World final repeat as Luke Humphries faces Luke Littler in Premier League opener

By Sports Desk January 23, 2024

Luke Littler will make his Premier League debut against Luke Humphries in a rematch of their World Championship final in Cardiff next week.

The 17-year-old headlines the opening night of the weekly competition against the man who beat him in the showpiece at Alexandra Palace at the start of the month.

While Humphries became world champion and world number one in a brilliant tournament of his own, lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy after a 7-4 win, it was Littler who stole the headlines on his historic run where he transcended the sport, becoming front and back page news.

That earned him a coveted slot in the Premier League and he doubled down on his stardom by beating Michael van Gerwen and hitting a nine-dart finish on his way to winning the Bahrain Masters last week.

He opens his campaign against fellow debutant Humphries in the Welsh capital a week on Thursday, plays Rob Cross in a repeat of the World Championship semi-final a week later, meets Michael Smith in Exeter on week five and then faces Van Gerwen in Nottingham a fortnight later.

Each weekly mini-event, where a night consists of quarter-finals, a semi-final and a final over the best of 11 legs, contributes to a league table where the top four players advance to the play-offs at the O2 in London in May.

The opening night also sees Van Gerwen and Smith go head-to-head in a blockbusting clash, while Welshman Gerwyn Price takes on Nathan Aspinall and Peter Wright battles Cross.

Related items

  • Seales takes second five-wicket haul in a row for Sussex; Holder smashes 123* for Worcestershire Seales takes second five-wicket haul in a row for Sussex; Holder smashes 123* for Worcestershire

    Jayden Seales continued his excellent form so far for Sussex CCC in this season’s County Championship Division Two with another five-wicket haul, this time against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

    Seales has, so far, taken 5-101 in 23 overs as Glamorgan have advanced to 411-9 off 102 overs, replying to Sussex’s 278 all out off 87.2 overs on day one.

    Glamorgan’s batting effort was led by excellent centuries from Colin Ingram and Kiran Carlson.

    Ingram led the way with a 248-ball 170 including 23 fours and three sixes while Carlson made 148 off 217 balls and hit 21 fours in the process.

    Seales and Sussex will enter day three on Sunday trailing Glamorgan by 133 runs looking to dismiss them as quickly as possible.

    Full scores:

    Sussex 278 off 87.2 overs (Fynn Hudson-Prentice 48, Cheteshwar Pujara 41, Jack Carson 39, Aristides Karvelas 39, Mir Hamza 4-70, James Harris 4-93)

    Glamorgan 411-9 off 102 overs (Colin Ingram 170, Kiran Carlson 148, Jayden Seales 5-101)

    Elsewhere, Jason Holder was one of three Worcestershire batsmen to make centuries as they piled up a massive 618-7 declared in their first innings against Kent on day two at the St. Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.

    Holder made a brilliant 123* off just 110 balls including seven fours and three sixes while Gareth Roderick and Matthew Waite both also reached three figures with 117 and 100*, respectively. 

    Adam Hose fell just ten runs short of a century himself.

    Joey Evison and Matt Parkinson each ended with three wicket-hauls for Kent.

    In reply, Kent reached 111-2 at stumps with Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond (54*0 and Jack Leaning (43*) at the crease.

    Joe Leach has taken both wickets to fall so far.

    Full scores: 

    Worcestershire 617-8 dec. off 158.5 overs (Jason Holder 123*, Gareth Roderick 117, Matthew Waite 100*, Adam Hose 90, Joey Evison 3-58, Matt Parkinson 3-201)

    Kent 111-2 off 33 overs (Daniel Bell-Drummond 54*, Jack Leaning 43*, Joe Leach 2-12)

  • Russell Martin rues missed chances as Cardiff dent Southampton promotion hopes Russell Martin rues missed chances as Cardiff dent Southampton promotion hopes

    Cardiff’s second smash and grab raid at home against a top four team in the Championship in the space of six weeks sent Southampton’s hopes of automatic promotion into a tailspin.

    It was a goal from Callum O’Dowda in the 100th minute that sank Ipswich Town 2-1 on March 9 and a first league goal for teenager Cian Ashford in the 96th minute of his first full appearance sent Saints marching home after a similar 2-1 defeat at Cardiff City Stadium.

    “It’s unacceptable to lose a game like that. With the amount of chances we had we should have been out of sight by half-time,” said frustrated Southampton boss Russell Martin.

    “We started the second half well and had some more chances. We played some amazing football but it won’t matter one bit because we lost.

    “If you’re not going to have the conviction and ruthlessness, be clinical in their box, and then not defend your own properly that’s what happens.

    “Today has done us a lot of harm in terms of chasing the automatic spot, but we have to react properly now. We’ve got three games left and we can still get over 90 points.

    “I expect a big reaction from everyone on Tuesday night. If it means our season’s going to be extended, so be it, and we have to get ready for that.

    “We’ve spent a little time in the top three, but we have been outsiders for automatic promotion for a long time.”

    The Cardiff fans let the board of directors know their feelings about manager Erol Bulut, who has yet to secure an extension to his one-year contract, by chanting ‘We want you to stay’ for long periods of the second half as goals from Famara Diedhiou in the 68th minute and Ashford at the death saw their side take the points.

    “Sometimes it’s good when you’re not pushing for something or at the bottom, so the players can play freely. I said to my team before today I wanted only positive things, even if they make mistakes,” said Bulut.

    “I told them to play freely and I think they did a really good job. After 90 minutes, Cardiff had three youngsters, new players, on the field. This is important for the future of the club.

    “The academy did a really good job, so thanks to them. It’s a message to the academy that we always have an eye on them.

    “I think that is a moment Cian Ashford will never forget. I spoke about what we’ve seen in training from him, he is doing really well.

    “He played 15, 20 minutes in previous games and had some good movements. But today, for 90 minutes, he was great.”

  • Famara Diedhiou and Cian Ashford goals seal Cardiff comeback against Southampton Famara Diedhiou and Cian Ashford goals seal Cardiff comeback against Southampton

    Cian Ashford struck a 96th-minute winner for Cardiff as they put a huge dent in Southampton’s bid for automatic promotion with a 2-1 win at Cardiff City Stadium.

    The Saints took an early lead through Joe Aribo and looked comfortable for much of the game before they were overhauled by a tremendous fightback from the Bluebirds.

    Southampton came into the game on the back of picking up nine points from three games in a week.

    They saw Leicester go top of the table with their 2-0 home win over West Brom prior to their kick-off and were chasing a fourth win in a row to go level on points with Leeds in third.

    Saints boss Russell Martin saw his team get off to a flying start with a goal in the 12th minute.

    Prior to that Stuart Armstrong’s shot across the home goal had hit the post, but there was no stopping Aribo’s shot as he gave the Saints the lead. Ethan Horvath had managed to keep out Adam Armstrong’s initial effort, but Aribo showed good composure to strike the rebound home.

    If it had not have been for the heroics of American goalkeeper Horvath the game could have been out of sight by the break. His form, and the lack of finishing skills from Southampton’s players, meant there was still only a goal in it at half-time.

    Two terrible back passes, firstly from Rubin Colwill and then from Ollie Tanner, put Horvath under huge pressure. He saw Adam Armstrong shoot over the top from the first and then watched in amazement and relief as David Brooks failed to beat him from point blank range with the second.

    It ended up as 12 shots to four in favour of the visitors in the first half alone, with six of them on target.

    The pressure continued after the break with shot after shot whistling past the home posts.

    Just short of the hour mark Adam Armstrong had a diving header at the far post from a Che Adams cross superbly saved on the line by Horvath as Cardiff once again rode their luck.

    With the score still delicately poised going into the final quarter Southampton were in danger of getting caught out due to their failure to finish their chances and so it proved in the 68th minute when a neat raid down the right flank saw 21-year-old substitute wing back Raheem Conte make a name for himself on his debut.

    He raced to the byline, crossed into the danger zone and Famara Diedhiou side-footed home the equaliser.

    What had been a stroll in the park for much of the game suddenly turned into a dog fight for the Saints in their battle for automatic promotion.

    Alex McCarthy was then forced to tip over a a vicious shot from the right by Yakou Mete to keep the scores level and Cardiff became bolder and bolder as they pushed forward looking for a second.

    It almost came from Diedhiou early on in the nine minutes of added time when he headed down from a Joe Ralls free kick on the right to force McCarthy into another important save.

    Then came Ashford’s pile-driver from 25 yards that was helped on its way with a deflection past McCarthy.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.