Luke Littler makes Premier League Darts history with record fifth nightly win

WARRINGTON teenager Luke Littler made Premier League Darts history in Birmingham last night with a record fifth nightly win as he defeated Michael van Gerwen.

The reigning champion defeated his great rival Van Gerwen 6-4 to secure a thrilling victory, having won through deciding-leg ties against Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall.

With 35 points in the league standings Littler is also within touching distance of breaking the record for most points in a season.
Van Gerwen, in his second final of the season, raced into a 3-1 lead with a 76 checkout. Despite a couple of early missed darts, ‘The Nuke’ hit back with a 120 checkout to stay in touch and then levelled on tops to make it 3-3.
The 18-year-old reigning world champion then moved ahead for the first time thanks to an 81 finish on D13, but then van Gerwen pinned D8 for a 14-darter to make it 4-4.
Littler had time to land his favourite D10 to move within a leg of victory and with Van Gerwen struggling on throw, Littler eventually pinned double-top for the win.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Littler said: “I’m very happy. Obviously, the fifth win, it was going to come at some point, but it’s been a few weeks since I actually won my first game,” said Littler after victory.
“Once I got over the finish line against Steve [Bunting], I was confident and then I got away with it a bit against Nathan [Aspinall], but then it was a bit of a rollercoaster. A cracking game [against Van Gerwen].”
Littler now has his sights set on finishing top of the standings with the Play-Offs at London’s O2 at the end of this month.
“I’ve always thought in my head, the first semi-final of the O2, it’s so crucial because there’s not that big of a turnaround. To win this tonight, I’m nine points ahead of Luke [Humphries], so I’m very happy at the minute, and I’m very confident that I’ll stay at the top of the table.
“It’s getting a bit nitty-gritty at four and five with Nathan and Michael [Van Gerwen], so obviously I’ve done Nathan a bit of a favour there by winning this one. It’s going to be a good few weeks watching those guys fight for top four while I’m cruising at the top.”
Meanwhile, Littler has officially withdrawn from this weekend’s Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix in Germany, but will play at the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt in June.
His withdrawal comes as no shock due to the reception he has received from German crowds in recent weeks.
On Premier League night in Berlin, the teenager was greeted with hostility and then at the German Darts Grand Prix, which took place in Munich, he was also booed.