PDC World Darts Championship: Littler overpowers Aspinall to set ...

• Chris Dobey 5-3 Gerwyn Price

• Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Callan Rydz

• Peter Wright 2-5 Stephen Bunting

• Luke Littler 5-2 Nathan Aspinall

A very good day of darts, with one classic match in Van Gerwen v Rydz. I’m shattered so I’m going to wrap this up, but Jonathan Liew’s report will be along shortly. In the meantime here’s his take on the afternoon games.

Niall McVeigh will be here tomorrow night for the semi-finals: Van Gerwen v Dobey and Littler v Bunting. It’ll be great, it always is.

I think we both played very well and I’m so glad to win. The crowd were chanting for Nathan and wanted a comeback, but I had to finish it.

[On playing his good friend Nathan Aspinall, who was often laughing at Littler’s brilliance] I wouldn’t say it’s hard to focus. Each time we won a set we had a fistbump but when Kirk [Bevins, the referee] says ‘game on’, it’s game on. Afterwards we’ll be fine.

[On the pressure he is under] It’s been fine. The Ryan Meikle game was very tough but ever since it’s felt like last year. I’m playing with confidence and freedom.

[On his semi-final against Stephen Bunting] The crowd have been good to both of us tonight. They can take their pick tomorrow whoever they want to support. I can see quite a few Nuke shirts in here, so I think I’ve got the better!

You play, you go to sleep, you wake up and you’re on again. I don’t really like having days off because I don’t practise. [Have you got your Nintendo Switch with you?] I have, yeah!

Littler 5-2 Aspinall (legs 3-0) Littler seals a emphatic win with a 13-dart hold. He wanted to finish on 170 and though he couldn’t finish that, Aspinall had finally run out of puff. Littler finished with an average of 101.54 – almost disappointing for him, which is mind-blowing. Ultimately he was a comfortable winner despite an admirable performance from Nathan Aspinall.

View image in fullscreen

Littler breaks! Littler 4-2 Aspinall (legs 2-0) Aspinall’s scoring has been so good tonight. He’s first to a finish after yet another 180 – but a single 5 means he can’t get a shot at double from 84. Littler punishes him with a devastating 101 checkout: a 12-dart break, and now he’s throwing for the match again.

Littler 4-2 Aspinall (legs 1-0) The pace of this game is dizzying. Aspinall puts pressure on Littler, who just about holds by hitting double four with his last dart.

Littler 4-2 Aspinall (legs 2-3) Aspinall holds his nerve, and his throw, to take the match to a seventh set. His defiance is so admirable, as is his character: he shapes to make the ‘I’m staying here’ signal and then waves his hand jokingly before breaking into a smile. Odd to say but he’s having more fun than Littler up there.

Aspinall breaks back! Littler 4-1 Aspinall (legs 2-2) How can you not love Nathan Aspinall? He hits his only dart at double to break Littler – who threatened a 156 – and take this set to a deciding leg.

Littler breaks! Littler 4-1 Aspinall (legs 2-1) A poor start from Littler – 92 in his first six darts – allows Aspinall to build up a big lead on his own throw. Littler changes the mood with the inevitable 180 – and it has the desired effect when Aspinall misses D16 and D8. Littler, who has missed the bull all night, nails it to take out 90 and break throw.

Littler is throwing for the match.

Littler 4-1 Aspinall (legs 1-1) Another 180 from Littler sets up a pipe-and-slippers 13-dart hold. Aspinall is running out of wiggle room.

Littler 4-1 Aspinall (legs 0-1) Aspinall has the darts in this set, although Littler challenges that by starting with a 180. Two poor visits give control back to Aspinall, who then misses tops for a 15-darter but returns to do the job on double five.

Littler threatened to take out a 152, hitting one treble 20 before wiring the second and gurning in disgust.

Littler breaks! Littler 4-1 Aspinall (legs 3-1) Aspinall’s 10th maximum is followed immediately by Littler’s 11th, which makes him first to a finish. He is utterly relentless and complete his latest 12-darter on double six. Aspinall shakes his head; he’s played nobly but is one set away from defeat.

Aspinall breaks back! Littler 3-1 Aspinall (legs 2-1) Littler makes a rare mess of 25, including a miss at D10 for the set. Aspinall punishes him eventually, but only after two more misses apiece. Although he’s still on course for a huge victory, Littler’s doubling will be a slight concern going into the last four.

Littler breaks! Littler 3-1 Aspinall (legs 2-0) It feels like this game is hurtling towards its conclusion. Aspinall hits a 180 to leave 32, only for Littler to smash in a hard-faced 101 to break in 12 darts. That’s his eighth leg in 12 darts or fewer tonight.

Littler 3-1 Aspinall (legs 1-0) Littler averaged 95 ineach of the last two sets; the difference is that Aspinall averaged 102 in the third and 91 in the fourth.

Littler wires tops and hits D10 to hold at the start of leg five. “It’s not even interesting anymore,” deadpans John Part on Sky. “He goes for double 10, he hits it.”

The match stats after four sets

• Averages Littler 101.38-95.85 Aspinall

• Double percentage Littler 44-38 Aspinall

• 180s Littler 8-6 Aspinall

• Legs won Littler 11-6

That double percentage feels like the most important stat. Aspinall has scored well, especially in the last two sets, but he hasn’t been as ruthless on the doubles. I guess that’s a reflection of the pressure that Littler applies.

Littler 3-1 Aspinall (legs 3-2) That is brutal. Littler breaks in 11 darts to pinch the set from Aspinall, who bumps fists in recognition of Littler’s brilliance. That feels like a decisive blow, especially as Littler has the darts in set five. Aspinall missed one dart at bull for the set.

View image in fullscreen

Littler 2-1 Aspinall (legs 2-2) Aspinall hits two T20s, then drops his third dart and picks it up with a smile. He hasn’t stopped smiling all night, even when he was being hammered in the first two sets. Aspinall can’t hit the 180 but he gets a look at 83 when Littler misses the bull.

Aspinall wires the bull – that was for the set – and Littler hits his beloved D10. Sheesh.

“Hi Smudger Mr Bloggy Rob, and Happy New Year,” says Simon McMahon. “2025, eh, how did that happen? And when was it that walk-on music became a thing in darts? Maybe always, but it feels like it could be a Sky Sports thing? Can you imagine Bob Anderson walking on to Rhinestone Cowboy? Jocky Wilson to The Proclaimers. ‘Big’ Cliff Lazarenko to, I don’t know, Live is Life by Opus. Maybe they did, I’m getting on a bit and my memory isn’t what it used to be. Thirty five years of Scottish New Years will do that to you. But I do know that the darts is still absolutely freakin’ awesome, whatever the year. Cheers!”

Littler 2-1 Aspinall (legs 1-2) Littler is back on 248 when Aspinall misses a dart apiece at tops and D10. I was just about to say Littler is experiencing a dip when I remembered he almost hit a nine-darter about two minutes ago. But Aspinall is playing his best darts of the match and returns to finish without fuss.

Littler 2-1 Aspinall (legs 1-1) Littler misses T20 with his seventh dart. He does hit double 12, but it’s for a 12-darter rather than a nine. At this stage the hold is far more important because Aspinall is playing beautifully and could soon level the game.

And Aspinall started with four perfect darts as well!

Littler 2-1 Aspinall (legs 0-1) There’s one in every game: a leg where both men miss multiple doubles. Aspinall eventually nicks a hold, if that isn’t an oxymoron, on D4.

Littler 2-1 Aspinall (legs 2-3) Both men players start with three trebleless visits in the first four. After 15 darts apiece the score is Littler 89-41 Aspinall. This is a big moment… and Littler misses the bull for a 3-0 lead.

Aspinall finishes 41 in two darts to complete a quite brilliant set win against the darts. He was staring at a 5-0 defeat and produced probably his best set of the tournament.

View image in fullscreen

Littler 2-0 Aspinall (legs 2-2) A lazy last dart leaves Aspinall on 41 rather than tops. No matter: Littler is back on 120 after his next visit and Aspinall returns to clean up. He’s averaging 107 in this set to Littler’s 98 – but Littler has the darts in the deciding leg.

Littler 2-0 Aspinall (legs 2-1) Aspinall has really upped his game in this set. There are three 180s in a row, and it probably would have been four if Aspinall wasn’t on 181. He sets up 46 instead, and that’s all he can do: Littler pins D10 for yet another 12-darter. Aspinall is laughing at the quality of Littler’s performance.

Littler breaks back! Littler 2-0 Aspinall (legs 1-1) Aspinall shopuldn’t have done that. Littler hits back-to-back 180s en route to breaking in 12 darts, the end.

Aspinall breaks! Littler 2-0 Aspinall (legs 0-1) Aspinall returns from the break with a bang, rattling a 180 before hitting his first dart at double to win his first leg against the throw.

In isolation, Aspinall’s numbers aren’t bad: he’s 50 per cent on the doubles and averages 94.47. Littler has been even better on the doubles, hitting six out of 10, and I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you who’s dominating the scoring.

Littler 2-0 Aspinall (legs 3-1) Aspinall hits his first 180 to put pressure on Littler, waiting on 65. He starts with the bull but cleans up in the blink of an eye: single three, double six, 2-0. This is devastating stuff: Littler averages 111 to Aspinall’s 94. It’s a very good player against a multi-generational talent.

Littler breaks! Littler 1-0 Aspinall (legs 2-1) Littler hits the first 180 of the match. He’s scoring so well that Aspinall is feeding on scraps. He has six darts from 161 but doesn’t get a dart at double; Littler – who missed the bull on his previous visit - hits D5 for a 15-dart break.

Littler 1-0 Aspinall (legs 1-1) Littler pins D15 to hold in 11 darts. He’s yet to hit a 180 and he’s still averaging 117.40 in the match. This is an almost numbing level of brilliance; it’s hard to know what to say about him.