Luke Humphries and Luke Littler

Darts results: Luke Humphries defeats 16-year-old Luke Littler in the PDC World Darts Championship final

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Fri January 05, 2024 · 1y ago

Luke Humphries completed his extraordinary ascent to darting greatness by triumphing in the Paddy Power World Championship final as he ended Luke Littler's own fairytale journey to glory - for the time being at least.

Cool Hand clinched his fourth major title in as many months on the biggest stage of all at Alexandra Palace by coming from 4-2 down against the sensational 16-year-old, who will still be expected to become the youngest ever darts world champion in the near future.

The pair both averaged over 100 in a thrilling final, with world number one Humphries managing 103.67 compared to the prodigy's 101.13 while they both landed 170 checkouts among a tally of nine 100+ finishes overall as well as combining for 36 180s - of which the champion fired in 23 of them en route to a 7-4 victory.

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Littler, who will join the PDC ranks in the coming season after dominating the youth scene as well as senior competition in the WDF, had captured the imagination of sports fans around the world with his astonishing exploits throughout his debut World Championship, in which he'd produced a string of fearless and breathtaking performances that belied his inexperience and age.

The recently-crowned PDC World Youth Champion also averaged over 100 on four other occasions en route to becoming the youngest finalist since Kirk Shepherd (21) and his total tally of five at a single World Championship has only been matched by the legendary Phil Taylor (four times), Gary Anderson (x4) and Michael van Gerwen (x3).

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Littler has still got plenty of time on his side to become the youngest PDC champion, which is currently held by MVG at 24 years and nine months, but for now his £200,000 prize money sees him remarkably climb up into the top 32 in the PDC's world rankings and is selected into the Premier League Darts.

Meanwhile, Humphries also won the inaugural Ballon d'Art for hitting most 180s in the tournament - with his tally of 73 pushing Littler (63) into second place - and the grand total of 914 maximums generated £914,000 to Prostate Cancer UK and afterwards the champion pledged some of his £500,000 prize money to the charity.

He will also give the trophy to his girlfriend's father who recently battled with prostate cancer and thankfully caught it in time.

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Luke Littler 4-7 Luke Humphries: Match stats

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Set scores: 1-3, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-0, 2-3, 1-3, 2-3, 1-3, 2-3
Averages
Littler: 101.13
Humphries: 103.67
180s
Littler: 13
Humphries: 23
Checkout %
Littler: 36.5% (23/63)
Humphries: 43.1% (25/58)
100+ Checkouts
Littler: 170, 142, 122, 120
Humphries: 170, 121, 116, 108x2

Sporting Life's darts tipping success!

Followers of our darts tipster Chris Hammer will also be celebrating tonight after he backed Luke Humphries to lift the trophy pre-tournament as well as selected several winners in his final preview. Also, during our special World Championship preview show alongside Paul Nicholson and Abigail Davies, who also went for Cool Hand to become world champion, he also picked out Humphries to win the Ballon d'Art for the most 180s at 3/1.

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Cool Hand reaction

Humphries said: "I'll draw a lot from this and this will be a moment that will never be forgotten. I don't want to say that I've completed darts but everything that you want the resume I've done now, so now it's now about motivating yourself to do more and more.

"Now I want to be double world champion and win loads of majors."

As for Littler, he added: "I'm not just saying this because it will please everyone, but Luke has been an unbelievable talent. Not just about the dartboard, he has been fantastic with all the media that has come about with him and he took the defeat so well.

"He said go on and celebrate. You will never see never down to a 16 year old kid like him who is just something else.

"I really hope he's in the Premier League because, if he don't want to play in it fair enough, but I think he'd be a pleasure to play alongside him this year.

"He's one of the best players in the world, there is no doubt about that."

Littler proud of efforts

He said: "It has been unbelievable. The one negative was I lost too many legs with my throw so Luke could break me. That was the only negative, I just couldn't hold my own throw and I didn't win.

"Every game has been good but that one has just really annoyed me, especially the three missed to keep it going.

"That's what the crowd wanted but fair play to Luke, he deserves it."

Match report

Humphries got off to a commanding start as Littler struggled to find his usual rhythm and took the opening set 3-1 with his opponent averaging less than 90.

But early signs that the teenager was finally suffering from stage fright were soon banished at 2-0 down in the second as he reeled off three legs in a row - with the help of finishes from 142 and 120 - to level proceedings.

A shellshocked Humphries then found himself 2-0 down in the third set and although he too rediscovered his composure to return the favour with a trio of unanswered legs, he was soundly punished in the fourth that went the way of Littler 3-1.

Littler controlled set five and sealed it 3-1 with a superb 11-darter to move ahead for the first time in the final and maintained the momentum in the sixth by storming through it 3-0 despite Humphries threatening a nine-darter with back-to-back 180s in the second leg.

The World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals champion hit back with a show-stopping 170 checkout at the start of set seven that he went on to pinch but not before surviving a set dart in the deciding leg when Littler spurned an attempt on double two after hitting a pair of treble 18s when needing 108.

Cool Hand completed his revival by storming through the eighth set 3-1 with the help of an 11-darter and a 121 checkout in the fourth leg while he moved 5-4 up when clinching the next with a nerveless 11-darter in the deciding leg when Littler waited on 70.

Nuke brought the crowd to their feet with the second 170 checkout of the match in set 10 but it was the only leg he'd win as Humphries turned the screw by sealing it 3-1 with a clinical 12-darter.

The 11th set fittingly went to another deciding leg and after Littler spurned three darts to extend the contest, Humphries sealed his triumph on double eight.

Luke Littler v Luke Humphries: Routes to the final

LUKE LITTLER

R1: 3-0 v Christian Kist
Set scores: 3-0, 3-1, 3-1
Average: 106.12
180s: 7 (0.63 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 1 (High: 106)
Checkout %: 50% (9/18)
R2: 3-1 v Andrew Gilding
Set scores: 3-2, 3-2, 0-3, 3-1
Average: 92.65
180s: 5 (0.29 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 80)
Checkout %: 34.6% (9/26)
R3: 4-1 v Matt Campbell
Set scores: 3-0, 3-0, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1
Average: 97.19
180s: 8 (0.40 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 164)
Checkout %: 40% (14/35)
R4: 4-1 v Raymond van Barneveld
Set scores: 3-1, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-2
Average: 105.01
180s: 9 (0.39 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 1 (High: 100)
Checkout %: 50% (14/28)
QF: 5-1 v Brendan Dolan
Set scores: 3-2, 3-0, 3-2, 3-1, 1-3, 3-0
Average: 101.93
180s: 5 (0.23 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 140)
Checkout %: 47.1% (16/34)
SF: 6-2 v Rob Cross
Set scores: 2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-2
Average: 106.05
180s: 16 (0.43 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 149)
Checkout %: 46.8% (22/47)

LUKE HUMPHRIES

R2: 3-0 v Lee Evans
Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 3-2
Average: 93.58
180s: 6 (0.43 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 85)
Checkout %: 37.5% (9/24)
R3: 4-3 v Ricardo Pietreczko
Set scores: 3-1, 1-3, 2-3, 0-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0
Average: 91.38
180s: 6 (0.21 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 96)
Checkout %: 37.5% (15/40)
R4: 4-3 v Joe Cullen
Set scores: 2-3, 0-3, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-0, 6-5
Average: 99.23
180s: 12 (0.33 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 100)
Checkout %: 33.9% (19/56)
QF: 5-1 v Dave Chisnall
Set scores: 3-1, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-2, 3-0
Average: 103.50
180s: 12 (0.43 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 164)
Checkout %: 40.5% (17/42)
SF: 6-0 v Scott Williams
Set scores: 3-2, 3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 3-0, 3-1
Average: 108.74
180s: 14 (0.56 per leg)
100+ Checkouts: 6 (High: 170)
Checkout %: 60% (18/30)

Littler v Humphries: 2024 World Championship statistics

(Luke Littler figures on the left)

Tournament Average: 101.6 - 100.5
100+ match averages: 5 - 3
Highest average: 106.12 (R1) - 108.74 (SF)
Lowest average: 92.65 (R2) - 91.38 (R2)
Tournament 180s: 63 - 73
180s per leg: 0.35 - 0.41
Checkout percentage: 42.62% (107/251) - 41.2% (103/250)
Sets won/lost: 29/13 - 29/11
Legs won/lost: 107/73 - 103/74
100+ checkouts: 15 - 16
Per leg won: 14.01% - 15.53%
Highest checkout: 170 - 170x2