Luke Littler played his debut game at the Premier League against Luke Humphries. During this rematch of the PDC World Darts Championship the 17 year old showed one of his trickshot to take a 3-1 lead.
Luke ‘The Nuke’ also secured the first victory for a debutant in the Premier League in a decade. He joins a unique group that includes Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Mark Dubridge, Dennis Priestley, James Wade, Mervyn King, Gary Anderson, Mark Webster, Andy Hamilton, Kevin Painter, Robert Thornton, Dave Chisnall, and Peter Wright.
Chizzy and Wright were the last to achieve this feat, dating back to 2013. It’s worth mentioning that Chris Dobey won his first match as a Premier League player last year, but he had previously made his debut with a one-off appearance as a Premier League contender.
On the opening night of this year’s Premier League, there was a rematch of the PDC World Championship 2024 final. Humphries emerged victorious in the championship, but this time Luke Littler took revenge by defeating him 6-2. The audience played a controversial role, constantly whistling when the current world champion was about to throw.
Commentators and analysts were surprised that this continued for so long, and the disruptor was not removed from the audience. It is a recurring issue that is increasingly prevalent in several countries where the PDC travels. Ricardo Pietreczko is well aware of it since his match with Beau Greaves.
The German experienced what many face when they encounter a compatriot in front of a German audience. Interestingly, during the last World Championship, the venue in England was filled with 40% German spectators.