Luke Humphries defeated Luke Littler 7-4 in an absorbing PaddyPower World Darts Championship Final.

In a match of twists and turns, Humphries survived a dart to go 5-2 down, before reeling off reeling off the next five sets to win the biggest prize of them all for the first time. The match was littered with quality, with both players hitting a Big Fish 170 outshot. Humphries averaged 103.67, with Littler 101.13. Cool Hand also hit an outstanding 23 180s, compared to The Nuke’s 13.

It caps off an astonishing few months for the 28-year old from Newbury. After winning the World Grand Prix on 8 October 2023, he’s also won the Grand Slam, Players Championship Finals and now the PaddyPower World Darts Championship in the space of 87 days, becoming the world number one in the process.

Littler starts strong, but seventh set costs him

Humphries took the opening set against the darts, breaking in leg three before holding on double 16. Cool Hand went 2-0 up in the second, but missed a dart at tops for it in the third. Littler then pinged double 15, hit a stunning 142 to level the set, followed by an incredible 120 to win three legs on the spin and level the match.

Fortunes reversed in the third set, as The Nuke missed two set darts in the third leg while 2-0 up. Humphries pinged double eight last dart in hand, held with a 116 checkout and broke again to move 2-1 up. It did not phase Littler though, as he broke in the first leg of the fourth, and held twice to level an excellent contest.

The first hold of throw of a set came in set five, as Littler pinged double 16 in leg four to go in front for the first time. 43 darts later, he found double eight for a whitewash set and a two set lead.

Cool Hand though would not go quietly. The seventh set went the distance, with Littler missing double two for a 112 to go three sets in front. Humphries took his chance, and having set it up with a maximum the previous visit, found double 14 for an all break set and halving the deficit, which also saw the world number one reel in The Big Fish.

Humphries storms back to win PaddyPower PDC World Darts Championship

The ending of the seventh set felt like a tide turner, akin to the 2013 World Final between Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen. Humphries thought so too, winning the eighth with a 121 outshot on the bull to level the match.

Humphries then hit back to back 108 checkouts to begin the ninth, and despite missing set darts in the fourth leg, found an incredible 11 darter to break and go back in front for the first time since set three. The tenth set saw Littler also reel in The Big Fish to equalise, but it did not matter, as Cool Hand reeled off two straight legs to move within one of the title.

The eleventh set also went to a deciding leg, and once again, Humphries came out on top in a pressure cooker moment. Both missed set darts, but the Cool Hand lived up to his moniker, finding double eight to realise his dream.