Consecutive victories for Humphries

LUKE Humphries delivered backto-back nightly wins to move top of the Premier League with a 6-3 victory over Nathan Aspinall at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham on Thursday evening.

Humphries, who also won in Brighton, beat Michael Smith in his first match and comfortably saw off Peter Wright to reach a second successive final.

Aspinall had ended the hopes of Luke Littler with a 6-3 success in the semi-final, but soon found himself trailing against the world number one and world champion.

Humphries secured an early break to lead 2-0, which he soon extended to 4-1 on the back of another maximum.

Aspinall clawed a couple of legs back to trail by just one by checking out on double top.

The world champion, though, made the most of some wayward finishing to take the next leg and move one away, which he set up for a 78 finish, landing treble 18 and double 12.

Humphries now moves two points clear at the top of the table, with Aspinall sitting fourth.

“I had two great performances in the first two games, and Nathan was fantastic against Luke, who is such an amazing player – it gets to the point where you are thinking ‘Play with two darts’ so Nathan did well to beat him,” Humphries said on Sky Sports.

“It was not the best final, maybe as we had both played really well we felt the pressure was off us and relaxed a little bit, tried too hard.

“But back-to-back weeks in the Premier League is really tough, so I am really proud to have done that and to be top of the league.”

Humphries added: “What me and Luke (Littler) have done since the worlds has been amazing for the sport. I think the sport is in the best place possible now, with all these players, and is in the best place it has ever been.

“Hopefully the crowds can keep getting behind us and enjoying it, because it is going to be an exciting sport for the next nine months.”

Littler was looking to build on his Belgian Darts Open triumph over Rob Cross, which had included a nine-dart finish, and earlier recorded an impressive 6-2 win against previous league leader Michael Van Gerwen – where he missed double 12 to win the match with another ninedarter.

Aspinall, though, produced his own top form in their semi-final clash, landing five maximums with an average of just over 104 to see off the 17-year-old sensation.