The Nuke Breaks Points Record in the Steel City: Littler Defeats Humphries to Win Night 16 in Sheffield
- Darts Central
- May 23
- 6 min read
Sheffield set the stage for Night 16 of the Premier League, marking the conclusion of the league phase and setting the scene for the eagerly awaited Finals Night in London. Records were broken, the final O2 spot was clinched, and here’s how it unfolded in a night packed with drama, top-tier darts, and unforgettable moments.
Quarter-Final 1: Luke Littler 6-1 Stephen Bunting
‘The Nuke’ got off to a flying start, racing into a 3-0 lead with legs of 12 and two 15 darters. His finishing was razor-sharp, producing combination checkouts of 96 (Double 19, Double 19), 101, and 107 to stamp early authority on the tie.
Bunting briefly halted the charge with a 15-dart hold in leg four, taking one of his two darts at double to reduce the deficit to 3-1. But that was as good as it got for ‘The Bullet’.
He didn’t get another dart at double, as Littler closed out the match in ruthless fashion with legs of 11, 13, and a sensational 12-darter in leg seven, sealed with a 127 checkout.
Averaging 114.37 and hitting all six darts at double, Littler delivered a flawless display to break the Premier League points record in style.
Match Stats:
Littler: 114.37 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 100% (6/6)
Bunting: 94.14 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 50% (1/2)
Quarter-Final 2: Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Aspinall settled the quicker of the pair, racing into a 2–0 lead with clinical finishing, holding in 17 darts and then breaking in 13. Van Gerwen responded with a 14-dart break in leg three to halve the deficit, but missed chances in leg four allowed Aspinall to pull away again.
The Stockport star strung together legs of 14 and 12 darts to stretch his lead to 4-1, punishing MvG’s wastefulness on the outer ring. A scrappy 20-dart hold on Double 1 brought the Dutchman back to 4-2, but it did little to shift the momentum.
Aspinall closed out the tie with confidence, hitting a 12-dart hold followed by an 18-dart break to wrap up a 6-2 win. It was a composed and professional display from ‘The Asp’, as Van Gerwen struggled to find top gear once again.
Match Stats:
Aspinall: 98.72 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 60% (6/10)
MvG: 88.72 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 22.22% (2/9)
Quarter-Final 3: Luke Humphries 6-4 Rob Cross
This contest saw early momentum shifts, as Cross surged into a 2-0 lead before Humphries hit back with four dominant legs in quick succession, producing legs in 17, 15, 11, and 16 darts to move 4-2 ahead.
The next three legs went with throw, all completed in 15 darts, as the match progressed to a tenth leg with Humphries holding a narrow 5-4 advantage. ‘Cool Hand’ kept his composure, wrapping up the win with yet another 15-darter to seal a 6-4 victory.
It was a measured and professional display from the World No.1, who continues to show his class on the Premier League stage.
Match Stats:
Humphries: 97.41 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 37.5% (6/16)
Cross: 95.91 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 80% (4/5)
Quarter-Final 4: Chris Dobey 6-5 Gerwyn Price
‘The Iceman’ raced into a commanding 4-0 lead, producing an outstanding burst of scoring and finishing with legs of 14, 12, 13, and 15 darts, limiting Dobey to just two shots at double, both at the bull.
A 15-dart hold finally got Dobey on the board at 4-1, but Price restored his four-leg cushion with a composed 16-dart hold to lead 5-1 and seemingly cruise toward victory.
However, ‘Hollywood’ then unleashed a sensational purple patch, reeling off four consecutive legs in 12, 11, 13, and 14 darts to level at 5-5 in remarkable fashion.
The deciding leg was a tense affair with both players scoring heavily. Dobey, with the advantage of throw, had the first opportunity to finish but missed two match darts on 97. Price then stepped in and narrowly missed two of his own on 87 before Dobey returned and found Double 10 to clinch a stunning 6-5 comeback.
It marked Dobey’s highest-ever televised average, a testament to his resilience and exceptional scoring as he recovered from 5-1 down.
Match Stats:
Dobey: 108.91 average, 8x 180s, Checkout %: 40% (6/15)
Price: 103.96 average, 1x 180, Checkout %: 35.71% (5/14)
Semi-Final 1: Luke Littler 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Littler raced into a 4-1 lead with clinical finishing, maintaining a perfect checkout record up to that point. Aspinall’s only early highlight was a 16-dart hold in leg two.
But ‘The Asp’ dug deep, reeling off three legs on the spin with legs of 15, 14, and 14 darts to level at 4-4. Littler’s only dart at double during that spell was a missed bullseye in leg six.
Unfazed, ‘The Nuke’ responded in trademark fashion. A brilliant 128 checkout under pressure secured a 15-dart hold to edge ahead, before a 13-dart break sealed the win.
It marked yet another victory for Littler over Aspinall, his 14th in their 15 meetings, further underlining his dominance in the head-to-head.
Match Stats:
Littler: 98.42 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 85.71% (6/7)
Aspinall: 96.42 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 40% (4/10)
Semi-Final 2: Luke Humphries 6-2 Chris Dobey
Dobey opened with a tidy 15-dart hold, finishing with a 114 checkout to lead 1-0. But Humphries quickly found his rhythm, rattling off four consecutive legs in 14, 12, 14, and 15 darts to take command at 4-1. Dobey’s only chances in that run came in leg five, where he missed all three darts at double.
A superb 13-dart break from ‘Hollywood’ stopped the rot and made it 4-2, but any hopes of a comeback were dashed in the next leg. Dobey missed two darts at double to narrow the gap, and Humphries punished him with a 15-dart break followed by a composed 13-dart hold to seal a 6-2 win.
The World No.1 delivered another high-quality display to reach yet another Premier League final.
Match Stats:
Humphries: 106.04 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 60% (6/10)
Dobey: 98.18 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 28.57% (2/7)
🏆 The Final: Luke Littler 6-3 Luke Humphries
The early stages of the final swung both ways. Littler took the opening two legs in 15 and 16 darts, before Humphries responded with a 14-dart hold and an 18-dart break, moments after a comical bust on 120, which he then nailed immediately to level at 2–2.
‘The Nuke’ wrestled back control in emphatic fashion, reeling off three straight legs, including a 13-dart break and a 15-dart hold capped by a sensational 155 checkout under pressure for a 4-2 lead. He then produced a stunning 12-dart break, checking out a show-stopping 170 with Humphries sat on 36, to move one away from victory.
‘Cool Hand’ pulled one back with a 15-dart break after Littler bust 65 for the match, but it proved only a brief delay. Littler sealed a sixth Premier League night win with an 18-dart break, falling over the line in what was truly a final full of spectacular moments.
Match Stats:
Littler: 96.99 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 54.55% (6/11)
Humphries: 92.93 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 37.5% (3/8)
📊Updated Premier League Table After Night 16
Luke Littler capped off a record-breaking league phase by finishing on 45 points, setting a new high under the current Premier League format and claiming a sixth nightly win in a dominant campaign.
Nathan Aspinall joined Littler, Humphries, and Price at the O2 after securing back-to-back clutch wins over Michael van Gerwen, sealing his top-four spot and leapfrogging into third thanks to Price’s loss to Dobey.
Van Gerwen endured an inconsistent campaign, ending as one of just two players without a night win and missing Finals Night for only the second time in 13 appearances.
Chris Dobey climbed to sixth with a strong finish, improving on his 2023 debut, while Rob Cross narrowly avoided bottom spot despite a poor run-in. Stephen Bunting, winless through the first eight weeks, couldn't recover and ended his return season in eighth, the same position he finished in back in 2015.
Position | Name | Nights Won | Leg Difference | Points |
1st | Luke Littler | 6 | +57 | 45 |
2nd | Luke Humphries | 3 | +18 | 34 |
3rd | Nathan Aspinall | 2 | +8 | 26 |
4th | Gerwyn Price | 3 | +7 | 24 |
5th | Michael van Gerwen | 0 | -17 | 20 |
6th | Chris Dobey | 1 | -17 | 17 |
7th | Rob Cross | 0 | -20 | 14 |
8th | Stephen Bunting | 1 | -41 | 12 |
Play-Offs Fixtures: Thursday, 29th May
The O2, London
Semi-Finals
(1) Luke Littler vs. (4) Gerwyn Price
(2) Luke Humphries vs. (3) Nathan Aspinall
Final
Littler/Price vs. Humphries/Aspinall
Closing Thoughts
🏆 Littler Breaks Points Record
Luke Littler smashed the previous Premier League points record of 40, finishing on 45 points with a record-extending sixth night win. His dominant league phase ranks as one of the best ever seen in Premier League history.
⭐ Dobey Hits Career-Best TV Average
Although Chris Dobey missed out on Finals Night, he can take plenty of positives from his campaign. He improved on his 2023 league position and delivered some big performances, most notably a career-best 108.91 average with eight maximums in a stunning comeback from 5-1 down to defeat Gerwyn Price tonight!
🐍 Aspinall Qualifies for O2; MvG Exits Early Again
Nathan Aspinall overcame the heartbreak of narrowly missing Finals Night in his last two Premier League campaigns, sealing back-to-back dominant wins over Michael van Gerwen to clinch his place at the O2. Meanwhile, MvG bowed out with a disappointing 88 average in a must-win game, a worrying sign from the seven-time champion.
Upcoming Tournaments:
Dutch Darts Championship (ET7):
May 23rd-May 25th at Autotron, Rosmalen (Live on PDC.tv)
Premier League Finals Night:
May 29th at The O2, London (Live on Sky Sports)
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