The Iceman’s Mersey Masterclass: Price Edges Past Humphries to win Night 12 in Liverpool
- Darts Central
- Apr 25
- 7 min read
Chris Dobey reigned in Rotterdam last week, taking home the maximum five points in testing conditions. All eyes now turned to Liverpool, with the race for the play-offs intensifying and Stephen Bunting looking ahead to an emotional homecoming in front of his hometown crowd.
Quarter-Final 1: Luke Humphries 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
The opening quarter-final pitted second against third in the table. Humphries was aiming to bounce back from a disappointing Rotterdam exit, while Aspinall came in full of confidence after defeating Gerwyn Price to climb into third.
‘Cool Hand’ started strongly, racing into a 2-0 lead, but Aspinall hit back instantly with an 11-dart break and a 14-dart hold to level at 2-2. Both players then held throw to leave the match finely poised at 3-3.
From there, the World Number 1 found another gear. Humphries reeled off three stunning legs, an 11-dart hold, a 12-dart break, and a 13-dart hold to seal a 6-3 victory, leaving Aspinall reeling from a late barrage.
Match Stats:
Humphries: 113.50 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 66.67% (6/9)
Aspinall: 104.03 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 75% (3/4)
Victory for Humphries closed the gap on Luke Littler at the top to just five points, with the chance to cut it further in the semi-finals.
Quarter-Final 2: Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Luke Littler
After an underwhelming night in front of his home crowd in Rotterdam, MvG arrived in Liverpool sitting outside the play-off positions. However, a European Tour title in Munich over the weekend showed he was returning to form, while Littler was chasing a record-breaking fifth nightly win, having last triumphed on Night 8 in Newcastle.
‘The Nuke’ made a flying start, storming into a 4-0 lead with two 16-dart holds and two ruthless breaks in 12 and 13 darts. Van Gerwen barely had a dart at a double in the early exchanges.
However, Littler faltered. A missed chance at the bull for 5-0, and then two further misses in leg six, allowed MvG to get on the board. The Dutchman reeled off three legs in a row, including a 120 checkout, to close the gap to 4-3.
Littler responded under pressure with a superb 160 checkout to move 5-3 ahead, but the match was far from over. He missed two darts for victory in leg nine, with MvG punishing with a 72 finish before breaking again to force a decider.
In the final leg, Littler never truly threatened, and Van Gerwen held in 16 darts to complete a remarkable comeback from 4-0 down.
Incredibly, MvG won without hitting a single 180, the first time he’s done so in the Premier League for six years.
Match Stats:
MvG: 95.53 average, 0x 180s, Checkout %: 66.67% (6/9)
Littler: 98.77 average, 6x 180s, Checkout %: 41.67% (5/12)
A huge win for Van Gerwen, who jumped into fourth place on 17 points, edging ahead of Gerwyn Price.
Quarter-Final 3: Rob Cross 6-1 Stephen Bunting
This contest was between two players with contrasting recent form. Bunting, after going winless across his first eight nights, had picked up eight points in the last three weeks, while Cross had suffered three consecutive quarter-final exits. The gap between them stood at just four points heading into Bunting’s emotional Liverpool homecoming.
However, it was ‘Voltage’ who dominated early, breaking in 15 darts and holding in 13 to race 2-0 ahead. Bunting got on the board with a 17-dart hold, but missed two darts to level the match in leg four, mistakes Cross punished ruthlessly.
From there, it was one-way traffic. Cross rattled off back-to-back 13-dart legs before breaking again in 14 darts to seal a comfortable 6-1 victory.
It was a strong, professional performance from Cross, who was clinical on his doubles, while Bunting never truly settled in front of his home crowd.
Match Stats:
Cross: 100.05 average, 0x 180s, Checkout %: 75% (6/8)
Bunting: 91.01 average, 1x 180, Checkout %: 25% (1/4)
The win reignited Cross’s play-off push, closing the gap to the top four to just three points.
Quarter-Final 4: Gerwyn Price 6-2 Chris Dobey
The final quarter-final was a contest between two players coming off very different results. Price struggled badly in Rotterdam’s breezy conditions, losing to Aspinall and slipping to fourth, while Dobey had shone with a 101 average across the night to win his first night of the season.
Dobey opened the match by holding throw, but ‘The Iceman’ responded with three straight legs, showcasing sensational finishing with checkouts of 144, 92, and 128, which were all taken under pressure with Dobey waiting on finishes.
A brilliant 11-dart hold from ‘Hollywood’ closed the gap to 3-2, with both players averaging over 109 at that stage.
However, Price found another gear, holding in 15 darts for 4-2, breaking in 14 darts for 5-2, and closing it out with a composed 15-dart hold to seal an impressive 6-2 win.
Match Stats:
Price: 106.74 average, 5x 180s, Checkout %: 50% (6/12)
Dobey: 105.61 average, 4x 180s, Checkout %: 66.67% (2/3)
It was a commanding display from Price, who bounced back superbly from his disappointment in Rotterdam to reignite his play-off charge.
Semi-Final 1: Luke Humphries 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Humphries, fresh off an outstanding quarter-final win over Aspinall, was chasing a third final in five Premier League nights, while MvG’s comeback against Littler had set up a shot at his second final of the campaign.
The opening four legs were scrappy, both missing chances on the outer ring, with a 2-2 scoreline a fair reflection.
Humphries then took control, punishing more missed doubles from MvG to surge 5-2 ahead, as frustrations grew for the Dutchman.
A 14-dart break followed by a 15-dart hold saw MvG claw back to 5-4, but Humphries kept his composure, sealing victory with an 18-dart hold as MvG sat back on 88.
Match Stats:
Humphries: 98.22 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 40% (6/15)
MvG: 98.21 average, 5x 180s, Checkout %: 22.22% (4/18)
It marked yet another semi-final defeat for Van Gerwen, who has now lost seven of his last eight PL night semi-finals, while Humphries added another crucial point to close within four of Littler at the top.
Semi-Final 2: Gerwyn Price 6-2 Rob Cross
Play-off rivals clashed in the second semi-final, with Price sitting third on 17 points and Cross sixth on 14. Cross had won both previous meetings between the pair this season but was still chasing a first final, while Price was targeting his fourth.
Price stormed into a 2-0 lead before missing a dart at double five for a 3-0 cushion, allowing Cross to finish 70 and halve the deficit at 2-1.
However, ‘The Iceman’ quickly upped the gears, reeling off three straight legs, a 15-dart hold, a 14-dart break, and a 12-dart hold to move 5–1 ahead, with Cross managing just one dart at a double during that stretch.
Cross held throw in 15 darts for 5-2 but never threatened a comeback, as Price calmly closed out the win with a 16-dart hold.
Match Stats:
Price: 105.27 average, 1x 180, Checkout %: 46.15% (6/13)
Cross: 86.51 average, 0x 180, Checkout %: 66.67% (2/3)
It was another clinical display from Price, while Cross’s semi-final woes continued, now seven defeats from seven this season, further damaging his play-off hopes.
🏆 The Final: Gerwyn Price 6-4 Luke Humphries
Price had already climbed back into 3rd after reaching his fourth final, aiming for a third night win, while Humphries had closed the gap to Littler at the top to just four points and was chasing his own third night victory. They had met three times earlier in the campaign, with Humphries leading the head-to-head 2-1.
The final exploded into life as Price broke in 13 darts, but Humphries hit back with brilliant 94 and 155 finishes to lead 2-1. Price levelled at 2-2 despite six missed darts at double.
A chaotic fifth leg followed, with seven missed darts at double between the two before Humphries scrambled over the line to edge 3-2 ahead. Price responded with a magnificent 151 checkout to level at 3-3.
After Price produced a superb 174 setup to leave double 16, Humphries cracked under the pressure, missing three darts at the same target, and Price stepped in to break for 4-3. A 14-dart hold pushed him one leg from victory.
Although Humphries held to close to 5-4, Price was relentless, setting up tops after 12 darts and pinning it first time to seal the win with a huge trademark roar.
Match Stats:
Price: 104.43 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 35.29% (6/17)
Humphries: 102.64 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 30.77% (4/13)
This marked Price’s third night win of the campaign, pulling him firmly back into the play-off hunt and leaving him just one night victory behind leader Luke Littler. Despite the final defeat, Humphries remains 2nd, only four points off the top spot.
Updated Premier League Table After Night 12
Luke Littler remains in 1st place despite a Quarter-Final exit, while Luke Humphries closed the gap to just four points after reaching his 6th final in 12 Premier League nights.
Gerwyn Price moved back into 3rd, thanks to his third night win, leapfrogging Nathan Aspinall, who was knocked out in his opener by Humphries.
Michael van Gerwen, despite his superb comeback against Littler, earned two points but remained outside the play-off spots due to not securing a night win yet.
Elsewhere, Rob Cross’ victory over Stephen Bunting in their Quarter-Final saw him climb above Chris Dobey into 6th place, just three points behind the play-offs.
Last week's finalists from Rotterdam, Chris Dobey and Stephen Bunting, both lost in their openers, with Dobey slipping to 7th and Bunting staying 8th, an especially disappointing result in his homecoming.
Position | Name | Points |
1st | Luke Littler | 30 |
2nd | Luke Humphries | 26 |
3rd | Gerwyn Price | 20 |
4th | Nathan Aspinall | 17 |
5th | Michael van Gerwen | 17 |
6th | Rob Cross | 14 |
7th | Chris Dobey | 12 |
8th | Stephen Bunting | 8 |
Night 13 Fixtures: Thursday, 1st May
Utilita Arena, Birmingham
Quarter-Finals:
Luke Littler v Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall v Chris Dobey
Luke Humphries v Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross v Michael van Gerwen
Final Thoughts
🧊 Price’s Perfect Night: Gerwyn Price not only secured the maximum 5 points to move up to 3rd place, but he also claimed his 3rd Night win of the campaign. He impressed with three ton-plus averages across his matches, finishing the night with an overall average of 105.48, dropping just 8 legs in his three games.
🇳🇱 MvG’s Comeback & Littler Collapse: Luke Littler’s 4-0 lead over Michael van Gerwen in their Quarter-Final quickly evaporated, with MvG fighting back to win 6-5. It was a surprising result, especially considering MvG didn't register a single 180, marking the first time in six years that he's won a Premier League match without hitting a maximum.
🎯 Bunting’s Nightmare Homecoming: The theme of disappointing homecomings in this year’s Premier League continued (aside from Aspinall’s win in Manchester), with Stephen Bunting losing 6-1 to Rob Cross in Liverpool. ‘The Bullet’ never found his rhythm in front of his home crowd, delivering a lacklustre performance that saw him exit early.
Upcoming Tournaments:
Austrian Darts Open (ET5):
April 25th-April 27th, Premstättner Halle, Graz (Live on PDC.tv)
Premier League Night 13:
May 1st at Utilita Arena, Birmingham (Live on Sky Sports)
European Darts Grand Prix (ET6):
May 2nd-May 4th, Glaspalast, Sindelfingen (Live on PDC.tv)
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