Thanks for joining us this evening for an action-packed night of darts.

It's been a tense one for several top PDC stars, including 16-year-old Luke Littler, but the cream has just about risen to the top at the Bahrain Masters.

Friday's quarter-finals include some mouth-watering ties as Littler faces world number four Nathan Aspinall, while Gerwyn Price meets world champ Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen tackles Rob Cross.

We'll have live text coverage right here from around 16:00 GMT on Friday so please join us back here tomorrow.

Image source, Getty Images

Right, after those couple of routine wins for the PDC stars, we are about to wrap up our live text coverage of the opening round of the Bahrain Masters.

But fear not, we will be back tomorrow for the quarter-finals, semis and final.

In the meantime, read our report of the first day's action - including the latest win for teenage sensation Luke Littler - here.

Michael van Gerwen sees Luke Humphries' 6-0 win and says 'I can do that too, pal'.

A 64 checkout, finished with double eight, seals a shut-out victory.

Exhibition stuff from MVG who checks out 81 with treble 19 and double 12.

He's playing to the crowd, this match is in the bag.

The Dutchman is banging in the 180s for fun here and even though he ends up on 'Madhouse' - double one - he takes it out without busting and is closing in on a rapid-fire victory.

Michael van Gerwen leaves himself a dodgy double three - but with Hasan Haji back on 200-odd, it matters little.

He takes it out and MVG is halfway to setting up a quarter-final with Rob Cross.

Quick break for Michael van Gerwen to surge 2-0 ahead and this match could go the same way as the last and be over fairly quickly, you suspect.

Hasan Haji has an, er interesting style of throw.

Kind of lamping it from the side, it's like a Slinger Malinga delivery for you cricket fans out there.

Anyway it doesn't help him in the opening leg as the three-time world champ MVG takes an early lead.

Wonder when the White Stripes composed Seven Nation Army if they envisaged it becoming a darts anthem for Michael van Gerwen.

Suspect not.

Better than those Kolo/Yaya Toure chants though to be fair. What are they all about?? Anyone know??

Hello. Bahrain's Hasan Haji is coming out to 'Eye of the Tiger' - famed entrance music of Raymond van Barneveld, the friend, compatriot and rival of Michael van Gerwen.

Mind games?

There was a time when 'Mighty' Michael van Gerwen looked set to be Phil 'The Power' Taylor's successor in terms of ruling the PDC darts roost.

The Dutchman was virtually unstoppable from 2015-19, racking up major title after major title after major title, including three World Championship crowns.

But the big trophies have dried up despite MVG remaining among the game's top contenders - he failed to win a televised ranking tournament in either 2021 or 2023.

The 34-year-old - beaten by underdog Scott Williams in the World quarter-finals - will hope to start 2024 with some silverware and faces Hasan Haji in his Bahrain opener.

Image source, Getty Images

All six PDC players through so far, then - but all of them, world number one Luke Humphries apart, have been given scares at some point.

Two more games left, featuring two more former world champions, Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith.

• Peter Wright 6-5 Huraki Muramatsu
• Gerwyn Price 6-4 Reynaldo Rivera
• Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Lourence Ilanga
• Rob Cross 6-3 Tomoya Goto
• Luke Littler 6-3 Man Lok Leung
• Luke Humphries 6-0 Abdulla Saeed

Another double 16 checkout concludes a pretty comfortable night for Luke Humphries as he breezes past Bahrain thrower Abdulla Saeed.

The world number one will face Gerwyn Price in a tasty quarter-final on Friday.

Whether it's Bahrain or Barnsley, you can guarantee the darts fans will show up in fancy dress.

Luke Humphries is not plumbing the depths at all - he's climbing the heights, 5-0 up and a leg from victory.

Image source, PDC

The crowd absolutely erupts when Bahrain's Abdulla Saeed hits a 180.

And then he follows it up with nine.

And then 125! Talk about hot and cold! And then 15!

This is shaping up to be the most routine win of the night for a PDC player.

World champ Luke Humphries lands double 16 again.

Abdulla Saeed is throwing some decent darts but cannot compete with the scoring power of the world number one.

No dice, Abdulla.

Luke Humphries finishes 64 with two single 16s and a double. Clinical.

The partisan crowd is begging Abdulla Saeed to get a leg here and he's doing his best, just missing out on a maximum 180 but in with a sniff of breaking the Humphries throw...

'Cool Hand' is flying now, down to 54 after nine darts and he lands tops for an 11-dart legs.

Tidy 140 set-up for Luke Humphries and he lands double six for a routine hold of throw to start this sixth match of the evening.

But Saeed starts the second leg with a 140 of his own and pumps the fists to his home fans.