Premier League Darts 2025: Luke Humphries breezes to opening-night win in Belfast as Michael van Gerwen beats Luke Littler in basic | Darts Information

Luke Humphries received his BetMGM Premier League 2025 marketing campaign off to an ideal begin with a dominant 6-1 victory over Chris Dobey within the Night time One closing in Belfast.

Humphries made a fast begin within the closing and within the blink of a watch was 3-0 up, 128 and 100 checkouts serving to him dominate.

Dobey struggled on the doubles and that enabled world No 1 Humphries to increase his benefit with one other 100 end, ‘Hollywood’ lastly managing to get on the board with a clutch 126 within the sixth leg.

Nonetheless, that solely delayed the inevitable as Humphries got here again on his throw to wrap issues up on tops, a exceptional 86 per cent on the doubles cementing the authoritative win.

Though very early days, he now sits prime of the Premier League desk on 5 factors.

“I believe that is the toughest Premier League for a very long time. Nights like this won’t occur as a lot as you need,” Humphries advised Sky Sports activities.

“The final two years I have not received off to begin, so it is good to get off to begin.

“I did nice final 12 months and I am hoping to do the identical this 12 months.”

Humphries stayed robust towards Michael van Gerwen to win a 6-5 last-leg shoot-out to get via to the ultimate.

Van Gerwen fought again brilliantly with some large scoring to deliver the sport to 4-3 after being 3-1 down, however then dropped off and allowed Humphries to reinstate his dominance, a silky 120 checkout placing the world No 1 one leg away from the ultimate.

With the match then in a decider, the Dutchman missed match darts on the bullseye and Humphries got here to the oche to clinch 45 on D16.

Dobey booked his spot within the closing with a 6-4 win over Rob Cross, huge ‘Huge Fish’ and ‘Shanghai’ checkouts serving to him on the best way.

In a topsy-turvy encounter, Dobey took three legs on the spin earlier than world No 4 Cross hit again with three of his personal, two breaks of throw serving to ‘Hollywood’ decide up some large factors on opening night time.

MVG and Littler placed on Premier League basic

Van Gerwen began his night time by getting some revenge on Luke Littler for his World Darts Championship closing defeat, profitable in an exhilarating final-leg decider as Littler made historical past with the second-highest Premier League dropping common ever – a mind-blowing 113.91.

In what was an all-time Premier League basic, Littler was motoring on with a median of over 121 within the early levels and took out a mega 161 for a break of throw, his doubling all through spectacular at 45 per cent.

Nonetheless, Van Gerwen hit again with a break of his personal and a 114 checkout to assist him transfer to 5-4 up, earlier than missed match darts allowed ‘The Nuke’ to pin 87 on the bullseye.

With the encounter tense at 5-5 and the 180s nonetheless flowing, a stray dart into T7 took away Littler’s likelihood to complete off 167 and the ‘Inexperienced Machine’ checked out 25 on D8 for an enormous victory.

Within the different quarter-finals, Gerwyn Value misplaced 6-4 to Dobey within the opening match, earlier than Cross held off a Stephen Bunting fightback to win 6-4 and Humphries comfortably noticed off Nathan Aspinall 6-2.

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