Luke Littler’s commanding Premier League Darts victory in Cardiff could be the turning point the world No 1 needed.
The back-to-back world champion secured his first nightly win on his fifth attempt, beating local favourite Jonny Clayton 6-4 in a dramatic final. Littler had opened the night with a 6-4 victory over Josh Rock that was solid if not spectacular, but by the end of the evening he was back to the high-quality scoring that has underpinned his rapid rise.
He produced three ton-plus finishes to overcome Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals, including a match-clinching 170 “Big Fish” checkout, and hit another 170 while also narrowly missing a nine-darter — missing double 15 on the final dart — in his win over Clayton.
Sky Sports Darts analyst Wayne Mardle suggested the Cardiff success could be a catalyst. He said a win often changes momentum and predicted Littler might now build on this and collect more nights. Mardle praised Littler’s temperament, noting he remains unfazed by expectation and is a “cool customer” even when not winning, stressing that occasional barren runs have not derailed his form elsewhere.
While Littler regained his stride, several rivals still seek a spark. Defending champion Luke Humphries enjoyed a dominant 6-1 quarter-final win over Michael van Gerwen but was then beaten by Gerwyn Price in the semis. Night 4 winner Stephen Bunting exited at the quarter-final stage, and Josh Rock remains without a Premier League victory after a run that now stretches at least until Night 6.
Mardle also reflected on the wider field: he believes Bunting will return to winning ways soon and that players such as Rock and Humphries need to start converting strong performances into results. He warned that prolonged winless runs can become damaging — the primary goal for all players is to finish in the top positions and secure a playoff berth.
Next up is Night Six at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. The schedule sees Josh Rock face Stephen Bunting first, followed by Jonny Clayton against Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries versus Gian van Veen. Littler will open his Nottingham campaign against Gerwyn Price in a repeat of their Cardiff semi-final.
Watch Night Six live on Thursday March 12 from 7pm on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports+.