Newbury’s darting hero Luke Humphries could break a Premier League record in Sheffield this evening.
Having already qualified for the Play-Offs alongside Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler, the three men are all tied on four nightly wins each.
A fifth tonight would set a new competition record, with no player having won more than four in a single league phase since the format was adopted in 2022.
Littler leads the way on points, having won three more games, but Humphries could still overtake him if the teenager loses his quarter final to Peter Wright.
There is no added benefit to topping the table, but players at this level are nothing if not competitive. Humphries found his first league win in five weeks last time out, defeating MVG in a deciding leg in Leeds.
He sported a custom shirt in tribute to his beloved football club and debuted a new walkout song, I Predict a Riot by Kaiser Chiefs, with a prelude of Marching On Together’s opening notes.
“It meant a lot to me given the occasion. Regardless of the Premier League it was a massive night for me, and the support I got was absolutely amazing”.
The World Champion was magnanimous when asked about his prospects tonight. “There’s not long to go until The O2, so I’m just happy to be playing well
“I’ve had some games recently where it hasn’t gone my way, but the most important thing is how you bounce back, and I played really well last week.
“Finishing first would obviously be a massive achievement, but qualifying for The O2 is all that really matters to me, and if Luke Littler finishes top he deserves it - he’s been fantastic.”
Reaching the final of the Baltic Sea Darts Open at the weekend will have boosted his confidence further, as will the nine darter he landed, despite defeat.
He’ll face Gerwyn Price in his opening fixture, whilst elsewhere Nathan Aspinall and former World Champion Michael Smith will clash to decide who will make it to the O2 next week.
Just one point separates the pair who clash in the opening round, making that game something of a Play-Off in itself.
The action kicks off live on Sky Sports Darts at 19:00 tonight, with the Play-Offs taking place in a week’s time.
