Luke’s Lit in Liverpool

Red Dragon Darts

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




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