Van Gerwen beats Littler to book much-needed Premier League victory

Catch up on all the action from night 11 in the BetMGM Premier League as the play-offs start to draw nearer:

Final

Luke Littler 3-6 Michael van Gerwen

Van Gerwen was allowed to start the match and did so superbly. 

Within five innings it was 1-0 via double 6. Van Gerwen threw a puddingleg and saw Littler come alongside in the second leg. Via double 10 it became 1-1. Littler had the first chance at the break from 113, but could not find a double. Van Gerwen busted and so he was allowed to come back for it. Tops went out for a 2-1 lead.

He could not enjoy that break lead for long, as Van Gerwen cleverly threw out 125 to make it 2-2.

Van Gerwen wasted the chance to make it 3-2 by two misses on double 8. Littler took advantage by hitting his favourite double 10 to post a break: 3-2. Van Gerwen only threw the first 180 of the match in the sixth leg. Again Van Gerwen managed to break back quickly, as double 8 was hit this time.

Littler also threw his first 180 in the seventh leg and had the chance for another break on 87. He missed bullseye, allowing Van Gerwen to go in for the 4-3 and hit double 10.

He seemed a bit unleashed from that moment on, as he threw eight triples in the first three innings and was out in twelve arrows via double 10 again: 5-3. 

Van Gerwen won the match by throwing 95 out via double 8. A very important victory for the Dutchman.

Semi-finals

Luke Humphries 5-6 Luke Littler

Humphries almost threw out 112 in the first leg but missed double 16. He was allowed to come back for it and made it 1-0.

He also started Littler's leg with a 180. After nine arrows there were only 36 points left, but Littler was almost out via 151. Tops went wrong and so Humphries was able to grab the break. 

He did so via double 9 for a 2-0 lead. Littler came back in the third leg and took the rebreak by again throwing out 90 via double 15.

Littler started the fourth leg with six perfect darts and went on to hit the perfect nine. 

The eighth unfortunately went wrong, but the win was not in danger. Double 5 made it 2-2. In the fifth leg, Littler again started with six perfect darts, but again a nine-darter was miseed. Littler hit 108 from tops to take the break again. He was also throwing above 110 average.

Exciting match

In the sixth leg, Littler again threw a 180 and 52 made it 4-2. The fourth leg in a row for him. It even became 5-2 as 94 also went out in two arrows via triple 18 and tops. Another break and match point for Littler.

Humphries started Littler's leg with 180 and eventually grabbed the break via 68: 5-3. A 140 was there for the match, but Littler missed double 10. Humphries had 83 left and threw via two tops to make it 5-4. Littler still had the chance via 72, but missed a match dart on tops. Humphries made it 5-5 via double 8 and grabbed the break.

Littler threw 180 in that leg and left double 14 for the match. That hit and so Littler still won the match: 6-5.

Michael Smith 4-6 Michael van Gerwen

Van Gerwen got off to a good start by throwing out 108 straight away via double 16: 1-0. His second leg was as bad as he started. And so Smith was able to throw out from 48 to make it 1-1.

In the third leg Smith had a chance to break from 121, but missed the bullseye. Van Gerwen had 100 left, but threw that effortlessly in two arrows to take the lead again.

From 75 he also had a chance at the break, but tops was missed. Smith had 46 left and threw the 2-2 via tops. The fifth leg also continued to go with the darts as double 8 went out for 3-2.

In the sixth leg, Van Gerwen could not force a chance at the break and it became 3-3. Smith hit double 5 after missing seven darts on the double.

Van Gerwen wins important pot

Only in the seventh leg the first 180 was thrown. Van Gerwen threw that one and left 120. That didn't go out, but he was allowed to come back for it. Via double 10 it became 4-3.

In the eighth leg, there was a lot of pressure on Smith's 109 and that did not go out. Van Gerwen was waiting on 65 and threw it out via tops to take the first break: 5-3.

Smith grabbed a clever rebreak from 107 via tops. That made it 5-4. Van Gerwen almost ended the match via 128, but double 4 was missed. He came back and finished the match: 6-4.

Quarter-finals

Peter Wright 4-6 Luke Humphries

In the first leg, Peter Wright had only one chance to finish his own leg, but missed tops. Luke Humphries hit double 14 to make it 1-0 and take the break. In the second leg Wright also had the chance to break from 80 and he took advantage.

Humphries missed two darts on double 16 to make it 1-1 with two tops. Humphries also had a chance for the break in the third leg, as Wright missed two arrows on tops. But with 110 left he got a triple and so Wright had another chance with tops and this time he hit the target: 2-1.

The Scot started the match well and had the chance for a second break via 47 and took it. Tops went out again: 3-1. Wright kept throwing well and took the 4-1.

A 130 had to go out as Humphries waited for 92 and 130 went out via the bullseye.

Wright throws away lead

Humphries made it 4-2 through a good leg by throwing out 42 via an eventual double 16. Humphries also only threw the first 180 of the match in the seventh leg. He did put himself in a good position for the break.

Wright had 123 left, but did not finish. Humphries did throw 52 to take the break: 4-3.

He started his leg with a second 180. He then threw three triples and went for the magic nine-darter. The eighth dart unfortunately did not go into the triple 17, but 52 did not go out either and as Wright threw a good leg with a 180, 87 was out for a break.

However, Wright did not stay inside the boxes and so it was still 4-4 via double 16. Wright threw his second 180 in the ninth leg and came out on tops, but he missed three arrows and Humphries also had 40 left.

That went out via double 5 for another break: 5-4. Humphries won the match by throwing out 92. He thus won five legs in a row to secure the win.

Rob Cross 5-6 Luke Littler

Luke Littler faced a tough one right away in his own leg, as 90 had to go out. Rob Cross faced 52, but pressure hardly felt by the 17-year-old darter. In two arrows it went out for the 1-0. Littler threw the first 180 and left double 12 and so 102 had to go out to avoid a break against. 

102 also went out via double 18 and so it was 1-1. Littler was sloppy with 73 in the third leg and only got an arrow on bullseye and missed. Cross took advantage from 92, but Littler did not get 25 out. Cross had 8 left and threw the break via double 2: 2-1.

Littler threw a poor leg in the fourth and so Cross could very easily make it 3-1 via double 8.

Littler almost threw out 170 in his own leg, but missed the bullseye and so Cross was able to take the double break via 94, but did not throw out. It meant 25 had to go out and went out for Littler: 3-2.

Cross needed to throw out 116 to make 4-2, but missed double 18. The 42 did go out for Littler and so it was tied: 3-3.

Decisive leg

The young Englishman regained the lead by throwing out 60 via double 10: 4-3. It became 4-4 as Cross threw out 56 via double 18.

Cross threw only his second 180 of the match in the ninth leg, leaving 85. He grabbed the break by throwing out bullseye and was allowed to start the tenth leg to end the match. 

Littler had two chances for the break from 90 via double 15, but missed. 120 was still there for Cross, but that too did not go out. Littler threw in the break via double 15 to make it 5-5. He started the 11th leg with a 180.

He left double 18 for the match and did not throw it out, but double 9 did. Thus, Littler won 6-5.

Gerwyn Price 3-6 Michael Smith

Gerwyn Price needed to throw out 87 straight away in his own leg, but failed to do so. The bullseye was missed, allowing Michael Smith to take advantage from 32 to get the break. He seized the opportunity with both hands to make it 1-0.

The break was almost cashed in from 134. Triple 19 went in, but two tops just missed. He could come back for it, as Price did not finish as well. Tops made it 2-0 after all.

Price had to throw out 74 in his own leg, as Smith was waiting on 40. Triple 18 went in, but the arrow that should have gone in the double 10 went in the single 15 and so the chance was gone. With one arrow, tops was hit by Smith and it was 3-0.

The second break in a row. Smith had 145 left to cash in on another break but missed double 14. Price failed to get 47 out and so it was 4-0 via double 6.

Price not good on doubles

In the fifth leg, Price threw the second 180 of the match and so went into an easy leg: 50 went out via tops and so the Welshmen finally got on the board: 4-1.

Scoring was much better for Price and also in the averages: 99 against 105, but throwing out was again the problem.

In the sixth leg, he had a chance for the break from 91 and this time he threw out very well. Double 17 and tops took him to 4-2. Smith had one chance to break on 110, but missed tops. Price threw it out and came back to 4-3. Price came all the way back with a 180 and was able to build towards a second break in a row. 

The break did not come, as Smith hit 95 with two triples: 5-3. Smith finished the match with 62 and did so. Double 4 was hit for a 6-3 victory.

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Nathan Aspinall

Van Gerwen started the first leg and left 65. The single bull went in, but tops did not. Aspinall did not get 146 out and so the Dutchman still took the lead via tops: 1-0.

Van Gerwen was able to grab the break from 140 but missed double 10. Aspinall had 52 left and threw in two arrows to make it 1-1.

Van Gerwen threw the first 180 of the match in the third leg and had no problems in his leg. Double 10 went out after 14 arrows for a 2-1 lead. Five triples in the first two innings for Aspinall allowed him to easily get to 2-2.

He eventually threw out double 8. In the fifth leg, Aspinall also threw his first 180, giving him a chance for the break via 85 and taking the break by hitting the bullseye.

Aspinall failed to throw out 40 for 4-2, but Van Gerwen missed the bullseye on 122. And so Aspinall came back for 10 and now did make it 4-2.

Van Gerwen fights his way back

It was 4-3 as Van Gerwen threw out 19. But he still needed a break somewhere to win the match.

That break came in the eighth leg: 70 went out for the 4-4. Van Gerwen cashed in on the break in very clever fashion. 152 went out via double 16 to put the Dutchman 5-4 ahead. 

On tops he could finish the match and he did. Thus Van Gerwen scored a very important victory.