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22:40 BST - We're wrapping up now, thank you for joining us!
22:38 BST - In a commanding display at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, Luke Littler emerged victorious in the 2025 Betfred World Matchplay final with an 18-13 win over James Wade.
Read our full report: Record-breaking Luke Littler overcomes James Wade to win World Matchplay
22:15 BST - "I came here last year and lost in the first round, and some people thought I might have lost again," Littler told Sky Sports after the impressive victory.
"I am just so happy that I can pull myself out of these scorelines. But I don't want to be 5-0 down again.
"Since I started on the tour, I have always said to myself 'as long as I win one of every major, I will be happy'. I only have a few left to tick off.
"I'll now be chasing the majors I have not won yet. For now, we will have a week off and then see everyone in Australia."
21:35 BST - An astonishing performance yet again from the world champion, now a Triple Crown club member.
The Nuke threw an astonishing 17 180s, averaging a whopping 107.24.
Credit to James Wade, who put up a big fight and averaged 101.54 himself. Littler just wasn't letting this one go tonight.
21:31 BST - Lilttler moves one leg away with a tidy tops finish to hold.
Wade needs 101 to stay in it, but he misses double 12. Littler takes out 115 with rebel 19, double 19. LUKE LITTLER IS THE WORLD MATCHPLAY CHAMPION.
21:27 BST - Littler can't take out 170, Wade takes out 81 to break and reduce Littler's lead to 14-12.
Another 180 for Littler, his 16th and the 21st of the match, unreal. Wade takes out an excellent 101 to hold: 14-13.
Littler barely misses a double 5 to take out 130. Wade can't take out 121, allowing Littler in to go three away from the title: 15-13.
Wade throws a dodgy 27, opening the door for Littler. Wade bounces back with a much-needed 180. He misses tops though, Littler storms in to take out 80 in two darts: 16-13, big break that one.
21:18 BST - Littler is now four legs away from the title. He's averaging 106.7 to Wade's still impressive 102.44. Both are hovering around 40 per cent on the finishes. We're playing to a finish now.
21:15 BST - Wade gets three darts at 40 and finally takes it out for 11-10.
Littler comes out with a tenth maximum, that's the record for total 180s in the World Matchplay's history broken. Then he pins another to set up a nine-darter. Treble 20 goes, but the eighth dart is just off. He comes back to take out 26 and make it 12-10 for a solid hold.
Littler's firing now, but he misses the bullseye for 81. He comes back with 44 on the board but misses two at double 16. Wade misses three at double 10, Littler swoops in on double 16 to break and create a three-leg gap: 13-10.
Wade registers a much-needed break off a treble 19, double 19 to reduce the deficit back to two legs.
Another opening 180 to kick off the next leg for Littler. He eventually leaves 41 with Wade not on a finish, but he misses double 16. Wade needs 148 to hold, but can't take it out. Littler returns to break throw: 14-11.
21:01 BST - Littler holds the next leg to go two ahead at 9-7. Both players are averaging a little over 100, with the world champion just edging it. Littler has registered eight maximums to Wade's three.
Wade takes out 40 for a comfortable hold of throw, making it 9-8.
Wade comes out firing with a 180. Again, he's unhappy with someone in the crowd. Littler pins tops to make it 10-8.
Wade hits a tidy bull to take out 81: 10-9. Littler opens leg 20 with a maximum - his ninth of the match. Littler takes out double 10 to round off a very high-quality session at 11-9.
20:48 BST - Wade hits three consecutive 140s before taking out an 81 finish and 11-dart hold to make it 6-5, but Littler bites back emphatically to make it 6-6.
Littler leaves the big fish but hits the outer bull. Wade can't take out 88, allowing Littler to make it 7-6 via double 8. Wade comes back to take out double 10 and level it up. He turns to the crowd, suggesting someone keeps putting him off?
Littler begins the 15th leg with a 180 and eventually registers a third consecutive break to make it 8-7. Back-and-forth right now!
20:34 BST - Littler picks up his first leg after the break, before breaking Wade to make it 5-2.
The Nuke misses double 8 for the hold, but returns and finally takes it out to cut the gap to just two legs. He leaves 44 and takes it out to make it 5-4, scintillating stuff from the youngster. He makes it 5-5, five straight legs. Incredible scenes.
20:22 BST - Lots of 180s are flowing already - mostly from Wade. He takes out 56 with ease to make it 3-0 and he's looking very comfortable so far at the oche. Another slow start from Littler.
Wade takes out treble 16, double 9 to make it 4-0 with Littler's arrows looking all over the shop. Littler's starting to mutter to himself. Wade misses a chance to make it 5-0, but can't take out 40, but Littler again can't take his chance. Wade comes back to pin double 5. It's 5-0 to Wade as they go in.
20:13 BST - Wade throws first and produces a cool 11-dart hold.
Littler misses his favourite double 10, allowing Wade to take out 80 for an early break: 2-0.
20:06 BST - Our finalists are making their way to the stage!
19:41 BST - Tonight's World Matchplay blockbuster is a repeat of their clash in March's UK Open final, where Littler was dominant with an 11-2 victory.
Both men have been averaging over 100 throughout this year's competition, with Wade boasting a better checkout percentage (52.29 per cent) but Littler sinking nearly twice as many maximums (47 to Wade's 25).
19:37 BST - Luke Littler will be targeting becoming just the fifth player in history to complete the Triple Crown, having already won the World Championship and the Premier League in his young career.
He would be joining an elite club of Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries.
19:03 BST - James Wade survived an astonishing fightback from Jonny Clayton to win a 38-leg classic - the longest semi-final match in the tournament's history - to reach his seventh World Matchplay final.
Meanwhile, Luke Littler sunk a stunning nine-darter in his 17-14 semi-final victory against Josh Rock - averaging 107 and landing 15 180s.
18:25 BST - Earlier on at the Winter Gardens, Lisa Ashton secured her first Betfred Women's World Matchplay title with a tense last-leg victory over Fallon Sherrock.
Read more: Ashton outlasts Sherrock to clinch first Women's World Matchplay title
18:05 BST - Tonight's final is being billed as a "battle of the generations", as 18-year-old Luke Littler faces off against 42-year-old James Wade.
Wade is featuring in his 20th consecutive World Matchplay campaign, and reached the final on debut in 2006, six months before Littler was even born.
He then clinched the title a year later with a victory over Terry Jenkins.
18:00 BST - Welcome to Flashscore's Darts Tracker, where we'll be bringing you all the action from tonight's World Matchplay final between Luke Littler and James Wade.
The action kicks off at around 20:15 from Blackpool's iconic Winter Gardens.
