Postpublished at 17:21 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 2-3 Littler
Mark Webster
2008 BDO world champion on ITV4
Still in the balance, this match.
Nathan Aspinall has rallied from 2-0 down.
Summary
Luke Littler beats Michael van Gerwen 8-5 to win Bahrain Darts Masters on World Series debut
Littler reached final with 7-3 win over Gerwyn Price, Van Gerwen beat Michael Smith 7-6
Teenager threw nine-darter in 6-3 quarter-final win over Nathan Aspinall
Price knocked out world champion Luke Humphries 6-4
Smith defeated Peter Wright 6-1 in quarters, Van Gerwen won 6-4 against Rob Cross
Quarters best of 11 legs, semis best of 13 and final best of 15
Postpublished at 17:21 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Big hold for Littlerpublished at 17:20 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 2-3 Littler
Big roar from Nathan Aspinall after a huge 180 and he has 64 left to break the Littler throw.
Millimetres out... Luke Littler only has one dart at tops to hold throw. And he buries it almost dead centre.
Nerveless.
Littler made to pay for missed doublespublished at 17:18 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 2-2 Littler
Luke Littler misses four darts at double to go 3-1 ahead and all of a sudden we are level.
Has that opening-leg nine-darter got the 16-year-old too high in the clouds? We'll find out over the next few legs, first to six, remember.
Asp breaks backpublished at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 1-2 Littler
Nathan Aspinall to his credit breaks back straight away.
Luke Littler shakes it off and lands 180 first visit in the fourth leg.
Two more treble 20s follow... not another nine-darter?? Nope, the sixth dart of the leg only hits single 20. Only.
Postpublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 0-2 Littler
Got somewhere else to be, Luke?
Rapid-fire stuff.
Image source, PDCLittler breaks throwpublished at 17:14 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 0-2 Littler
Getting my breath back.
Luke Littler checks out a comparatively routine 54 to break the Aspinall throw.
The world number four must wonder what is going on.
Postpublished at 17:13 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 0-1 Littler
Dan Dawson
Darts commentator on ITV4This is only his second senior event in the PDC!
NINE DARTERpublished at 17:11 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 0-1 Littler
I am without words.
Two 180s, then treble 20, treble 19, double 12.
The perfect leg. In the first leg of the match. Sensational.
180 for Littler - and anotherpublished at 17:10 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall 0-0 Littler
Goodness me. 180 first visit for Luke Littler. This lad just does not cease to amaze.
And another! He's on a nine-darter first leg...
'The one we've been waiting for'published at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall v Littler
Mark Webster
2008 BDO world champion on ITV4This tie is the one we've been waiting for.
Luke Littler, the talk of the sport at the minute, taking on the tenacious Nathan Aspinall.
Aspinall back from the brinkpublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall v Littler
Nathan Aspinall is the fourth seed at the tournament but he's not been in the greatest of nick - and 16-year-old Luke Littler will fancy his chances of adding another star name to his growing list of scalps.
The 'Asp' won the 2023 World Matchplay last summer but has suffered early exits in several events since including a shock loss to Ricky Evans at the World Championship, where Littler, of course, made the final.
Aspinall was also extremely fortunate to negotiate the opening round here in Bahrain as Philippines number one Lourence Ilagan missed a couple of match darts to spring a shock on the Englishman.
Image source, PDCLittler makes his way outpublished at 17:08 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall v Littler
Luke Littler-mania certainly seems to have spread to the Middle East too.
Big ovation for the teenager as 'the Nuke' emerges for his quarter-final with Nathan Aspinall.
'Red Light, Green Light' is his entrance music - there have been more green lights than red for Luke Littler for sure this past month.
Image source, PDCPostpublished at 17:06 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall v Littler
Stablemates these two, represented by the same company, and I believe they practice together a lot.
"No friends when we're on that stage," says Luke Littler in his pre-match interview.
Littler up nextpublished at 17:03 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Aspinall v Littler
Up next? Yep, this fella.
Teenage sensation Luke Littler against Nathan Aspinall for the right to face Gerwyn Price in the Bahrain Masters semi-finals.
Image source, PDCSmith saunters into semispublished at 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Smith 6-1 Wright
A big 180 from Michael Smith piles more pressure on Wright - pressure he cannot respond to.
And the defending champ cruises into the semi-finals via double 14 at the third attempt.
It's Michael van Gerwen or Rob Cross in the last four for 'Bully Boy'
Postpublished at 16:59 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Mark Webster
2008 BDO world champion on ITV4Peter Wright hasn't held his throw once in the match.
Doesn't take an expert to work out that will make things hard for yourself.
BULLSEYE!published at 16:57 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Smith 5-1 Wright
Uphill? Mountainous now.
Brilliant bullseye finish for third seed Michael Smith and this one is almost over.
'Uphill task'published at 16:56 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Smith 4-1 Wright
Mark Webster
2008 BDO world champion on ITV4It's an uphill task for Peter Wright now.
Postpublished at 16:56 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Smith 4-1 Wright
We're even getting a 'stand up if you love the darts' chant.
Almost like Ally Pally.
Postpublished at 16:55 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January
Smith 4-1 Wright
Not perfect doubling from either player so far, each giving the other several chances.
But Michael Smith gets away with a miss at tops as Peter Wright wastes three darts at a double and the defending Bahrain Masters champ is two legs away from victory.