Luke Humphries surged to his first Premier League nightly success with wins against Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price in Birmingham to reach Finals Night at London’s O2.
Humphries kicked off the night with a whitewash win over Stephen Bunting, before defeating world No 1 Luke Littler and then Gerwyn Price in the final.
He took out 117, and averaged 100.16 for 6-4 glory against Price meaning all four of the Play-Off spots have now been confirmed.
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Humphries said he was ‘incredibly proud’ after sealing the final Play-Off spot
“I’m incredibly proud of myself, probably the most proud I’ve ever been in my life. For me, the last two Premier Leagues have been easy, getting through in 14 weeks,” said former world champion, Humphries.
“For the last few weeks there has been a lot of pressure on my shoulders. To make three finals and win one means a lot. I get written off a lot as a player but this means I have that grit and determination.”
He added: “Yes [there was a point where I thought I wouldn’t make Finals Night]. When you are five points outside the top four you think you need a miracle.
“But in the back of my mind, my girlfriend’s mind, we knew I had it in me. I needed someone to tell me I could do it, and I’ve believed in myself that last few weeks.
“I’m really proud because it would have hurt me had I not defended the title at The O2.”
Humphries averaged almost 111 as he defeated his arch nemesis Luke Littler 6-3 to reach his third-straight nightly final.
‘Cool Hand’ trailed 3-0 to Littler before reeling off six straight legs for a huge victory.
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Humphries won SIX legs on the spin to beat Luke Littler
Sky Sports Darts‘ John Part called Humphries performance “golden”, saying: “I described Luke’s chances of qualifying a few weeks ago as unlikely. But he’s made them very likely to qualify. What a performance tonight, absolutely golden, you couldn’t ask for much more.”
Price clinched his spot in the Play-Offs for the second successive year defeating Gian van Veen in a tight semi-final encounter.
The Welshman reached his first nightly final since winning in Manchester six weeks ago by taking out 112 and 109 en route to a 6-4 victory against the reigning back-to-back World Youth champion.
Littler claims top spot
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Highlights of the quarter-final between Littler and Jonny Clayton
Littler whitewashed Jonny Clayton with a ton average to guarantee he will finish top of the table for the third campaign in a row.
The teenager teed up another clash with old foe Humphries in the semi-finals, with the reigning champion handing Bunting a 6-0 defeat to eliminate the Liverpudlian.
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Littler walked out to a chorus of boos in Birmingham
‘Cool Hand’ averaged 107.3 with 60 per cent on the doubles.
Van Veen delivered a ton-topping average to down Josh Rock and set up a date with Price.
The young Dutch star averaged over 102 to gain a valuable two points in his push for the Play-Offs, while Price snatched victory from Michael van Gerwen in a back-and-forth thriller.
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Price and Michael van Gerwen suffered with double trouble in their quarter-final encounter
‘The Iceman’ crashed in eight 180s and averaged over a ton to claim a huge two points and edge closer to The O2.
It means Van Gerwen, who made the Play-Offs in 12 of his 13 years in the Premier League up to 2024, has failed to make Finals Night the last two years and is now in danger of dropping down the rankings.
Mark Webster re-joined the Sky Sports team in Birmingham having recently revealed he had been diagnosed with hairy cell leukaemia – a rare form of blood caner – and recovery has been slower than expected.
What’s happening on Premier League Night 16 in Sheffield
The 2026 BetMGM Premier League season culminates at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield with table positions at stake, which will determine who plays who in the Play-Off semi-finals.
Price faces Van Veen and Humphries takes on Van Gerwen, while table-topping Littler tackles Rock, and Clayton goes up against Bunting.
Ranking points are awarded per night – with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists – to form the league table from which the top four players will progress to Finals Night at The O2 in London on Thursday, May 28.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will be defending his title and you can watch the action every single Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.
