Luke Humphries kicked off his ECNETNews Premier League 2025 campaign with an impressive 6-1 victory against Chris Dobey in the Night One final held in Belfast.
Humphries darted into a commanding 3-0 lead early in the match, recording checkouts of 128 and 100 to take control.
Dobey struggled with his doubles, allowing world No. 1 Humphries to extend his lead with another solid 100 finish. Dobey finally got on the scoreboard with a crucial 126 checkout in the sixth leg, but this merely delayed the inevitable. Humphries secured the win, checking out on tops and achieving a remarkable 86% success rate on his doubles.
Although it’s early in the season, Humphries currently tops the Premier League table with five points.
Humphries commented, “I think this is the hardest Premier League for a long time. Nights like this might not happen as much as you’d want.” He added, “The last two years I haven’t got off to a good start, so it’s nice to begin with a win. I did great last year and I’m hoping to replicate that success this year.”
In the semi-finals, Humphries showcased his skills by edging out Michael van Gerwen in a nail-biting 6-5 last-leg shootout. Despite van Gerwen’s comeback from a 3-1 deficit to 4-3, he faltered towards the end, allowing Humphries to close it out with a brilliant 120 finish before sealing the match on D16 after van Gerwen missed critical match darts.
Dobey advanced to the final with a solid 6-4 triumph over Rob Cross, capitalizing on massive checkouts including a ‘Big Fish’ 170 and a ‘Shanghai’. The encounter was exciting, with both players trading darts before Dobey sewed up the win with four consecutive legs.
In another thrilling match, Michael van Gerwen avenged his previous loss to Luke Littler in the World Darts Championship final, winning 6-5 in a dramatic last-leg decider that showcased Littler’s remarkable skill, averaging 113.91 throughout the match.
Van Gerwen’s comeback included an impressive break of throw complemented by a 114 checkout. Despite Littler’s valiant effort and a stunning 161 checkout to tie the match, van Gerwen clinched victory with a calm checkout at 25 on D8.
In the other quarter-finals, Gerwyn Price was defeated by Dobey, while Rob Cross held off a spirited challenge from Stephen Bunting to secure a 6-4 victory, and Humphries cruised past Nathan Aspinall with a 6-2 win.
