RECORD BREAKING LITTLER WINS FIFTH PREM NIGHT

By Aaron Nijjar  

LUKE LITTLER became the first player to record FIVE Premier League Night victories. 

Teen sensation Littler beat Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in the final at Birmingham on Night 13.  

World No. 3 Van Gerwen broke Littler’s throw in the opening leg of the match with a 74 checkout.  

Littler broke back with a 16-darter in the sixth leg of the match to level the tie at 3-3 in the Utilita Arena. 

Five-time major winner Littler then capitlised on three trebleless visits from Van Gerwen in the ninth leg of the match to win with a respectable 102.50 average. 

Warrington whizkid Littler now sits nine points clear at the top of the table.  

World champion Littler took out a 100 checkout and averaged 98.11 on the way to beating Stephen Bunting 6-5 in the quarter-final.  

‘The Nuke’ threw in seven 180s and averaged 96.56 to record a 6-5 triumph over Nathan Aspinall who squandered a match dart in the bout. 

Littler revealed he was delighted to get the win and is now confident he will finish the campaign in first place. 

He 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. 

“So 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 [vs Van Gerwen]. 

“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 away from 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 whilst I’m cruising at the top.” 

Two-time major winner Aspinall overcame Chris Dobey 6-3 despite missing SEVEN match darts.  

Gerwyn Price defied a whopping 107.11 from Luke Humphries and survived match dart in a 6-5 victory.

Van Gerwen took out a stellar 130 checkout on the way to defeating Rob Cross 6-4 in the last eight.  

MVG threw in a super 118 checkout and averaged 91.98 to beat Price 6-3 in the semi-final.