Luke Littler knocked out in Premier League Darts by Rob Cross as pair miss TEN doubles in farcical final leg

LUKE LITTLER has completed the Premier League scalp set – but he is still searching for his first night win.

A 6-3 semi-final defeat at the hands of Rob Cross denied the teen sensation the chance to go for the £10,000 winners’ bonus on week five in Exeter.

Rex

Luke Littler was dumped out of the Premier League Darts by Rob Cross[/caption]

PA

Littler triumphed 6-2 over Michael Smith in the quarter-finals in Exeter[/caption]

PA

Smith threw well to start with and had the score at 2-2 before losing by a large margin[/caption]

Getty

But Cross was in electrifying form to knock Littler out in the semis[/caption]

It means he will head to Brighton next Thursday looking to pick up a first evening success in the Prem.

The only consolation for the Warrington ace last night in Devon is that he dispatched of Michael Smith 6-2 from the quarter-finals with an average just shy of 107.

That result means he has beaten all SEVEN opponents in the Prem at least once this year.

Since the Ally Pally world championship semi-finals on January 2, the 17-year-old has got the better of Cross, Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, Peter Wright and now Bully Boy.

In fact, Littler has beaten all the active PDC World Darts Champions except for Gary Anderson, – though, in fairness, they have yet to meet on the pro circuit.

Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed on TV that Littler, who changed his throwing action last week, was using a new set of darts.

He was throwing with ‘Loadout’ Target Darts just a few weeks after signing a huge contract with the manufacturers.

Elsewhere, Van Gerwen’s winning streak was brought to an end in the quarters by Humphries.

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The Dutchman, 34, had won nine games in a row as he claimed the previous three Prem nights but a historic fourth victory was denied by Cool Hand Luke’s 6-3 success.

Littler’s 6-2 win over Smith had only been bettered by Cross beating Gerwyn Price by a 6-1 margin.

The Nuke went throw for throw with Voltage to tie the score at 3-3 in legs.

But Littler’s struggles at hitting his doubles came to haunt him as Cross then broke the teen’s start.

With the score 5-3 a farcical final leg ensued as the pair missed 10 leg winning darts between them, with six of these being match-winners on Cross’ part.

Cross eventually landed his double to confirm a place in the final against Nathan Aspinall, where he was thrashed 6-2.

Aspinall had beaten Luke Humphries in the other semi-final.

Littler had averaged just shy of 107 as he walloped Michael Smith 6-2 in the quarter-finals of Night Five of the Prem in Exeter.

Smith, 33, had won their first encounter on the opening night of the £1million event in Cardiff but Littler empathically gained his revenge in Devon.

It means Littler has beaten all SEVEN of his Prem opponents at some point this year since turning professional.

The 17-year-old got the better of Rob Cross in the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship on January 2 at Ally Pally.

Next up in Bahrain he beat Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen in a row as he lifted the Golden Palm Tree trophy.

Littler’s next top-five victim was the world No.1 Luke Humphries at the Dutch Darts Masters in Den Bosch.

And then he took the scalp of Scotsman Peter Wright in the quarter-finals last week in Newcastle.

Despite his age and inexperience, Littler showed he can perform win on a wet, windy Thursday night and he did so having tinkered with his equipment.

It also means that Littler has beaten all the active PDC World Darts Champions except for Gary Anderson, though they have yet to meet on the pro circuit.

Adrian Lewis, the two-time world champion, has taken a break from the sport for personal reasons.

Elsewhere, Van Gerwen’s winning streak was brought to an end in the quarter-finals by Humphries.

The Dutchman, 34, had won nine games in a row as he claimed the previous three Prem nights but a historic fourth victory was denied by Cool Hand Luke’s 6-3 success.

Littler will face Cross in the semi-final.

Van Gerwen had earlier claimed his fame would even greater than teen sensation Littler if he was English.

The 34-year-old is a three-time world darts champion and winner of countless major trophies since breaking through as a prodigious 17-year-old.

The world No.2 had said: “Luke is English. If I was English, oh my God! Do you know what I mean? What it would have been like over the years.

“That’s the way. You have to accept it. You have to battle it. You have to face it. And you have to answer it.

“That’s what you do. Winning the battles.”

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