Luke Littler’s bid to reach a second consecutive PDC World Championship final will be tested by Stephen Bunting.
Littler, 17, was going through the motions at Alexandra Palace until he blew away Nathan Aspinall with a devastating performance in the quarter-finals. Up next for the teenager is a mouth-watering clash with crowd favourite Bunting, who knocked out Peter Wright in his quarter-final.
It’s the first time ‘The Bullet’ has reached the last four since 2021, where he was beaten by eventual winner Gerwyn Price. Littler, of course, reached the final last year, only to be beaten by a relentless Luke Humphries in the final.
With the World No.1 out of the picture, having lost to Wright in the Round of 16, Littler has an outstanding opportunity to add the Sid Waddell Championship to his list of honours that already includes Premier League Darts, the Grand Slam of Darts and many more. Mirror Sport tells you everything you need to know to watch Littler’s battle with Bunting on Thursday evening.
Littler and Bunting will face off on Thursday evening at Alexandra Palace. They will be the second match on, after Michael van Gerwen’s clash with Chris Dobey.
It is difficult to pin down an exact start time, as it all depends on how long it will take for either Van Gerwen or Dobey to secure the win. Their battle will start at 7.30 pm.
If there is a clear winner, then fans could expect Littler to be making his walk-on at around 9pm. If the match goes the full 11 sets, then viewers should expect a much later night.
Coverage of the semi-finals will start on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event at 7.30pm. Viewers who have Sky Sports on their televisions can watch it directly through the channel. Those who stream Sky Sports programmes on NOW TV, will be able to watch the match on the platform.
Littler may be the darling of Alexandra Palace, but he will likely face a hostile reception when he faces Bunting. He is not only the World No.8, he is also one of the most popular players in the sport.
As well as reaching the semi-final in 2021, winning the Masters this year and emerging victorious in the 2014 WDF World Championship, the Bullet is also a social media star. He has amassed more than 234,600 followers on TikTok, where he has entertained his followers with some amusing videos.
However, Bunting has been in scintillating form at the Palace this year, blowing Wright away in the quarter-finals, whitewashing Luke Woodhouse in the Round of 16 and also comfortably seeing of Madars Razma and Kai Gotthardt. Against Snakebite, he averaged 96, enjoyed 43.24% on the doubles and broke with a spectacular 143 checkout. Bunting will almost certainly push Littler all the way at Ally Pally.
After his incredible year, Littler is predictably the favourite with the bookies. As of this morning, the teenager is 1/6 to overcome Bunting and book a place in the final against Van Gerwen or Dobey.
Bunting is currently 4/1 to shock the World No.4 at Ally Pally and reach the final for the first time in his career. For those who are feeling ambitious, Littler to overcome Bunting while also hitting 23+ 180s is currently 4/1.
Odds are provided by Paddy Power and are subject to change.
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