Littler Triumphs As Brighton Sees 2 Nine-darters
6 March 2025
Luke Littler won night five of the Premier League in Brighton on a night which saw two nine-dart surfaces.
The 18-year-old declared his second night success of the year with a 6-3 win in the final over Nathan Aspinall.
Defending champion Littler hit five 180s as he triumphed again, four days after surging James Wade 11-2 to win the UK Open.
"I've always been positive in my own ability, but the method my darts are going at the minute, it's probably the finest 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 best leg versus Aspinall before losing a decider.
The set both receive a set of solid gold darts, worth an estimated ₤ 30,000 each, from league sponsors BetMGM.
Littler's success sees him cut the space on league leader Humphries to 2 points from 7, with the set meeting in Nottingham next week.
In a rematch of January's world final, where Littler become darts' youngest champ, he triumphed again in Brighton with a 6-2 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals.
The Dutchman, a seven-time Premier League champ, has yet to make a last in this year's competitors.
All the action as it occurred in Brighton
Humphries beats Littler to win Exeter last
27 February 2025
Humphries beaten despite nine-dart surface
Humphries hit the ideal leg with 2 180s before a 141 checkout to go 2-0 ahead against Cross.
But the 30-year-old, who was seeking his third nighttime win of the project, ended up losing 6-4 to his fellow Englishman.
It was the 17th best leg in the Premier League considering that its inception in 2005.
But 2018 world hit 7 180s of his own and balanced 111.19 as he got the triumph.
Littler was far from his best in his opener versus Chris Dobey, where he tracked 5-4 before levelling and clinching the decider with a 110 surface.
Gerwyn Price paid the cost for missing out on doubles as he went down 6-3 to Van Gerwen, while Stephen Bunting stays without a point after a 5th consecutive defeat, beaten 6-2 by Aspinall, who averaged 106.
Sky consistently apologised to audiences after their TV images cut out at various phases 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 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.
Each of the 8 players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks 1-7 and 9-15, with the weeks 8 and 16 fixtures done off the table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.
Players earn 2 points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.
The top 4 players after the group phase development to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing fourth and second against 3rd in a best-of-19-leg match. The last, 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