Michael Smith earned a psychological boost over Luke Littler ahead of their meeting at Premier League Darts finals night next week.
The teenager was beaten by ‘Bully Boy’ Smith in the semi-finals on Thursday night as the regular season wrapped up in Sheffield.
In the other semi-final in Yorkshire, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen duelled in what was also a dress rehearsal for their upcoming meeting in the London play-offs, and it was Humphries who prevailed in ruthless fashion.
It was a fitting finish to the 2024 campaign as the night began with Smith defeating Nathan Aspinall to secure fourth place in the Premier League Darts table and the last remaining spot in the play-offs.
Littler, who guaranteed himself the top seed by downing Peter Wright in their quarter-final, has continued to defy his inexperience by impressing pretty much every week of his debut in the competition. But world champion and fellow first-timer Humphries is also well-fancied to lift another trophy.
Finals night is pencilled in for Thursday, May 23 and features 19-leg semi-finals before a 21-leg final. Proceedings are set to start at 7.30pm BST.
Premier League Darts final fixtures
Play-offs, London (May 23)
Semi-final: Luke Littler vs Michael Smith
Semi-final: Luke Humphries vs Michael van Gerwen
Final: Luke Littler or Michael Smith vs Luke Humphries or Michael van Gerwen
Premier League Darts table
Position | Player | Points | Nights won | Matches won |
1 | Luke Littler | 40 | 4 | 23 |
2 | Luke Humphries | 36 | 4 | 20 |
3 | Michael van Gerwen | 29 | 4 | 17 |
4 | Michael Smith | 29 | 2 | 17 |
5 | Nathan Aspinall | 25 | 2 | 15 |
6 | Rob Cross | 17 | 0 | 10 |
7 | Gerwyn Price | 12 | 0 | 7 |
8 | Peter Wright | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Premier League Darts results
Night 1, Cardiff
Quarter-final: Peter Wright 3-6 Rob Cross
Quarter-final: Gerwyn Price 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Michael Smith
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-2 Luke Humphries
Semi-final: Rob Cross 2-6 Gerwyn Price
Semi-final: Michael Smith 6-5 Luke Littler
Final: Michael Smith 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Night 2, Berlin
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Quarter-final: Michael Smith 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-5 Rob Cross
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 6-4 Peter Wright
Semi-final: Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Michael Smith
Semi-final: Luke Littler 6-5 Luke Humphries
Final: Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Luke Littler
Night 3, Glasgow
Quarter-final: Rob Cross 6-4 Michael Smith
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Peter Wright
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Luke Humphries
Quarter-final: Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Littler
Semi-final: Rob Cross 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Final: Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Luke Humphries
Night 4, Newcastle
Quarter-final: Michael Smith 5-6 Nathan Aspinall
Quarter-final: Rob Cross 6-5 Luke Humphries
Quarter-final: Peter Wright 5-6 Luke Littler
Quarter-final: Gerwyn Price 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-final: Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Rob Cross
Semi-final: Luke Littler 5-6 Michael van Gerwen
Final: Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Night 5, Exeter
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Peter Wright
Quarter-final: Gerwyn Price 1-6 Rob Cross
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-2 Michael Smith
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 5-6 Nathan Aspinall
Semi-final: Rob Cross 6-3 Luke Littler
Final: Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Rob Cross
Night 6, Brighton
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Rob Cross 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Luke Littler
Quarter-final: Michael Smith 6-5 Peter Wright
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 6-3 Rob Cross
Semi-final: Luke Littler 3-6 Michael Smith
Final: Luke Humphries 6-3 Michael Smith
Night 7, Nottingham
Quarter-final: Peter Wright 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 6-4 Michael Smith
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 2-6 Luke Littler
Quarter-final: Rob Cross 5-6 Nathan Aspinall
Semi-final: Peter Wright 1-6 Luke Humphries
Semi-final: Luke Littler 3-6 Nathan Aspinall
Final: Luke Humphries 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Night 8, Dublin
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 6-1 Peter Wright
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Rob Cross
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 4-6 Michael Smith
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Semi-final: Gerwyn Price 5-6 Michael Smith
Final: Luke Humphries 6-2 Michael Smith
Night 9, Belfast
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 5-6 Luke Littler
Quarter-final: Michael Smith 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Rob Cross 3-6 Peter Wright
Semi-final: Luke Littler 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-final: Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Peter Wright
Final: Luke Littler 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Night 10, Manchester
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Rob Cross
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Quarter-final: Michael Smith 6-3 Luke Humphries
Quarter-final: Gerwyn Price 6-4 Peter Wright
Semi-final: Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Luke Littler
Semi-final: Michael Smith 3-6 Gerwyn Price
Final: Luke Littler 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Night 11, Birmingham
Quarter-final: Peter Wright 4-6 Luke Humphries
Quarter-final: Rob Cross 5-6 Luke Littler
Quarter-final: Gerwyn Price 3-6 Michael Smith
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 5-6 Luke Littler
Semi-final: Michael Smith 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Final: Luke Littler 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Night 12, Rotterdam
Quarter-final: Michael Smith 6-3 Luke Littler
Quarter-final: Rob Cross 3-6 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Peter Wright 2-6 Nathan Aspinall
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 4-6 Luke Humphries
Semi-final: Michael Smith 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Semi-final: Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Luke Humphries
Final: Michael Smith 4-6 Nathan Aspinall
Night 13, Liverpool (April 25)
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 2-6 Nathan Aspinall
Quarter-final: Peter Wright 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Quarter-final: Michael Smith 4-6 Rob Cross
Semi-final: Luke Littler 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Semi-final: Michael van Gerwen 2-6 Rob Cross
Final: Luke Littler 6-2 Rob Cross
Night 14, Aberdeen (May 2)
Quarter-final: Peter Wright 4-6 Michael Smith
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Rob Cross
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries bye Gerwyn Price
Semi-final: Luke Littler 6-1 Michael Smith
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 5-6 Rob Cross
Final: Luke Littler 6-4 Rob Cross
Night 15, Leeds (May 9)
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-1 Peter Wright
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 6-1 Rob Cross
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Michael Smith
Semi-final: Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Luke Littler
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 6-1 Michael Smith
Final: Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Luke Humphries
Night 16, Sheffield (May 16)
Quarter-final: Luke Littler 6-4 Peter Wright
Quarter-final: Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Michael Smith
Quarter-final: Luke Humphries 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Quarter-final: Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Rob Cross
Semi-final: Michael Smith 6-5 Luke Littler
Semi-final: Luke Humphries 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Final: Michael Smith 6-3 Luke Humphries
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