Luke Humphries beats Michael Smith to take Premier League crown in Brighton

Humphries was too strong for Michael Smith in the final, winning 6-3. Michael van Gerwen failed to get past Rob Cross in the first round but remains the leader in the standings. Catch up with all the action from another stellar night of darts.

Final

Humphries 6-3 Smith

Humphries took the lead by throwing out his own leg in 14 arrows via double 6.

Smith replied with the first maximum score, but Humphries also threw his first in the second leg. Smith had six arrows for 121 and left 16 after three. But 16 did not go out. Humphries failed to break from 90 as he did not throw a bullseye. Double 10 went in for 1-1.

Humphries made it 2-1 by throwing out 143. He opened with a 180 in Smith's leg. He left 41 after nine arrows.

That went out in 11 via double 16 for a 3-1 lead. Humphries and Smith both threw 180 in the fifth leg and brought the total to six already.

Smith was able to break back via 124, but missed bullseye. Humphries threw 68 in two arrows to make it 4-1.

Humphries throws Ironclad again

He threw his fourth 180 in the fifth leg and left 81. Bullseye was missed and so Smith had on 86 and a chance to keep his leg. He too missed the bullseye.

Humphries threw out 25 to make it 5-1. 

Smith also threw another 180 in the seventh leg and took the initiative. Smith failed to throw out 76, but came back for it and made 5-2 via double 8. 

In the eighth leg, which Smith started, came another 180 and that left Smith with 85. That went out in two darts for the 5-3.

Humphries threw out 74 to win the evening. Humphries threw a 101 average in the final.

Semi-finals

Littler 3-6 Smith

Smith got to start and threw 180 in the first leg. He held tops and made it 1-0 via that double 20. Littler started scoring moderately, but had a chance to make it 1-1 on 86, but missed bullseye.

Smith threw out 120 via triple 20, double 20 and double 10 for a 2-0 lead and a break. Littler had to get going and started with a maximum score in Smith's leg, but Smith replied with 180. He again left 120 and again he went to double 10.

This time he missed, but he was allowed to come back for it. He missed and so Littler had the chance on 51, but he too missed.

Smith left 4 but missed again and Littler also missed three arrows again.

Via double 1 it was 3-0. In the fourth leg, Littler had no trouble with Smith and made it 3-1 via double 5. The level remained poor and Smith missed two darts on the double from 57. 

Littler grabbed the break as a result, as double 8 went out: 3-2. 

Littler had 80 left and needed to eject, but missed double 10 twice again. Smith grabbed the rebreak by throwing tops to make it 4-2.

Littler fails to get into the match

Smith hit two 180s in the seventh leg, but Littler went in for 170.

He only missed bullseye and Smith threw out 61 to make it 5-2. Littler came back to 5-3 by hitting double 15.

Smith threw 180 in the ninth leg and left 124. He got a match dart on bullseye but missed. He was allowed to come back for 25 and threw out via double 10: 6-3.

Humphries 6-3 Cross

Cross had 167 left and Humphries 170 in the first leg. Humphries got on first but only missed the bullseye.

He came back for tops and made it 1-0 which was also a break. Humphries cashed in on the break by hitting 51. The second leg went out in 11 darts. Cross followed with a 180 in his leg. 

He had tops left and threw it and got on the board 2-1. He followed with a second 180 in Humphries' leg. Cross waited at 62, but Humphries kept his own leg by throwing out 130 via double 5.

Cross threw his third 180 but had to hope Humphries did not throw out 50.

That did not happen and so Cross had the chance to make it 3-2 from 32 and took it. Cross also threw 180 in the sixth leg and made it 3-3 by hitting 86 from bullseye.

Highest average ever

Cross held 107 over in the seventh leg. Humphries had 85 left through a 180. Cross missed the double, Humphries threw out in two arrows for the third break of the match.

Humphries threw over 112 average, Cross 108.

Cross had a chance for the break on 124 but did not throw out and so Humphries was able to cash in on the break via 71. He succeeded in three arrows: 5-3. It became 6-3 by throwing out 87 in two arrows.

It became the highest ever average for Humphries on TV at 113.71. Cross threw a 108 average.

Quarter-finals

Humphries 6-2 Price

Humphries let it slip a bit in the first leg and that was not smart as he started the match. Humphries had to throw out 115 as the Welshman waited for 32. But he did not find a triple and with the first dart on the double Price grabbed the break right away: 1-0.

By throwing the first 180, the Englishman held 47, but missed two darts on the break. Price had 72 left but did not stay inside the boxes and only got a dart on bullseye.

That went wrong and so Humphries had another chance to break. He succeeded via double 8 and so it was 1-1. In the third leg, Humphries had 111 left and Price 106. Humphries started but missed double 16.

Price had no chance and so Humphries took the lead via double 16.

In the fourth leg, Price opened with 180, leaving Humphries far behind and throwing out 91 via double 16: 2-2.

Humphries cleverly made it 3-2 as he threw out 116 while Price was on 48. He kept his leg via double 18 to make it 3-2. 

Humphries had the initiative in Price's leg by throwing a 180. 47 went out in two arrows to make it 4-2.

Humphries unstoppable

Cool Hand Luke threw his third 180 in the seventh leg. Humphries did not let go of the triple and had 56 left after nine arrows.

In 12 arrows, double 10 finally went out and it was 5-2. Also in the eighth leg, the triples went easily so he had 40 left and Price was still on 164. Tops hit and so it became 6-2. Humphries threw over a 105 average.

Cross 6-2 Van Gerwen

Cross had a chance for the break via 121 through two 140s and 100 but the bullseye was missed. Van Gerwen had 107 left and it had to go out and that went out via double 14. That made it 1-0 for the Dutchman.

Van Gerwen also got one arrow on the break. With 93 left he looked for double 17 and tops. The latter did not go out and Cross threw out 48 via double 8 to make it 1-1. Cross had another chance at the break in the third leg via 78 but missed double 16.

He came back for it and via double 4 he grabbed the break: 2-1. He opened his leg with the first maximum score of the match.

After nine arrows only 41 was left on the board and that went out in 12 arrows: 3-1. 

Van Gerwen failed to throw out 78 so Cross had a chance at the break and he grabbed it on double 18: 4-1.

Cross runs out

Van Gerwen opened with 180 in Cross' leg, but threw triple 5 three times in the following turn.

As a result, Cross kept the initiative in his leg and was allowed to dock for 64. He missed tops and so Van Gerwen had a small chance via 139. That didn't go out either and so Cross was able to make 5-1 on tops and did so.

 Van Gerwen came back with a 54 to make it 5-2. Van Gerwen threw his second 180 in the eighth leg, but Cross got a match dart on 129. Via bullseye, it became 6-2.

Aspinall 3-6 Littler

Littler started the match strongly by throwing out 72 in 14 arrows. Triple 16 and double 12 went in for a 1-0 lead. In the second leg, he threw the first 180 of the match. Littler then almost threw out 164, but missed bullseye. So did Aspinall for a 130 finish.

Littler grabbed the break by throwing out double 5.

He opened again with a 180. Littler missed the first chances on the double from 20 and gave Aspinall the chance on 90 for the rebreak. He only failed to stay inside the boxes and so Littler threw the 3-0 via double 5.

Aspinall had to throw out 156 to keep his own leg with 56 for Littler. Both failed to throw out and double 18 made it 3-1.

Littler continues

Via double 14, Littler kept his own leg and made it 4-1. Aspinall had 148 left in his own leg but only failed to throw double 14. Littler had 56 left and threw on tops to make it 5-1. Aspinall missed tops on 64 and so Littler could have thrown out, but did not.

He missed double 5, which Aspinall did hit. That made it 5-2. Aspinall had a chance to keep his own leg from 8 and did so by throwing double 4.

Littler finished it off on double 10 to win 6-3.

Smith 6-5 Wright

Smith threw a maximum score right away in the first leg and exited via 40.

Wright also kept his leg by throwing out 9 via 1 and double 4. Smith struggled in the third leg but threw out on double 9 to also keep the third leg going with the darts: 2-1.

Wright also kept his own leg, as 44 went out and Smith still on a high 151.

The fifth leg also went with the darts. 96 went out for Smith in two arrows which was handsome as Wright waited for 80.

The sixth leg also went with the darts as 60 went out in two arrows for Wright.

Wright misses two match darts

Smith started with 180 and 140 in the seventh leg and could quickly finish for a 4-3 lead. He held tops over but missed. Wright had 96 left but had no chance for the break. Via double 16, it was 4-3 for Smith.

Wright failed to throw out 104, but Smith still had a high 144 left and that did not go out. Via double 10 it became 4-4. Smith threw his fourth 180 and held 64 left. That eventually went out via double 16 for the 5-4. In the 10th leg, Smith started with two 140s and threw the pressure full on Wright.

With 121 left, the Scot was still on 301. Smith held 84 and got a match dart on bullseye but missed.

Wright did throw 71 out via tops and so everything still went with the darts: 5-5. Smith threw 180 in the 11th and deciding leg at a perfect moment, but Wright followed with 140. On tops, Smith got a match dart but missed.

Wright held 84 and got two match darts. Double 12 was missed and so Smith threw out via double 10 to win 6-5.