Humphries Edges Past Littler To Win Leeds Final

Luke Humphries ended his 10-week hold for a Premier League nightly triumph pinch a tense 6-5 triumph complete Luke Littler successful Leeds.

The 30-year-old, who had not won a last since beating Littler connected Night 4 successful Exeter, came from 2-0 down to hit 'The Nuke' successful a thriller.

World number 1 Humphries averaged 100.96, pinch 18-year-old Littler astatine 99.89.

Wearing a Leeds United-inspired yellowish and bluish garment astatine nan First Direct Arena - days aft his footballing heroes won nan Championship title to people their Premier League return successful style - 'Cool Hand Luke' made a sluggish commencement arsenic Littler took charge.

But Humphries, who was defending his Leeds crown from 12 months ago, past won 3 consecutive legs and edged 5-3 ahead.

Littler, though, deed backmost to return nan lucifer to a final-leg decider.

Both men missed bull finishes for 100-plus checkouts, but Humphries kept calm to deed double 10 and seal nan success.

He had earlier flooded bottom-of-the-table Stephen Bunting 6-4 successful nan semi-finals to group up a 4th Premier League last of nan play against Littler.

A 6-4 triumph successful nan past 8 complete Michael van Gerwen besides confirmed his spot astatine finals nighttime connected May 29 astatine nan 02 Arena, while Bunting's conclusion ruled him retired of nan finals reckoning.

Littler showed his value successful a convincing 6-3 semi-final triumph complete Gerwyn Price, wherever nan defending Premier League champion came backmost from 2-0 down to dominate.

Price's 6-5 quarter-final triumph complete Rob Cross had booked his spot successful nan last four.

Littler's nighttime triumph successful Birmingham past week booked his spot for finals night, while quarter-final victories for some Humphries and Price sealed their spots successful nan 02 Arena showpiece.

Dutchman Van Gerwen and Nathan Aspinall some missed nan chance to adjacent nan spread connected Price successful 3rd spot pursuing 6-4 defeats to Humphries and Littler respectively. A quarter-final exit for Cross besides diminished his hopes.

Van Gerwen and Aspinall will meet adjacent week successful Aberdeen and a tally could spell a agelong measurement to deciding their last position, but nan brace could besides look each different for 4th spot connected nighttime 16 successful Sheffield erstwhile nan fixtures are decided by convention positions.

As it stands, nan duo inhabit positions 4 and 5 and only a constituent separates them. With 2 points up for grabs successful that quarter-final and 4th and 5th facing each other, that lucifer could beryllium to beryllium a winner-takes-all affair.

In nan last quarter-final of nan evening, Bunting came from 5-2 down to pip Chris Dobey 6-5. The 'Bullet' sealed only his 3rd quarter-final triumph of nan play pinch a 121 checkout, but could not get past Humphries, who will look Littler again successful nan past 8 successful Aberdeen connected 15 May.

Final

Luke Littler 5-6 Luke Humphries

Semi-finals

Gerwyn Price 3-6 Luke Littler

Luke Humphries 6-4 Stephen Bunting

Quarter-finals

Rob Cross 5-6 Gerwyn Price

Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Luke Littler

Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Luke Humphries

Stephen Bunting 6-5 Chris Dobey

Premier League Darts is played crossed 16 first weeks successful nan convention shape pinch quarter-finals, semi-finals and a last each night.

Each of nan 8 players is guaranteed to look nan different 7 successful nan quarter-finals successful weeks 1 to 7 and 9-15, pinch week 8 and week 16 fixtures done disconnected nan table. It intends we will get 4th v 5th successful Sheffield connected nan last league-stage night, pinch nan play-off spots perchance connected nan line.

Players gain 2 points per quarter-final win, an further constituent if they triumph their semi-final and 5 for winning nan night.

The apical 4 players aft nan group shape advancement to nan play-off nighttime astatine London's O2 Arena connected 23 May, pinch first facing 4th and 2nd against 3rd successful a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is nan champion of 21 legs, follows.

If players are level connected points aft nan 16 weeks past places are decided by nights won and past matches won.

Thursday, 15 May - Aberdeen