Luke Humphries enjoyed his first successful Premier League night with a win over Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price in Birmingham to reach the final night at London’s O2.
Humphries started the night with a whitewash victory over Stephen Bunting, then defeated world No. 1 Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price in the final.
He struck out 117 and averaged 100.16 to lead Price to 6-4 glory, which clinched all four playoff spots.
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Humphries said he was “incredibly proud” after clinching the final playoff spot
“I’m incredibly proud of myself, probably the proudest I’ve ever been in my life. For me, the last two Premier Leagues have been easy, winning them in 14 weeks,” said Humphries, a former world champion.
“There’s been a lot of pressure on my shoulders over the last few weeks. It means a lot to be in three finals and win one. It means I have that grit and determination, which is often underestimated as a player.”
He added: “Yeah, there were times when I thought I wasn’t going to make it to Finals Night. When you’re five points out of the top four, you think you need a miracle.”
“But in the back of my mind, she and I both knew I could do it. I needed someone to tell me I could do it. And over the last few weeks, I’ve believed in myself.
“I’m really proud because if I hadn’t defended my title at the O2 it would have hurt.”
Humphries averaged nearly 111 and defeated arch-rival Luke Littler 6-3 to advance to the nightly final for the third straight year.
After falling behind 3-0 by Littler, “Cool Hand” reeled off six consecutive legs and won a big victory.
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Humphries wins six legs on the spin and beats Luke Littler
John Peart of Sky Sports Darts called Humphries’ performance “golden”, saying: “I said a few weeks ago that Luke was unlikely to qualify, but Luke has made them so much more likely to qualify. Tonight’s performance was truly golden and I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Price defeated Jan van Veen in a close match in the semi-finals, qualifying for the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The Welshman reached the night’s final for the first time since winning in Manchester six weeks ago, scoring 112 and 109 points along the way to a 6-4 victory over the reigning world youth champions.
Littler claims top spot
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Littler vs. Johnny Clayton Quarterfinal Highlights
Littler cheated Johnny Clayton in average tons, guaranteeing him a top finish for three consecutive seasons.
The teenager clashed again with his arch-rival Humphries in the semi-finals, with the reigning champions defeating Bunting 6-0 and eliminating Liverpool’s Humphries.
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Littler walked out to a chorus of boos in Birmingham.
“Cool Hand” averaged 107.3 points in doubles, scoring 60 percent.
Van Veen averaged an incredible average on Josh Locke, earning him a date with Price.
The young Dutch star averaged over 102 points to earn him two vital points for a place in the play-offs, while Price wrested victory from Michael van Gerwen in a thrilling back-and-forth.
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Price and Michael van Gerwen hit double trouble in the quarter-finals
‘Iceman’ crashed in the 180’s eight times, averaged over a ton and scored two points, closing in on the O2.
This means Van Gerwen, who reached the play-offs in 12 of his 13 years in the Premier League until 2024, has missed Finals Night in the past two years and is now at risk of dropping down the rankings.
Mark Webster has returned to the Sky Sports team in Birmingham, but recently revealed that he was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, a rare blood cancer, and his recovery has been slower than expected.
What’s happening on Premier League night 16 in Sheffield
The 2026 BetMGM Premier League season will culminate at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena, with table positions on the line and who will play who in the play-off semi-finals.
Price faces Van Veen, Humphries faces Van Gerwen, tabletop Littler tackles Locke and Clayton faces Bunting.
Ranking points will be awarded each night, with five awarded to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists, forming a league table where the top four players will advance to the final night at the O2 in London on Thursday 28th May.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will defend his title and the fight can be seen on Sky Sports every Thursday until May. Stream darts and other top sports now.
