Humphries is aiming for the top

ROOFER Luke Humphries can award himself a night on the tiles after booking a DIY ‘derby’ with former electrician Rob Cross.

Humphries (above), from Newbury, ambushed Belgian dark horse Dimitri Van den Bergh 4-1 to reach the fourth round at Ally Pally.

And today ‘Cool Hand Luke’, a 500-1 outsider, takes on 28-year-old reigning world champion Cross (below) in a toolbox shoot-out for a place in the last eight.

Gentlemen, choose your weapons. Humphries is expected to come armed with a podger claw hammer, while Cross will favour wire cutters and fuses. Darts available on request.

Humphries quit roofing earlier this year, and as a goodwill gesture his bosses at Malone Roofing gave him sponsorship to go with his P45.

The 23-year-old said: “Rob gave up his job for the right reasons, and look what happened to him.

“His journey has not just given lots of players confidence – it’s been an inspiration.

“It’s far too cold to be up on a rooftop at this time of year – it’s much warmer indoors on the oche, and this is where I want to be for the rest of my life.

“Although I loved my job as a roofer, it would take me 18 months to earn what I’ll get for reaching the fourth round at the world championship.”

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