A smile from Luke Littler as, after starting with a 177, the potential for a nine-darter disappears at his next visit.

The teenager makes a mess of 56 and Bunting punishes him with a clinical 64 checkout.

A bit of Luke Littler magic!

Two treble 20s and a double 19 earn the 17-year-old a hold of throw and a nod of appreciation from his opponent Stephen Bunting.

Currently it's Luke Littler, who is two sets up and throwing first in the third set.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport

Stephen Bunting is best known to many for being one of the best darts players on the planet.

The 39-year-old has gained a massive following thanks to his presence on social media, with many of his combined 350,000 followers across TikTok and X coming thanks to darts and his personality,

But some hail from a lesser-known community who, like Bunting, have a love of collecting retro football stickers and cards.

"When I was a kid getting the packs, I was so excited," Bunting told BBC Sport in June.

"I remember having the sticker books and I was always intrigued with putting the stickers in and trying to fill the books up.

"I'm a massive Liverpool fan, so any Liverpool cards I used to get as a kid - the stadium, the shiny cards and things like that - really got me intrigued and I think that is what gets you hooked."

• Bunting on collecting football stickers

Dan Dawson
Commentator on Sky Sports

Both players averaging over a ton, but ultimately the same result. Littler gets it.

Image source, Reuters

The standard dropped in the second set but it's the same result as the first - Luke Littler wins it.

First to six sets reaches the final.

More missed doubles are costly for Stephen Bunting, who looked in position to hold throw, but instead Luke Littler puts himself in a prime spot to take a two-set lead.

Mark Webster
Former BDO world champion on Sky Sports

I don't think there will be many of them - 18-dart legs.

Both players narrowly miss the bull to complete ton-plus finishes, and both struggle to find the remaining 25 points.

Stephen Bunting eventually gets it done at the second attempt and breaks straight back.

The scoring from both players here is nothing short of sensational.

Stephen Bunting gets a look at 170 and just misses the bullseye, but he's back for 31 - and he can't take it out!

Luke Littler is waiting on double top - that misses, but double 10 doesn't.

A break of throw at the start of the second set.

A three-dart average of 100 or more is generally considered to be the benchmark for a truly world-class performance in darts.

According to a graphic shown on Sky Sports earlier this evening, only eight players - all former world champions - have registered more ton-plus averages in PDC World Championship history than Luke Littler's eight.

And he's only been in it twice!

Phil Taylor holds the tournament record with 56, which came in 25 PDC World Championship appearances.

Dan Dawson
Commentator on Sky Sports

It's a lightning start from the pair of them, but it's Luke Littler who leads.

Image source, PA Media

• 2024 was Littler's first year as a professional
• He reached the World Championship final in January 2024 aged 16, losing to Luke Humphries
• The teenager won 10 titles in his debut year, including the Premier League
• Littler rose from 164th to fourth in the world rankings
• He was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and was runner-up in the main award to athlete Keely Hodgkinson
• His prize money topped £1m

A big dart at double 10 gives Luke Littler the opening set.

This is shaping up to be a cracker. Both have started this one in top form.

Stephen Bunting averaged 113.35 in that first set and he lost it!

Super stuff from Stephen Bunting. Luke Littler way back as Bunting forces a deciding leg.

One thing you can be sure of - it'll be rapid-fire stuff in this second semi-final. Both players have a lovely rhythm and a quick throwing style when they're in full flow.

Stephen Bunting has the edge in the third leg and takes the chance to break straight back.

Both players averaging in excess of 105 early on.

Luke Littler hits his 52nd and 53rd 180s of the World Championship and hits double 10 to break the throw.

First blood to Luke Littler.

The teenage sensation throws a couple of 140s in the opening leg and it's a comfortable hold of throw, although a 180 in a lost cause will give Stephen Bunting some momentum for the next leg.

Michael van Gerwen awaits the winner in Friday's final.

It's the best of 11 sets, the best of five legs in each set.

Let's get going!

*denotes throwing first in next leg

Here we go...

Stephen Bunting enters the arena first - he encourages his fans in the crowd to go Bunting mental as "Titanium" plays loud at the Ally Pally.

Luke Littler follows to Pitbull's "Greenlight" and also gets a great ovation.

Two crowd favourites in action here.