Premier League Darts Night 12: Everything you need to know

Ryan Murray

With just five nights remaining of the Premier League Darts’ initial phase, the race to qualify for next month’s playoffs is really heating up. Following a thrilling contest in Rotterdam last Thursday, this week’s serving of Premier League action takes place at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena.

This article contains affiliate links to advertisers. Gamble Aware 18+

Jonny Clayton will be hoping to extend his lead at the summit of the Premier League table, after impressively winning four of the campaign’s first eleven events. The Ferret commences his evening with a quarter-final tie against a rejuvenated Stephen Bunting, who has experienced an uplift in form since securing a nightly triumph in Belfast at the end of February.

The evening’s opening clash sees three-time Grand Slam of Darts winner Gerwyn Price take on reigning World Youth champion Gian Van Veen. Both players fell at the first hurdle last time out, but have appeared in seven nightly finals between them. If Price can get the better of the talented youngster, he could potentially meet World Cup partner Clayton in an all-Welsh semi-final.

Having endured a nightmare run of early defeats, it looked as if Josh Rock might struggle to acquire a single point on his Premier League debut. However, the Northern Irishman is now targeting a fifth consecutive semi-final appearance after progressing to the last four in Berlin, Manchester, Brighton, and Rotterdam. Rock goes toe-to-toe with the legendary Michael van Gerwen, who will be hoping to find some consistency following a rollercoaster start to his campaign. After ruling the roost on Night One in Newcastle, the giant Dutchman has lost three finals, suffered a first-round elimination on four occasions, and missed the meeting at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro due to illness.

One of the competition’s three Englishmen is guaranteed to compete in the semi-finals, as Luke Littler and Luke Humphries face one another for the second time in seven days.

Despite being crowned Premier League champion last May, Humphries has flattered to deceive so far. The Berkshire-born archer has only made it through to one final this term, in which he was subjected to a 6-1 hammering from Clayton at the Nottingham Arena. Meanwhile, Littler is starting to build some serious momentum following a shaky first few weeks. The teenage sensation has appeared in three of the last five finals, celebrating victories in Dublin and Berlin ahead of last week’s defeat to Clayton at the Rotterdam Ahoy. It’s worth noting that Littler and Humphries are the only two players to boast a progressive three-dart average of over 100 in this season’s Premier League, so don’t be surprised if they produce another high-scoring affair.

So, who will emerge triumphant on Night 12?

Premier League Darts Night 12: Key information

Date: Thursday, April 23rd

Start time: 19:00 (BST)

Venue: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

TV Channels/Live stream: Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports UHD

Favourites (to win Night 12): Luke Littler: 6/4, Gerwyn Price: 4/1, Gian van Veen: 7/1

Odds provided by bet365

What happened in Rotterdam on Night 11?

After grinding out a hard-fought win in Brighton the previous week, Jonny Clayton secured his fourth nightly victory of the campaign at the Rotterdam Ahoy last Thursday.

The Welshman surged into a commanding early lead over Michael van Gerwen in his quarter-final tie, keeping the home favourite at bay in five of the opening six legs. Mighty Mike became increasingly frustrated as he failed to capitalise on several golden opportunities, much to the dismay of a heavily partisan crowd. After losing just one other mini contest at the oche, Clayton produced a ‘Big Fish’ finish to complete the job in scintillating fashion.

Following his clinical performance against the Dutch number one, Clayton demonstrated he could win ‘ugly’ in his semi-final encounter with Josh Rock. After multiple breaks of throw from each player early on, Clayton found himself with a slender lead heading into the tenth leg. Rock then held his nerve to deliver a timely 142 checkout, ensuring he remained in with a chance of reaching a maiden Premier League final. However, the 25-year-old struggled to land trebles in the decider, leaving the door open for Clayton to hit double-tops with the final dart of the match.

Luke Littler navigated a similar pathway to the showpiece, sweeping aside his quarter-final opponent before labouring to a narrow victory in the last four. The back-to-back world champion was subjected to a chorus of boos at regular intervals, as the natives expressed their disdain for his part in a heated exchange with Gian van Veen a fortnight earlier. However, he remained largely unfazed by the audience’s vociferous heckling.

After nailing a series of big finishes to disrupt Gerwyn Price’s flow early on, Littler struck the bullseye as part of a 124 close-out to book his place in the semi-finals. A titanic battle with compatriot Luke Humphries came next, which saw Littler trailing by three at the conclusion of the seventh leg. However, the Warrington-born wonder kid rallied – as he so often does – to draw level with ‘Cool Hand’ after ten legs, before arrowing his favoured double 10 to seal the tie.

An absorbing final swung one way then another, with both players enjoying dominant spells throughout. At his imperious best during the opening exchanges, Littler took the first two legs with minimal fuss. Clayton once again demonstrated his fighting spirit by claiming the next three legs, before landing an inspired 178 check-out to increase his advantage. An impressive 15-dart hold in the ninth leg gave Littler another stab on Clayton’s throw, but the Welsh hero rounded out another tie on double 20 – despite his distaste for that particular segment of the board – to all but guarantee qualification for next month's playoffs.

Premier League Darts Night 12 draw

QF1: Gian van Veen v Gerwyn Price

QF2: Stephen Bunting v Jonny Clayton

QF3: Josh Rock v Michael van Gerwen

QF4: Luke Littler v Luke Humphries

SF1: Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF2

SF2: Winner of QF3 v Winner of QF4

Where to watch on TV or live stream?

As part of their comprehensive coverage of PDC premier events, Sky Sports will be screening every minute of this year’s Premier League Darts campaign. That enables Sky Sports viewers to watch all 16 nightly events, as well as May’s curtain-closer in the capital. This week’s event will be shown on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event, while those with a relevant subscription can enjoy a premium viewing experience on Sky Sports UHD. After last Thursday’s earlier start time, the Premier League returns to its usual kick-off slot of 19:00 BST at the M&S Bank Arena.

The PDC are streaming live footage from the Rotterdam Ahoy via their dedicated app service, but this feed isn’t available to customers in the UK and Ireland (or Austria, Germany, and Switzerland for that matter). However, PDC TV has retained broadcasting rights for a handful of premier darts tournaments, while also offering customers the chance to snap up event tickets before they’re released on general sale. Access to PDV TV is priced at £5.99 per month, although a full year’s membership can be purchased at the discounted rate of £59.99.