Rob Cross has the darts to start this semi-final. But Luke Littler has already banged in a 140 to threaten a break of throw in the opener...

Cross responds with a 140 of his own though.

Nice embrace on the stage between tonight's combatants.

Bottles of water at the ready on their respective tables.

A quick few warm-up throws and we'll be under way. Buzzing for this one.

As are the crowd, paying homage to 16-time world champ Phil Taylor with the traditional chant in his honour.

Luke 'The Nuke' Littler emerges to his walk-on tune of 'Greenlight' by Pitbull, hugging someone dressed as a big cartoon bear on the way. Big ovation for the teenager.

Meanwhile, Rob Cross comes out to his usual 'Feeling Hot Hot Hot' tune. It encourages the crowd to launch into his 'Robbie, Cross, Cross, Cross' chant you see.

A good walk-on is key to getting the fans on-side although surely most will be in Littler's corner. And that's definitely the early impression here.

What's your favourite walk-on tune?

Michael van Gerwen's 'Seven Nation Army' by White Stripes is pretty iconic but I have to go with his compatriot Vincent van der Voort for the disco classic 'Give It Up'.

Sing his name along to it and you'll get it...

Image source, Getty Images

Scoreline prediction?

Luke Littler 6-4, say Sky Sports pundits Wayne Mardle and Mark Webster, both in agreement.

"I think he will outscore Rob," says Mardle.

"I think Littler will get to him," adds Webster.

Luke Littler is having to get used to fame quickly.

The Alexandra Palace fans were teasing him with chants of "you've got school in the morning" during his first-round win over Christian Kist on 20 December, when he became the youngest player to win a match at the tournament.

Less than two weeks later he has banked £100,000 in prize money, is being asked for selfies everywhere he goes and watching Premier League matches in the executive box.

"I've been to an Arsenal game, I went to a Tottenham game - people come up to me. I don't know who these people are but they know me," said Littler. "It is a good feeling and I will always take a picture with anyone.

"I was in (Tottenham midfielder) James Maddison's box. It was good to meet him, get a few pictures and meet his family. It was really nice."

Image source, Getty Images

Is Luke Littler going to inspire a generation of teenage throwers?

My 12-year-old son has been watching the tournament with me these past couple of weeks and this morning he'd got out the plastic darts and board I bought him when he was about three.

Shame he hasn't shown the same attitude, aptitude and application that Luke Littler has in those intervening years, of course, but never mind... there's still time.

Darts is a pretty accessible sport for everyone, after all - will Littler's breakthrough spur a spark in its popularity? Let us know your thoughts on that and tonight's semi-finals via the methods outlined above.

Luke Littler was just 18 months old when he threw his first dart.

The youngster, who was born in Runcorn and lives in Warrington, was throwing darts at a magnetic board and has played "non-stop" ever since.

"By the time he was 10 we knew he was too good for his age," Karl Holden, Littler's former coach at the St Helens Darts Academy, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He couldn't play in the PDC or the big time until he was 16, so we just let him enjoy himself and he's just worked his way through the ranks.

"He went from under-10s to under-14 leagues and, before he was 11, he was playing in the under-21s, just simply because he was too good for anybody else."

Littler's trophy cabinet has filled up quickly, having already won 12 adult titles and the 2023 PDC World Youth Championship. At the age of 14, he hit a nine-darter during the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) Masters Tournament.

"He can win it," added Holden of this year's World Championship. "We knew he was good enough, we knew that before he started.

"A lot of people in the darts shop were saying 'who is this Luke Littler?' but I was saying he's a good outside chance. Many didn't know who he was, but I think everyone knows who he is now."

Image source, Getty Images

Luke Littler had only played FOUR senior matches at PDC premier events prior to his World Championship debut.

He qualified for the UK Open on his 16th birthday in January 2023 and, in March, reached the fourth round of the competition before being knocked out by Czech youngster Adam Gawlas.

Littler's performances at this year's World Championship have seen him average 100 or more in three of his five matches, making him one of only two players to do so at the tournament.

He became the youngest player to win a match at the World Championship with his first-round win over Christian Kist on 20 December.

Littler has also become a viral sensation on social media with more than 300,000 Instagram followers, including footballer James Maddison. The Tottenham and England midfielder invited Littler to watch Spurs' win over Bournemouth with him on Sunday.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Webster
2008 BDO world champion on Sky Sports

It's a huge test but so it should be - it's a semi-final.

He's dealt with everything throughout and he was impressive from the get-go in his opening round, and he's just showed lots of character.

It's as if he's been here year after year - we forget it's his debut and he's 16 years old.

He's been incredible - it's a tough game but it's one I think he's relishing, to have a crack at Rob Cross and to see where he's at.

Image source, Getty Images

Standing between Luke Littler and a place in the final is world number eight Rob Cross, who made history himself by becoming the first player to fight back from 4-0 down to beat Chris Dobey 5-4 in his quarter-final.

Cross, nicknamed Voltage due to his previous career as an electrician, won the World Championship on his debut in 2018 and thinks Littler has similar momentum behind him now.

"Everyone loves an underdog story," Cross said. "It took a bit of pressure off me winning it first time as well.

"He's fantastic and he deserves all the luck in the world - he is a nice young boy. Tomorrow we play darts, though, and I have to go down to business."

Luke Littler has made history by getting this far and has the potential to create some more.

The current youngest World Championship finalist is Kirk Shepherd who was 21 years and 88 days when he lost to John Part in the 2008 final.

The youngest world champion is Michael van Gerwen, who was 24 years and nine months when he won his first title in 2014.

Littler, just 16 years old remember, could absolutely smash both those records.

Image source, Getty Images

After beating Andrew Gilding in the second round, Luke Littler celebrated by treating himself to "a kebab and a can of Tango". He has since been offered free kebabs for life by one London kebab house.

Outside of darts, Littler says he leads a pretty simple life.

"[I] just wake up, play on my Xbox, have some food and have a chuck on the board, go to bed and that's it," he said.

Littler's form has seen him earn plenty of plaudits from across the world of darts, including five-time World Championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle.

"He's an absolute darting freak - and that is a term of endearment," said Mardle.

"The world should be standing up and taking notice and absolutely taking notice of what he's doing. It's not ended yet, he's still in."

Image source, Getty Images

For Luke Littler, the darts-mad 16-year-old who first played on a magnetic board as a toddler, just winning one match at the PDC World Championship was a historic achievement.

But with each passing win he keeps setting his heights ever higher - and now he's in the semi-finals he has his eyes on the biggest prize of all.

"It's going to take a lot to stop me," he said. "It feels unbelievable. I never thought I would have got to the semis on my debut year.

"It's crazy watching myself at 18 months or two years old in a nappy, but it has all paid off.

"One day we went to a shop with my parents and I pointed to a magnetic dartboard because they look similar. The rest is history."

Most toddlers throw tantrums.

Little Luke Littler was throwing darts.

Little wonder he's in a world championship semi-final at the tender age of 16.

At 4-0 down to Chris Dobey in Monday's quarter-final, Rob Cross' chances of adding to his solitary PDC World crown looked virtually non-existent.

Then the eighth seed launched the greatest fightback in darting history to stun his fellow Englishman by winning five straight sets to book tonight's mouthwatering semi-final with Luke Littler.

Prior to that, Cross' path had been relatively routine with only Sweden's Jeffrey de Graaf causing him much bother - with a 4-0 thrashing of ninth seed Jonny Clayton particularly impressive.

Image source, BBC Sport

At 16, Luke Littler's run to the semi-finals of darts' most prestigious event is jaw-dropping in itself.

Then you look again and realise the lad has dropped just four sets across his five matches so far. No one has laid a darting glove on him.

He's basically breezed through to the last four, brushing aside UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and, of course, ex-world champ and Littler's self-confessed hero Raymond van Barneveld on the way.

But his adversary tonight, 2018 Ally Pally champ Rob Cross, is surely his sternest test yet.

Image source, BBC Sport

We have two all-English semi-finals tonight as two pre-tournament favourites meet two huge surprise packages.

It should be an absolute barnstormer of a night at the Ally Pally.

• Rob Cross v Luke Littler (19:45 GMT)
• Scott Williams v Luke Humphries (21:30 GMT approx)

Image source, Getty Images

Four years ago, we were introduced to the Queen of the Palace via Fallon Sherrock's history-making exploits at the Alexandra Palace - and now we have the Prince.

But is 16-year-old Luke Littler the man who would be King?

The trendsetting teenager is just two steps from launching his own darting dynasty, two matches from joining the arrowing aristocracy.

Will he ascend that next rung of the regal ladder tonight? Or will former champion Rob Cross prove the Jafar to his Ally Pally Aladdin? We'll find out soon.