Paul Nicholson joins Dom Newton and Chris Hammer to combine the talents of some of the greatest players past or present in an effort to create an unbeatable darting monster. We look at prolific 180 hitters, clinical finishers and show-stopping 100+ checkout merchants as well as other categories such as on nerves of steal, stage presence, crowd popularity and walk-on music.

BUILDING THE PERFECT DARTS PLAYER FROM 180 HITTING TO WALK ON MUSIC!


Luke Littler 4-7 Luke Humphries: Match stats

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  • Set scores: 1-3, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-0, 2-3, 1-3, 2-3, 1-3, 2-3
  • Averages
    Littler: 101.13
    Humphries: 103.67
  • 180s
    Littler: 13
    Humphries: 23
  • Checkout %
    Littler: 36.5% (23/63)
    Humphries: 43.1% (25/58)
  • 100+ Checkouts
    Littler: 170, 142, 122, 120
    Humphries: 170, 121, 116, 108x2

Sporting Life's darts tipping success!

  • Followers of our darts tipster Chris Hammer will also be celebrating tonight after he backed Luke Humphries to lift the trophy pre-tournament as well as selected several winners in his final preview. Also, during our special World Championship preview show alongside Paul Nicholson and Abigail Davies, who also went for Cool Hand to become world champion, he also picked out Humphries to win the Ballon d'Art for the most 180s at 3/1.

Leading pundit and former major winner Paul Nicholson joins host Dom Newton and Sporting Life's darts expert Chris Hammer to discuss the 'darting pyramid', the importance of averages, how to crack Q School and other factors such as choosing sponsors, nicknames and walk-on music.

How to Become a Darts Professional!

Cool Hand reaction

Humphries said: "I'll draw a lot from this and this will be a moment that will never be forgotten. I don't want to say that I've completed darts but everything that you want the resume I've done now, so now it's now about motivating yourself to do more and more.

"Now I want to be double world champion and win loads of majors."

As for Littler, he added: "I'm not just saying this because it will please everyone, but Luke has been an unbelievable talent. Not just about the dartboard, he has been fantastic with all the media that has come about with him and he took the defeat so well.

"He said go on and celebrate. You will never see never down to a 16 year old kid like him who is just something else.

"I really hope he's in the Premier League because, if he don't want to play in it fair enough, but I think he'd be a pleasure to play alongside him this year.

"He's one of the best players in the world, there is no doubt about that."

Littler proud of efforts

He said: "It has been unbelievable. The one negative was I lost too many legs with my throw so Luke could break me. That was the only negative, I just couldn't hold my own throw and I didn't win.

"Every game has been good but that one has just really annoyed me, especially the three missed to keep it going.

"That's what the crowd wanted but fair play to Luke, he deserves it."

Match report

Humphries got off to a commanding start as Littler struggled to find his usual rhythm and took the opening set 3-1 with his opponent averaging less than 90.

But early signs that the teenager was finally suffering from stage fright were soon banished at 2-0 down in the second as he reeled off three legs in a row - with the help of finishes from 142 and 120 - to level proceedings.

A shellshocked Humphries then found himself 2-0 down in the third set and although he too rediscovered his composure to return the favour with a trio of unanswered legs, he was soundly punished in the fourth that went the way of Littler 3-1.

Littler controlled set five and sealed it 3-1 with a superb 11-darter to move ahead for the first time in the final and maintained the momentum in the sixth by storming through it 3-0 despite Humphries threatening a nine-darter with back-to-back 180s in the second leg.

The World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals champion hit back with a show-stopping 170 checkout at the start of set seven that he went on to pinch but not before surviving a set dart in the deciding leg when Littler spurned an attempt on double two after hitting a pair of treble 18s when needing 108.

Cool Hand completed his revival by storming through the eighth set 3-1 with the help of an 11-darter and a 121 checkout in the fourth leg while he moved 5-4 up when clinching the next with a nerveless 11-darter in the deciding leg when Littler waited on 70.

Nuke brought the crowd to their feet with the second 170 checkout of the match in set 10 but it was the only leg he'd win as Humphries turned the screw by sealing it 3-1 with a clinical 12-darter.

The 11th set fittingly went to another deciding leg and after Littler spurned three darts to extend the contest, Humphries sealed his triumph on double eight.


Luke Littler v Luke Humphries: Routes to the final

LUKE LITTLER

  • R1: 3-0 v Christian Kist
    Set scores: 3-0, 3-1, 3-1
    Average: 106.12
    180s: 7 (0.63 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 1 (High: 106)
    Checkout %: 50% (9/18)
  • R2: 3-1 v Andrew Gilding
    Set scores: 3-2, 3-2, 0-3, 3-1
    Average: 92.65
    180s: 5 (0.29 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 80)
    Checkout %: 34.6% (9/26)
  • R3: 4-1 v Matt Campbell
    Set scores: 3-0, 3-0, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1
    Average: 97.19
    180s: 8 (0.40 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 164)
    Checkout %: 40% (14/35)
  • R4: 4-1 v Raymond van Barneveld
    Set scores: 3-1, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-2
    Average: 105.01
    180s: 9 (0.39 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 1 (High: 100)
    Checkout %: 50% (14/28)
  • QF: 5-1 v Brendan Dolan
    Set scores: 3-2, 3-0, 3-2, 3-1, 1-3, 3-0
    Average: 101.93
    180s: 5 (0.23 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 140)
    Checkout %: 47.1% (16/34)
  • SF: 6-2 v Rob Cross
    Set scores: 2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-2
    Average: 106.05
    180s: 16 (0.43 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 149)
    Checkout %: 46.8% (22/47)

LUKE HUMPHRIES

  • R2: 3-0 v Lee Evans
    Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 3-2
    Average: 93.58
    180s: 6 (0.43 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 85)
    Checkout %: 37.5% (9/24)
  • R3: 4-3 v Ricardo Pietreczko
    Set scores: 3-1, 1-3, 2-3, 0-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0
    Average: 91.38
    180s: 6 (0.21 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 0 (High: 96)
    Checkout %: 37.5% (15/40)
  • R4: 4-3 v Joe Cullen
    Set scores: 2-3, 0-3, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-0, 6-5
    Average: 99.23
    180s: 12 (0.33 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 2 (High: 100)
    Checkout %: 33.9% (19/56)
  • QF: 5-1 v Dave Chisnall
    Set scores: 3-1, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-2, 3-0
    Average: 103.50
    180s: 12 (0.43 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 3 (High: 164)
    Checkout %: 40.5% (17/42)
  • SF: 6-0 v Scott Williams
    Set scores: 3-2, 3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 3-0, 3-1
    Average: 108.74
    180s: 14 (0.56 per leg)
    100+ Checkouts: 6 (High: 170)
    Checkout %: 60% (18/30)

Littler v Humphries: 2024 World Championship statistics

(Luke Littler figures on the left)

  • Tournament Average: 101.6 - 100.5
    100+ match averages: 5 - 3
    Highest average: 106.12 (R1) - 108.74 (SF)
    Lowest average: 92.65 (R2) - 91.38 (R2)
  • Tournament 180s: 63 - 73
    180s per leg: 0.35 - 0.41
  • Checkout percentage: 42.62% (107/251) - 41.2% (103/250)
  • Sets won/lost: 29/13 - 29/11
    Legs won/lost: 107/73 - 103/74
  • 100+ checkouts: 15 - 16
    Per leg won: 14.01% - 15.53%
    Highest checkout: 170 - 170x2

World Championship Darts 2024: Averages

100+ match averages

  1. Luke Humphries - 108.74 (v Scott Williams, SF)
  2. Stephen Bunting - 107.28 (v Ryan Joyce, R2)
  3. Luke Littler - 106.12 (v Christian Kist, R1)
  4. Luke Littler - 106.05 (v Rob Cross, SF)
  5. Luke Littler - 105.01 (v Raymond van Barneveld, R4)
  6. Luke Humphries - 103.67 (v Luke Littler, F)
  7. Luke Humphries - 103.50 (v Dave Chisnall, QF)
  8. Ross Smith - 103.33 (v Chris Dobey, R3)
  9. Chris Dobey - 103.09 (v William O'Conner, R2)
  10. Rob Cross - 102.77 (v Luke Littler, SF)
  11. Michael Smith - 102.47 (v Chris Dobey, R4)
  12. Chris Dobey - 102.43 (v Michael Smith, R4)
  13. Chris Dobey - 102.36 (v Ross Smith, R3)
  14. Luke Littler - 101.93 (v Brendan Dolan, QF)
  15. Michael van Gerwen - 101.39 (v Richard Veenstra, R3)
  16. Rob Cross - 101.32 (v Jeffrey de Graaf, R3)
  17. Stephen Bunting - 101.15 (v Florian Hempel, R3)
  18. Luke Littler - 101.13 (v Luke Humphries, F)
  19. Daryl Gurney - 100.79 (v Steve Beaton, R2)
  20. Rob Cross - 100.70 (v Chris Dobey, QF)
  21. Ryan Joyce - 100.32 (v Alex Spellman, R1)
  22. Michael Smith - 100.09 (v Kevin Doets, R2)

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