Gerwyn Price beats Luke Humphries to win Premier League Darts in Liverpool - as it happened

Summary

Gerwyn Price beats Luke Humphries 6-4 in night 12 for third nightly win of season
Welshman moves to third in table with four weeks of regular season remaining
Semi-final results: Humphries 6-4 Van Gerwen, Cross 2-6 Price
Quarter-final results: Humphries 6-3 Aspinall, Van Gerwen 6-5 Littler, Cross 6-1 Bunting, Price 6-2 Dobey

Live Reporting

Sam Drury

MVG has stolen it!published at 20:12 British Summer Time 24 April
Breaking
Van Gerwen 6-5 Littler
Image source, PA Media
Goodness me!
Michael van Gerwen has won this from 4-0 down!
Luke Littler was cruising, more than that, he was flying.
But he missed a dart for 5-0, missed a huge chance for 5-1 and has ended up losing 6-5.
Even in that deciding leg, MVG gave him a chance with a couple of sloppy visits but the teenager couldn't take advantage.
In the end it was Van Gerwen's 16th dart of the leg that won it for him to set up a semi-final against Luke Humphries.
MVG forces a deciderpublished at 20:10 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 5-5 Littler
Who saw this coming when Luke Littler was 4-0 up?!
Michael van Gerwen hits double eight, breaks and sets up a one-leg shootout - and the Dutchman will have the darts.
The crowd are up now!
Littler misses match dartspublished at 20:09 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 4-5 Littler
Two darts for the match go begging for Luke Littler.
Tops and then double 10 are missed.
The pressure is on Michael van Gerwen but he hits double 12 to complete the 72 checkout - a 14-darter to extend the match.
Postpublished at 20:08 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 3-5 Littler
Stuart Pyke
Commentator on Sky Sports
You cannot keep him quiet for long. That was magnificent.
Littler takes out 160published at 20:08 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 3-5 Littler
That's how you stop the slide!
Absolutely sensational from Luke Littler as he goes treble 20, treble 20, tops to win an absolutely crucial leg.
MVG had left 108 but doesn't get a look at it and Littler gestures for the crowd to calm down.
MVG back in itpublished at 20:06 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 3-4 Littler
Suddenly, Michael van Gerwen is back within a leg.
Superb from the Dutchman to take out 120.
Luke Littler has dropped off, MVG has picked up and this is the result.
The world champion still has the break advantage, though.
Postpublished at 20:05 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 2-4 Littler
Stuart Pyke
Commentator on Sky Sports
Image source, PA Media
All of a sudden there is a different outlook on this game. Luke Littler has opened the door and let Michael van Gerwen back in.
MVG breakspublished at 20:05 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 2-4 Littler
Hold on a minute. Luke Littler has given Michael van Gerwen a sniff.
The 18-year-old rushes things somewhat when needing to take out just 59.
That allows MVG in and he hits double 18 to get a break back.
Postpublished at 20:03 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 1-4 Littler
Put the brooms away...
Michael van Gerwen avoids the sweep as he takes out 60 to hold with a 14-darter.
Luke Littler still had a dart at the bull for 5-0. Thankfully for MVG, on this occasion he missed.
It seems unlikely it'll affect the outcome, though.
Postpublished at 20:01 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 0-4 Littler
Wayne Mardle
Former World Championship semi-finalist on Sky Sports
Image source, PA Media
After the exploits of the weekend what a comedown this is for Michael van Gerwen. And that is before you think about the already precarious position he is in in the Premier League table.
Postpublished at 20:01 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 0-4 Littler
This could all be over very quickly.
Luke Littler is playing well but the form Michael van Gerwen showed in Germany over the Easter weekend has deserted him.
Mighty Mike has work to do to avoid a clean sweep.
Postpublished at 20:00 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 0-3 Littler
Wayne Mardle
Former World Championship semi-finalist on Sky Sports
Image source, PA Media
Michael van Gerwen is not at it and Luke Littler is at it. There is a 20-point difference in the averages.
Littler breaks againpublished at 20:00 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 0-3 Littler
He's beating the boos pretty comprehensively so far.
Luke Littler threatens a nine-darter with back-to-back 180s but even when they goes awry, he goes on to break in 13.
The teenager is dominating so far.
Postpublished at 19:59 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 0-2 Littler
Luke Littler consolidates the break... but only after Michael van Gerwen misses a dart at tops for a break back.
The Dutchman went for the tops-tops finish after missing the treble on a 100 out but couldn't get the second of them.
Littler was there to punish him. Double eight hit for 2-0.
Will Littler beat the boos?published at 19:58 British Summer Time 24 April
Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Those boos that greeted Luke Littler were LOUD. But suspect they were more of the comedy variety, than real venom.
Plenty were seeking pictures and his autograph, and last year Littler fed off the atmosphere in Liverpool, taking the nightly win.
Are the boos here for a Manchester United fan fair enough? Hit the thumbs.
The Littler effectpublished at 19:56 British Summer Time 24 April
Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Image source, PA Media
There's little doubt teenager Luke Littler's rise to stardom has seen the profile of darts rocket.
Jamie Shaw, who runs the website live-darts.com, has been coming here to cover the action for several years, and has noticed the change.
"Luke Littler has taken the game to a new level, with a younger Tik Tok crowd. You can see that in the spectators who come," he told me.
"Darts has become fashionable. A couple of years ago there might have been only two or three reporters here tonight, and now you get 15 or so.
"At the World Championship, they needed an overflow room for the press. Views on our website have risen by about 50% in the last two years."
Littler breakspublished at 19:56 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen 0-1 Littler
Image source, PA Media
Some start from Luke Littler!
A 180 on his first visit, another a couple after that and in a flash, the world champ has broken with a 12-darter.
These two play at some pace and it's already blink-and-you'll-miss-it stuff.
Postpublished at 19:55 British Summer Time 24 April
John Part
Former PDC world champion on Sky Sports
I'm going to tip Michael van Gerwen to win the night.
Postpublished at 19:54 British Summer Time 24 April
Wayne Mardle
Former World Championship semi-finalist on Sky Sports
Stephen Bunting will beat Michael van Gerwen 6-5 in the final tonight.
Postpublished at 19:53 British Summer Time 24 April
Van Gerwen v Littler
Liverpool give Michael van Gerwen a great reception but the boos for Luke Littler start before he is even announced.
At least he knew it was coming...
If my lip-reading is any good - it's not - I'm pretty sure MVG just said "it wasn't too bad" to Littler as they shook hands on stage.
It's true, it could've been worse for the world champ.