwen with back-to-back maximum shots and a 10-dart slow break, but the Northern Irishman lost 6-3 and was left to lament his poor finishing, hitting just three of 16 doubles as he awaits his first night’s final.
Van Veen avoided a disaster in the quarter-final against Price with a 113 checkout, but remains in sixth place with nine points, two points behind Bunting, with Humphries currently in fifth place behind Van Gerwen.
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Jan van Veen checks out 113, avoids whitewash with Gerwyn Price and holds big celebration
What’s next?
The ninth night of the Premier League will be played at Manchester’s AO Arena, with Van Gerwen facing Bunting and Price facing Humphries.
Van Veen will face Littler, who will be looking for his fourth win in five weeks, while Creighton will face Lock again after losing to the Northern Irishman in Berlin.
Watch Premier League Darts every Thursday until Final Night on May 28th. Week 9 from Manchester will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event from 7pm on Thursday 2nd April. With NOW, you can stream darts without a contract.
