Luke Littler overcomes Rob Cross again to take fourth Premier League win

Final

Luke Littler 6-4 Rob Cross

Littler grabbed the break right away in the first leg, as he threw out 78 in two darts. In the second leg, Littler started with a 180, the first of the match. Cross replied with another maximum score. He left 117 and threw that out too for the rebreak: 1-1. He also opened with a 180 and left 38. He chose to split it and threw out double 16 for 2-1.

Littler also kept his own leg, as 107 went out handsomely. Cross was in fact waiting for 100. Littler opened in the fifth leg with 180 and 140, but Cross stayed close. Littler grabbed the break in the fifth leg as Cross was sloppy. Via double 10, it became 3-2. Cross started the sixth leg with a 180, only Littler could not cash in on the break as Cross threw out double 14 for 3-3.

Littler strikes at key moments

Cross made it to 4-3 as he threw out 87 to take the advantage back in the match. Littler threw a 180 in the eighth leg, the sixth of the match. He also got to 4-4 as 80 went out via tops and double 10. Littler regained the advantage as he threw two 180s in Cross' leg. So he was allowed to dock for the perfect nine-darter.

The seventh also went perfectly, but the triple 19 was missed. But the break was not missed, as double 10 made it 5-4. Also in the tenth leg, Littler threw 180 and missed the first match dart on 124. The bullseye didn't go in. Cross had 126 left, but missed the double 6. Littler eventually won by throwing double 10 and took the win for the second day in a row.

Semi-finals

Rob Cross 6-5 Luke Humphries

Humphries totally failed to give in the first leg and so Cross grabbed the break. He threw out 64 in two arrows. Humphries recovered with a 180 and otherwise also threw a great leg. After 10 darts, it was 1-1. Cross also broke in the third leg as Humphries missed two doubles. Cross did throw out 48 and so it became 2-1.

Cross capitalised on the break as 40 went out via double 5. Humphries finally took another leg as Cross threw poorly. Double 8 made it 3-2. In the sixth leg, Cross struggled with Humphries and had one arrow from 82 for tops, but failed to hit it. Humphries took advantage and took the break via double 8: 3-3.

Deciding leg

In the seventh leg, Cross also had another chance for a break from 77. He got one arrow on tops and eliminated it: 4-3. Humphries failed to snatch the break back as 31 did not go out. Cross had 52 left, but did not throw that out either. Humphries failed again and Cross did now throw out double 16: 5-3. Humphries threw 180 in the ninth leg. Humphries left 40 but again missed three chances at the double.

Cross got a match dart on bullseye, but did not throw it. Humphries did throw double 5 to make it 5-4. Cross threw his first 180 of the match at a very important moment and took the initiative in the 10th leg.

Humphries did apply the pressure by throwing 180. Cross had two match darts from 89 and also missed twice. Humphries had 67 left and threw out: 5-5. Humphries also had a match dart from 104, but missed. Cross also got two match darts from 72 and threw out the match via double 3: 6-5.

Michael Smith 1-6 Luke Littler

Littler took the lead by throwing out tops. Smith replied with a good leg, in which he threw the first 180. He then threw out 87 in two arrows to move to 1-1. Littler took the third leg by throwing out a great 144. Littler grabbed the first chance at the break, as he threw out 87 via double 7 after a 180, to make it 3-1.

Littler and Smith both threw 180 in the fifth leg, but Littler also took the leg. 124 also went out. Littler continued to throw incredibly well and grabbed the double break. The third ton plus finish was a fact as 105 was thrown out via two tops and so Littler was still 100 per cent on the doubles. He threw 180 in the seventh leg and eventually left 40. Littler won the match 6-1 by throwing out double 10: 6-1.

Quarter-finals

Peter Wright 4-6 Michael Smith

Wright started his leg dramatically by 60 and 41 and that immediately gave Smith the initiative in the Scot's leg. Smith also won the first leg by throwing out 60, giving an immediate break. Smith threw the first 180 in the second leg, but Wright replied with another maximum score. He followed with 171, but Smith had 64 left. That did not go out and so Wright was able to take the break from 24, which he did via double 6 and so it was 1-1 again.

As well as the second leg went, the third leg went badly again. Smith therefore easily grabbed the break by throwing out 60 again: 2-1. Smith failed to cash in on the break as 47 did not go out. 60 did go out for Wright and so it became 2-2. Wright opened with a 180 and suddenly found himself in the match. The Scot threw another 180 and threw a ten darter via double 10: 3-2. Smith made it 3-3 from double 18 and thus also kept his own leg.

Great finish for the match

The Scot regained the lead as Smith failed to throw out 80. 10 did go out via double 5 to put Wright ahead 4-3. Smith threw a fine eighth leg and got to 4-4 via tops. Smith opened with 180 in the ninth leg, the sixth of the match. Smith then also grabbed the break as 65 went out via double 18. Wright stepped up the pressure with a 180 to leave 65, but then Smith came up with a very big man finish. 146 went out for the 6-4 win.

Luke Littler 6-5 Nathan Aspinall

Aspinall was complaining a bit about the wind and was not throwing well as a result. Littler had a chance on 40 to break as a result, but he missed three chances. Littler was allowed to come back for 20 as Aspinall could not get 120 out. He missed three arrows again and Aspinall did throw out 65: 1-0. 

Littler threw the first 180 of the match in the second leg and then almost threw out 90, but missed double 16. Double 8 did hit and so the first double went in after nine attempts: 1-1. Littler, like Aspinall, threw 180 in the third leg. Aspinall had a chance at 141 on double 12, but missed. Littler just failed to get 137 out as the second tops did not go in. Aspinall did throw out 24 for the 2-1.

Littler made it 2-2 by throwing out 73 via double 10. Aspinall replied with a 180. Littler almost grabbed the break by throwing 161 out, but the bullseye did not go in. Aspinall threw out tops for the 3-2. Littler made it 3-3 by throwing out double 3.

Aspinall comes close

Again Aspinall opened with 180 in the seventh leg. But Littler also threw 180 and stepped up the pressure in Aspinall's leg. He also grabbed the break by throwing out 64 via tops to take the first tap. Littler made it 5-3 by throwing out tops and was on match point.

Aspinall threw another 180 in the ninth leg and also reached 5-4 via double 3. Littler threw 180 in the tenth leg and left 85. That didn't go out yet, so Aspinall could break via 121. That failed and so Littler was given match darts. He missed three times double 15 and so Aspinall could break via 24.

He did and so it went to an 11th and deciding leg. Littler threw three 140s in the last leg and left 81. That didn't go out and so Aspinall got a matchdart from 160. That went wrong and so Littler still won by throwing out 25.

Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Rob Cross

Cross started the match perfectly with a maximum score. Cross left 98 but failed to throw that out via double 12. He came back for double 6 and did throw that out: 1-0. Cross grabbed the break through as well, as Van Gerwen failed to get 102 out. Double 18 for Cross did go out.

The Dutchman grabbed the rebreak as 98 went out in two arrows via double 19. Van Gerwen threw his first 180 in the fourth leg, leaving 81. That did not go out, but double 6 did go out for the 2-2. Cross threw a great fifth leg and was out in 11 arrows. 44 he threw by throwing single 12 and double 16. Van Gerwen almost threw 161 out, but missed the bullseye. Cross also failed to get 132 out and so Van Gerwen came back to 3-3 via 25.

Van Gerwen gives it away

The Dutchman got an arrow on the break from 167, but bullseye went wrong. Cross did throw out 116 to make it 4-3. Van Gerwen threw an excellent eighth leg and threw in double 18 to make it 4-4. A break did come in the ninth leg, as Van Gerwen threw out 70: 5-4. He threw a 180 in the tenth leg, but then missed the necessary triples.

Cross had the chance for the rebreak via 52 and did just that. So it came down to an 11th leg. In it, Cross threw a 180, followed by 140 to leave 44. That didn't go out and so Van Gerwen got a match dart on 167, but the bullseye went wrong again. Cross threw out 16 with the last dart on double 4 to win 6-5.

Gerwyn Price v Luke Humphries

Humphries was given a walkover into the semi-finals after Price's withdrawal.