Nine-dart Luke Littler claims Cardiff crown for hat-trick of Premier League weekly titles
Luke Littler fired in a sensational nine-darter en route to claiming his third weekly title of the 2025 Premier League in Cardiff.
The 18-year-old prodigy produced perfection in the Welsh capital as he denied Van Gerwen in a pulsating final with a 112.5 average and ten 180s.
With Luke Humphries and Rob Cross each registering a nine-darter in Brighton a fortnight ago, Littler’s nine-darter makes it a record-equalling three in a single Premier League campaign after just seven weeks of action.
Littler’s moment of magic came in the fourth leg of the final, with the reigning World Champion following up back-to-back 180s with treble 20, treble 17 and double 15, becoming the first player to finish a televised nine-darter on that unorthodox double.
An inspired Van Gerwen dug deep after the nine-darter to draw level at three apiece, and the duo exchanged breaks of throw again.
Another leg was started with a maximum by Littler as he again broke the Van Gerwen throw to move to the brink of victory, and he repeated that trick with his tenth 180 – his 22nd of the night – in an 11-darter to seal glory at the Utilita Arena.
“I had been playing very well but I must admit I hadn’t picked up my darts since last Thursday,” admitted Littler.
“I had no idea that nine-darter was in, I just had to wait for Huw [Ware] to call it.
“I just want to get to The O2 as quickly as possible. I am aiming for another 21 points, and I have put myself in a really good position.
“I said last year I didn’t care about finishing top, but as I am there now I may as well stay here!”
Littler’s run to glory began with a 6-3 win over Nathan Aspinall, averaging 102.2 to continue his emphatic head-to-head dominance over his stablemate.
This was backed up by another imperious display as he overcame Rob Cross 6-2 with a 107.6 average.
Cross had earlier produced his own moment of magic, spoiling the party on home soil for Gerwyn Price with a spectacular 170 checkout in a last-leg decider, after the Welshman had fought back from 3-0 and 5-2 down.
Van Gerwen kick-started his charge to a first weekly final of the campaign with a superb comeback victory over Luke Humphries – recovering from 4-1 down to inflict a third consecutive quarter-final exit on the world number one.
Elsewhere, there was more misery for Stephen Bunting as he marked an unwanted record of seven straight defeats after losing 6-2 to Chris Dobey in the evening’s opener.
Dobey was unable build on that victory, however, as he fell to a crushing 6-1 defeat at the hands of Van Gerwen in the semi-finals.
Premier League Darts 2025 Night Seven Results
Night Seven – Thursday March 20
Quarter-Finals
Chris Dobey 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Luke Humphries 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Littler 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Gerwyn Price 5-6 Rob Cross
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Chris Dobey
Luke Littler 6-2 Rob Cross
Final
Luke Littler 6-4 Michael van Gerwen – *Littler hits a nine-darter*
