Luke Humphries secured his place in the Premier League play-offs after a brilliant performance in Birmingham, where he ended Luke Littler's 10-match winning streak. The defending champion has struggled for much of the league phase but delivered when it mattered, defeating Littler in the semi-finals before overcoming Gerwyn Price in the final at the Utilita Arena.
Play-off line-up confirmed
Humphries' victory means the top four is now settled ahead of next week's final league round in Sheffield. He joins Littler, Jonny Clayton, and Price at the O2 in London on May 28. Seven-time champion Michael van Gerwen misses out for a second consecutive year, while debutant Gian van Veen's campaign will also end in Sheffield, along with Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock.
Humphries: 'It's relief'
Speaking on stage after his win, Humphries expressed his relief. “It’s relief. You see from the way I felt at the end. It’s been a struggle this year. I’ve worked incredibly hard, changed to my old points, my old flights, and it worked for me. We’ve all been through those stages, it shows true grit from that position I was in. To get through takes some determination and I’m proud of that.”
He added: “I’m just incredibly proud of myself, probably the most proud I’ve ever been in my life. The last three weeks there’s been a lot of pressure on my shoulders. When you’re five points from the top four you kind of think, ‘Well you need a miracle here’. I’m really happy I can go back to the O2 and at least give it a chance.”
Key moments
Humphries was facing a semi-final defeat to his arch-rival Littler, who had two darts at his favourite double 10 to go 4-0 up in the race to six. However, Littler surprisingly missed, and that proved decisive as Humphries won six legs in a row to stun the teenager, who was aiming for a record seventh nightly win of the campaign.
The 31-year-old then followed up with a 6-4 victory over Price to earn his first weekly win and seal his spot in London. Price's run to the final ensured he will finish the league stage in third place. The Welshman, who withdrew from last week's event in Leeds due to illness, guaranteed his place in the capital with wins over Dutch pair Van Gerwen and Van Veen.
There were familiar early exits for Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock, who has managed only four wins in 14 matches during a debut campaign he will want to forget.
