LITTLER TRIUMPHS IN LIVERPOOL TO REGAIN TOP SPOT
Luke Littler clinched his third nightly win in the 2024 BetMGM Premier League on Thursday night, dispatching Rob Cross 6-2 to triumph on Night 13 in Liverpool.
Littler – also a winner in Belfast and Manchester on Nights Nine and Ten – returned to the Premier League summit after claiming another five-point haul at the M&S Bank Arena.
The teenage superstar overcame Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall and Cross to scoop the £10,000 bonus in Merseyside, which sees him establish a five-point lead over his closest rival Luke Humphries.
Littler opened Thursday’s action with an impressive 6-3 success against Price, producing a ton-topping average to deal a major blow to the Welshman’s slender Play-Off ambitions.
The 17-year-old then fought back from 5-2 down to stun Aspinall, surviving five match darts across the last three legs to complete an unlikely turnaround.
This set up a showdown against 2018 World Champion Cross in the evening’s showpiece, and Littler made a rip-roaring start, converting 111 and 86 checkouts to create an early cushion.
The World Youth Champion extended his lead to 5-0 to threaten the first whitewash win of this year’s competition, before fending off a late rally from Cross to prevail with a 105 average.
“I’m just happy with the way I played,” reflected Littler, who continues to shine on his Premier League debut.
“I wanted to come here, pick up some more points, and hopefully I’m in the Play-Offs now.
“I knew what to expect [with the atmosphere], but I always like to engage with the crowd, and I was just playing with complete freedom up there.
“I’m really happy to pull away from the chasing pack. There’s only three more league nights left now, so maybe I could top the table. That would be amazing.”
Cross had snapped his seven-match losing run with victory over Smith in the quarter-finals, averaging 102 and converting 66% of his attempts at double to triumph in a high-quality tussle.
The 33-year-old later ran out a convincing 6-2 winner against Michael van Gerwen to advance to a second nightly final of 2024, punishing 16 missed darts at double from the Dutchman.
Earlier in the night, Van Gerwen reeled off five consecutive legs from 3-1 down to deny Peter Wright in the last eight, which mathematically ended the Scot’s hopes of a top-four finish.
Elsewhere, Aspinall boosted his top-four credentials with a resounding quarter-final win against Humphries, averaging 102 and pinning six of his eight attempts at double to close out a 6-2 victory.
The 2024 BetMGM Premier League continues in Aberdeen next Thursday, as the darting roadshow rolls into the P&J Live on Night 14.
League leader Littler will renew his rivalry with Aspinall in the quarter-finals, while Scotland’s number one Wright opens the show against Play-Off chasing Smith.
World Champion Humphries will play 2023 runner-up Price, as Van Gerwen and Cross go head-to-head for a second week in succession.
The 2024 BetMGM Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.
2024 BetMGM Premier League
Night 13 (M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool)
Thursday April 25
Quarter-Finals
Luke Littler 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Luke Humphries
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Peter Wright
Rob Cross 6-4 Michael Smith
Semi-Finals
Luke Littler 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Rob Cross 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Final
Luke Littler 6-2 Rob Cross
Night 14 (P&J Live, Aberdeen)
Thursday May 2
Quarter-Finals
Peter Wright v Michael Smith
Luke Littler v Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross
Gerwyn Price v Luke Humphries
—–ENDS—–
Images: Kieran Cleeves/PDC
