Key events
Bunting 1-5 Littler (seventh set, 0-1 in legs) Littler hands Bunting a chance to break with a couple of careless misses â but Bunting canât take it, also missing twice on the outer ring, and looking like heâs ready to call it a night as Littler lands double four.
Littler wins the sixth set, leads 5-1
From holding three darts to cut the gap to 4-2, Bunting is back on the ropes. In search of an 84 checkout, Littler lands the bull and lets out a roar. Itâs another 12-dart leg, and Luke Littler is one set from returning to the world championship final â¦
Bunting 1-4 Littler (sixth set, 2-2 in legs) Bunting starts with a maximum, and for the first time all night, Littler looks a touch uneasy. Another Bunting maximum takes him down to 24 â but he misses two darts at D12, and one at D6. Littler, in the madhouse after a pressure-building 180, lands the double one. Absolute agony for Bunting!
Bunting 1-4 Littler (sixth set, 2-1 in legs) Bunting is trying to do what Ryan Joyce did to Littler earlier in the tournament â keep pinching legs, keep scrapping, and hope it throws his opponent off. Here, he gets down to 68, with Littler on 105 â and as he misses one dart at D20, Bunting hits double four to take the lead in this set.
Bunting 1-4 Littler (sixth set, 1-1 in legs) Maximum No 12 for Littler â Iâll recap the 180 standings later, but rest assured, he is top by a distance. He gets down to 160, but fumbles slightly to leave 97 with Bunting on the big fish. Neither player can get it done, but Bunting finds an essential double eight to break straight back!
Bunting 1-4 Littler (sixth set, 0-1 in legs) After the break, Bunting joins the crowd in a Robbie Williams singalong, while Littler feigns disappointment. A bit of late-season panto, before Littler gets back to business, edging ahead on Buntingâs throw. He misses his first two shots at D20, but the third is in the heart of the bed.
Is the comeback on? I wouldnât count on it â Bunting, smiling broadly to his son in the crowd, looked more relieved to get out from under Littlerâs boot for a brief moment. But you never know.
âIâm still extremely high after watching Dundee United move up to third in the Scottish Premiership with an 88th-minute winner away to Dundee,â writes Simon McMahon. âThereâs no better feeling. Except maybe at the darts, where everyone just seems high on life all the time. Hoping for a classic final between Littler and Van Gerwen tomorrow. Unless of course Bunting can turn this around.â
I caught the end of that game â the limbs in the Dens Park away end were a match for anything weâve seen at the Ally Pally tonight.
Bunting wins the fifth set, trails 4-1
A rare drop-off from Littler gives Bunting six darts from 170, but he ends up with just one set dart at tops, which is missed. Littler, on 83, has two darts at D16 to break back â but misses both! Bunting breathes a sigh of relief, and checks out D20 to get on the board.
Bunting 0-4 Littler (fifth set, 2-1 in legs) Littler keeps Bunting at armâs length here, taking out a ton with a double-double-tops. A nice touch, and the pressure is firmly on his opponent.
Bunting 0-4 Littler (fifth set, 2-0 in legs) So, Bunting breaks throw and has the chance to get a set on the board. It may be now or never. Littler hits a max, just reminding his opponent heâs there, but Bunting matches it â and lands double 10 to hold.
Bunting 0-4 Littler (fifth set, 1-0 in legs) Littler has won 12 legs to Buntingâs six, which is not quite as dominant as the set-score suggests. He misses a chance to make it 13 as he drags a shot at D20 low â and Bunting finally makes him pay, nailing double four!
Stephen Bunting has worked incredibly hard to improve his game and climb the rankings. Heâs practiced with Luke Humphries, and undergone hypnotherapy sessions. Heâs arguably been in the form of his life, but heâs trying to beat an absolute force of nature here.
Littler wins the fourth set, leads 4-0
True grit here from Bunting, finding a 180 with time running out on Littlerâs throw. It leaves him 81, and he misses double 13 by a hairâs breadth. But miss it he does, and Littler hits double eight straight away. That pretty much sums this match up; Littler leads 4-0.
Bunting 0-3 Littler (fourth set, 1-2 in legs) Littler baffles even himself with an opening 27, and then another 180. Heâs looking very relaxed up there, as Bunting tries to find some way into this match. From 114, he drags his one dart at tops low, and Littler sticks the boot in by hitting double 20 on his first attempt.
Bunting 0-3 Littler (fourth set, 1-1 in legs) Bunting is struggling for any real consistency, following up that strong start with a non-contest of a leg. Heâs stuck on 189 as Littler lands that trusty double 10 once again.
Bunting 0-3 Littler (fourth set, 1-0 in legs) Bunting desperately needs this set before the next break, or his target will become avoiding a whitewash. He starts with four perfect darts, and takes the leg on D16 despite Littler hitting 180 to turn up the pressure.
Littler wins the third set, leads 3-0
Littler opens the deciding leg with a maximum â of course he does â and Bunting can only offer a paltry 140 â and then a nervy 27 as the pressure proves too much. Littler is miles clear, needing 47 after nine darts, and getting the job done in 12. Outrageous stuff.
Bunting 0-2 Littler (third set, 2-2 in legs) Bunting now has to hold on, and takes his time on the approach before 122. He misses the bull, and Littler could twist the knife with a 142 checkout â but clips the wire on double eleven! Bunting, a relieved man, holds on D8.
Bunting 0-2 Littler (third set, 1-2 in legs) Littler shows that frightening bouncebackability again, firing in five perfect darts and getting down to 54 off nine darts. âRubbish,â mutters Bunting as he hits 44 â and Littler promptly cleans up an 11-dart leg.
Bunting 0-2 Littler (third set, 1-1 in legs) Littler smashes in a maximum to start the leg, and a break looks certain until he hits single five when aiming for tops. Bunting stops the rot with a clinical two-dart 64 checkout â¦
Bunting 0-2 Littler (third set, 0-1 in legs) Bunting has hit three doubles out of 13 (23%), which is nowhere near good enough. He doesnât even get a look at the outer ring here, with Littler picking off a 158 finish, and showing signs of his is-he-actually-human best.
One set of the highest quality, and another that was a slugfest â but both were won by Luke Littler, and Bunting is already under pressure to make a match of this.
Littler wins the second set, leads 2-0
Both playersâ levels have dropped in unison â they are both averaging around 90 in this set. Itâs a bigger problem for Bunting, who is left behind when Littler finds two T20s to leave 40 on the board. Three darts at tops ⦠he only needs one.
Bunting 0-1 Littler (second set, 1-2 in legs) Littler is an exceptional front-runner but is also very good at putting a bad leg behind him. Heâs straight back among the trebles, but a failed attempt to check out 92 draws a wry smile. Bunting, though, misses two darts at D16 and Littler breaks back on double six.
Bunting 0-1 Littler (second set, 1-1 in legs) A first crack in Buntingâs titanium there, but he bounces back smartly, only just missing bull from a 164 checkout. Littler follows suit, just missing the bullseye, Bunting busts, Littler loses his way and misses double 10. Bunting breaks back to settle a scrappy leg.
Bunting 0-1 Littler (second set, 0-1 in legs) After a scratchy start on throw, Bunting finds 139 to leave the big fish. He gets the two treble 20s, but the shot at bull is a mile off â and Littler leaves tops to apply pressure. It works, with Bunting missing two leg darts before Littler nails D10 again.
Buntingâs three-dart average in the first set was 113.35. And he lost. Littler managed 105.92, which isnât bad either. Thereâs already an intensity to this match that was largely missing from the first semi-final.
Luke Littler wins the first set
Both players are averaging well over 100, with Bunting switching to T19s well after Littler finds another maximum. Littler, from 87, has one wayward shot at the bull. Bunting is on 92, but canât find a treble â and Littler takes out his favourite double, D10, to claim the set.
Bunting 0-0 Littler (first set, 2-2 in legs) Bunting has come to play, with another 180 helping him take charge before he checks out 41 in two darts. Can he break again and snatch this first set?
Bunting 0-0 Littler (first set, 1-2 in legs) This is akin to how Littler started against Aspinall in the quarters â pedal straight to the metal. Bunting finds five perfect darts in a row in response, though, and while he drags a shot at tops low, he finds double 10 to break back!
Bunting 0-0 Littler (first set, 0-2 in legs) A first 180 for Littler puts the pressure on Bunting â and he hits a second straight away! The break is on, sealed on double 10.
Bunting 0-0 Littler (first set, 0-1 in legs) Littler opens with a 140, and adds another as Bunting struggles for trebles. Littler is so far clear he can afford to set up tops â and despite a maximum from Bunting, he takes the first leg in 14 darts.
Bunting v Littler is live!
Here we go, then. Stephen Bunting enters to âTitaniumâ, cupping his ears to the crowd. Always brings the house down, 10/10, no notes. Luke Littler is out next, to the catchy âGreenlightâ by Pitbull and co. Great singalong potential, but Bunting a tough act to follow. 8/10, Bunting edges the walk-ons.
Profile: Luke Littler
Nickname: The Nuke
World ranking: No 4
Home town: Warrington
Major titles: PL, World Series, Grand Slam 2024
PDC worlds best: Final 2024
Walk-on music: Greenlight
At the start of last yearâs tournament, Luke Littler was a name only known to darts aficionados who had picked up on his strong showings at floor events. His incredible run to the world final made him famous far beyond the sport, but while other rising stars have wilted in the spotlight, Littler has swiftly moved to the top of the world.
Now world No 4 and back in the semi-finals, it feels like a matter of time until Littler â still only 17 â is the No 1 and world champion. He is the favourite to lift the trophy and playing like it; even a player as talented as Nathan Aspinall could not keep up with him in their quarter-final. Can anyone stop the Prince of the Palace becoming the King?
Road to semi-finals: R2 beat Ryan Meikle 3-1, R3 bt Ian White 4-1, R4 bt Ryan Joyce 4-3, QF bt Nathan Aspinall 5-2.
Profile: Stephen Bunting
Nickname: The Bullet
World ranking: No 8
Home town: St Helens
Major titles: BDO worlds 2014, Masters 2024
PDC worlds best: Semis 2021, 2025
Walk-on music: Titanium
Bunting is only 39 (and two months younger than Cristiano Ronaldo), but he has been a familiar face on the darts circuit ever since winning the Lakeside title in 2014. Tipped to be a world title contender when he joined the PDC, Bunting struggled to break through at first but has become a top-10 player this year and claimed a TV title with the Masters.
Can âThe Bulletâ take down âThe Nukeâ tonight and reach his first Ally Pally final? He has been in imperious form so far in this tournament, and has the tenacity and checkout skills to rein heavy-hitting opponents in. Bunting should also have the crowd on his side; he has become one of the PDC Tourâs most well-liked players.
Road to semi-finals: R2 beat Kai Gotthardt 3-1, R3 bt Madars Razma 4-1, R4 bt Luke Woodhouse 4-0, QF bt Peter Wright 5-2.
Bunting v Littler is moments away â so hereâs more info on our second pair of semi-finalists â¦
My moment of the match â just brutal from Van Gerwen.
Spiky stuff from MvG there â heâs entirely fluent in English, and I canât recall him ever letting slip an F-bomb before. I think talk of where the title would rank got under his skin â he is very much in âone game at a timeâ mode.
Hereâs Michael van Gerwen: â98, 99 average, itâs not that bad ⦠of course I want to play as explosive as I can, but I was efficient, which you have to be to win games. Itâs about the mentality â even when things werenât going my way, I was able to produce some good stuff.â
âThe title is still far away, Iâve got to battle tomorrow, thatâs how I see it.â Where would the title rank among his other three? âI canât think about that. Iâm only in the final â Iâve won [eff] all yet!â Sky then have to apologise for the naughty word.
Van Gerwen beats Dobey 6-1!
Dobey 1-6 Van Gerwen Van Gerwen starts with 140, but Dobey hits back with a maximum. That only angers his opponent, who leaves 41 after nine darts â but misses two match darts at D16. Dobey canât take down a monster checkout, though, and next time, Van Gerwen doesnât miss!
Dobey 1-5 Van Gerwen (seventh set, 1-2 in legs) Dobey needs 158 with Van Gerwen lurking on 82. He comes up short and MvG gets one shot at tops. Itâs all he needs, and itâs all but over now.
Dobey 1-5 Van Gerwen (seventh set, 1-1 in legs) Van Gerwen has taken on this match like a middle-distance runner, powering out of the blocks and always keeping his opponent at armâs length. He earns room to miss a couple of doubles here before holding throw.
Dobey 1-5 Van Gerwen (seventh set, 1-0 in legs) The way Van Gerwen has eased through the gears here is frightening â and he starts the seventh set with two 180s! Again, the seventh dart lets him down, but heâs in charge of the leg. Or is he? Two misses at double 12 leave Dobey with âShanghaiâ â S20, T20, D20 â and he only goes and gets it. Fair play to the lad.
Van Gerwen wins the sixth set, leads 5-1
Dobeyâs level drops again and he canât put any pressure on Van Gerwen, who nails double tops to wrap up the sixth set.
Dobey 1-4 Van Gerwen (sixth set, 2-2 in legs) Dobey makes a sketchy attempt to check out 160 and Van Gerwen pounces, the chance for a second set taken away from Dobey without an ounce of ruth.
Dobey 1-4 Van Gerwen (sixth set, 2-1 in legs) Another chance for Dobey, on tops with Van Gerwen on 153 ⦠the Dutchman gets close to another soul-crushing checkout, but just misses D18 and Dobey cleans up with his first dart. Heâs outscoring MvG again now â¦
Dobey 1-4 Van Gerwen (sixth set, 1-1 in legs) Dobey pins double 16 to hold in a quickfire second leg, but he needs to find a break â¦
Dobey 1-4 Van Gerwen (sixth set, 0-1 in legs) Dobey hits just his second maximum of the night â a big drop-off from his previous form. It does earn him a shot at a break, but Dobey misses double five. No big deal though, with MvG on 158 ⦠T20, T20, D19, done. Itâs a hold of throw, but another dagger into poor Dobeyâs self-belief.
Michael van Gerwen leads 4-1 in a race to six, and will throw first in the next set. Heâs been dominant since losing the third set, and might actually want a bit more resistance from Dobey, with the final in mind. This isnât over yet, of course. Not quite.