Summary

  • Luke Littler beats Nathan Aspinall in final of Premier League Darts night nine in Belfast

  • Littler got past world champion Luke Humphries and reigning Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen to reach final

  • World number four Aspinall defeated Gerwyn Price in quarter-final and Peter Wright in last four

  1. Wright scraps to 5-2 leadpublished at 21:05 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 2-5 Wright

    Cross gets six darts at a finish before Wright can even have one and on 164, leaves himself three darts at double 16 for what could have been a 13-dart leg.

    Cross misses all three, hitting eight on the last to give Wright a lifeline.

    With 56 left, the Scot hits a single 16 and misses two darts at tops.

    Cross then misses all three darts at double 12 and Wright responds with a double 20 to make it 5-2.

    Poor finishing from both.

  2. Cross comes backpublished at 21:02 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 2-4 Wright

    Rob Cross throws a dartImage source, PA Media

    Peter Wright has only completed a match with an 100+ average once this year in the Premier League, coming in a night four defeat by Luke Littler in Newcastle. Tonight, he has not been miles away from getting close to that.

    Wright controlled most of that leg, but missed out on 120 to go 5-1 up.

    Cross fights back, checking out 60 with two 20s and a double 10 to cut Wright's advantage.

  3. Wright goes three legs clearpublished at 21:00 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 1-4 Wright

    A convincing leg for Peter Wright on his throw and with Cross around 250 behind him, Wright makes the most of three darts at tops, taking it out at the first time of asking for a 13-dart leg.

    Rob Cross is currently averaging just over 80.

  4. Postpublished at 20:58 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 1-3 Wright

    John Part
    Former PDC world champion on Sky Sports

    You have to punish when you get the chance, when you've been the player losing out time after time, to change the script.

  5. Wright breaks Crosspublished at 20:58 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 1-3 Wright

    Peter Wright throws a dartImage source, PA Media

    Cross is given the chance to level on his throw with three darts at 92, but falls short leaving himself double 18.

    Wright has 89 left in response and goes 19, 20, bull, taking it out to break Cross' throw and go 3-1 ahead.

  6. Wright holds throwpublished at 20:56 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 1-2 Wright

    Peter Wright will hope his 11-dart first leg was not him peaking too soon in this match as he struggles early in the third leg to make his advantage with the throw count.

    Although the door is open for Cross, he seems in no rush to run through it and take this leg, with successive 59 and 43 scores.

    Wright has 161 to check out. The first two darts are perfect, but only finds the wire of the bull, leaving himself 25.

    Wright fails to take that 25 with his next three darts, scoring five, as Cross follows up by missing out on 128.

    Wright eventually takes the leg with a second dart at double 10, but not completely convincingly.

  7. Cross levelspublished at 20:52 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 1-1 Wright

    Wright leaves himself 160 to break Cross' throw in the second leg, but a treble one to start quickly ends that.

    Cross has 120 to level, but fails to take it out.

    Wright, with 77, goes three then double 17 to leave himself tops, which he narrowly misses.

    Cross takes out double 10 to level. 1-1.

  8. Postpublished at 20:50 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 0-1 Wright

    John Part
    Former PDC world champion on Sky Sports

    Peter Wright waves to the crowdImage source, PA Media

    Peter can only be thinking: "I have to win nights". He has to win nights now to get back into it.

  9. Wright starts with an 11-dart legpublished at 20:50 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross 0-1 Wright

    A strong start from Snakebite leaves him needing to checkout 81 after just nine darts.

    No hesitation from Wright, taking it out treble 19, double 12 for an 11-dart leg.

    Cross still had 299 left when Wright checked that out.

  10. Game on!published at 20:47 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross v Wright

    Defeat for Michael Smith earlier tonight gives Rob Cross the chance to move level with Smith in the table, and a win would mean he will end the night at least level with 'Bully Boy'.

    Standing in Cross' way is the experienced Peter Wright, who is still looking to really kick-start his season. Nine matches and eight defeats for him so far.

    Wright to throw first, game on!

  11. Wright 'rocking and rolling now' - Crosspublished at 20:45 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Cross v Wright

    Rob Cross speaking to Sky Sports: "Obviously I haven't got the results in the past couple of weeks, I've played steady though. I was at over 100 last week but didn't feel I was at the races. I must be doing something right.

    "If you look at him [Wright] last week, I thought he played well. He started slow but he's rocking and rolling now and I'm going to have to play well to win."

  12. Quarter-final #4published at 20:43 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Rob Cross v Peter Wright

    Rob Cross and Peter WrightImage source, Getty Images

    Now it is time for last of the four quarter-finals in Belfast and 2018 World Championship winner Rob Cross is facing two-time world champion Peter Wright.

    Both men were eliminated at the quarter-final stage last week in Dublin and have the chance to claim at least two points with a victory in Belfast.

    Cross is currently sixth in the table and started the evening two points off the top four. Wright is rock bottom, having only won one of nine matches in this year's competition.

    These two last faced on the opening night in Cardiff, where Cross won 6-3.

  13. Postpublished at 20:41 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Result: Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Gerwyn Price

    That was a pretty scrappy game truth be told, but Nathan Aspinall held his nerve in the key moments.

    His average was 94.06, while Price's was up at 99.55.

    Both players hit 22 scores of 100-plus, with Price hitting four maximums to Aspinall's two.

    It's the checkouts where the game was won and lost though. Aspinall was 6/9, while Price was 5/13.

  14. Aspinall wins decider to progresspublished at 20:36 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March
    Breaking

    Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Gerwyn Price

    Nathan Aspinall celebratesImage source, PA Media

    Nathan Aspinall is through to the semi-finals for the third week in a row.

    Gerywn Price forces a pretty significant lead from the opening visit but then his scoring disappears again. A 43 follows a 59 and Aspinall isn't going to miss out on that.

    The Stockport man hits a maximum, to leave a checkout of 64. He goes 16, 16, double 16 for the leg and the win.

    He's through again and Price will be cut further adrift of the top four and play-offs.

  15. Postpublished at 20:36 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Aspinall 5-5 Price

    Wayne Mardle
    Former World Championship semi-finalist on Sky Sports

    Price's whole Premier League season, potentially, could hinge on this leg of darts.

  16. Postpublished at 20:35 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Aspinall 5-5 Price

    Mark Webster
    Former BDO world champion on Sky Sports

    Aspinall was in this position last week, at 5-5 with Rob Cross, but this time he has the advantage of throwing first.

  17. Price forces deciderpublished at 20:35 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Nathan Aspinall 5-5 Gerwyn Price

    Gerwyn Price definitely hasn't been at his best tonight.

    After that superb leg it gets scrappy again, including two treble fives.

    He's still got enough of a lead on Nathan Aspinall though to take out double tops for the leg.

    We're going all the way.

  18. Price breaks backpublished at 20:33 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Nathan Aspinall 5-4 Gerwyn Price

    Gerwyn Price throws a dartImage source, PA Media

    It's brilliant from Gerwyn Price but then all a bit scrappy.

    He's down at 48 while Nathan Aspinall is all the way back on 337.

    He misses inside on double tops and double 10 before deliberately busting on his next visit.

    The Welshman finally lands the double to break back.

  19. Aspinall breaks to move within onepublished at 20:31 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Nathan Aspinall 5-3 Gerwyn Price

    Nathan Aspinall is taking his opportunities. His scoring has increased and he's only missed three darts at a double so far.

    He leaves a tricky 60 and another slight adjustment on the oche sees him take out double tops with his final dart for the break.

    He's one away from the semi-finals.

  20. Aspinall takes out 127 to lead againpublished at 20:29 Greenwich Mean Time 28 March

    Nathan Aspinall 4-3 Gerwyn Price

    Nathan Aspinall's awareness has been superb tonight. His first dart slightly blocks the treble 20 bed but he moves on the oche and sends the other two darts into the treble.

    It's probably not even the best visit of the leg, as the Stockport man takes out 127, finishing with the bullseye, to lead again.

    He's not giving Price much of a sniff.