Premier League Darts Returns to Cardiff Amid Humphries’ Struggles
Luke Humphries remains winless in the 2026 Premier League Darts as the tournament heads back to Cardiff for Night Five. Neither Humphries nor Luke Littler, whom he dethroned at last year’s O2 finale, has claimed a nightly victory yet this season.
Memorable Nine-Darters in Brighton’s Night Five
Last year’s Night Five in Brighton delivered thrilling action. Humphries and Rob Cross both achieved nine-dart perfection but suffered defeats in their matches. Humphries stunned the crowd with a nine-darter in the second leg of his quarter-final against Cross, yet Cross rallied with seven 180s to win 6-4. Cross then landed his own nine-darter in the semi-final against Nathan Aspinall but lost 6-5, falling to Littler in the final.
To mark their achievements, tournament sponsors awarded Humphries and Cross golden darts valued at £30,000 each.
Three-Time World Champion Proposes Bold Rule Shift
Three-time world champion John Part reacted strongly to the players’ losses despite their perfect legs. He suggested darts introduce a rule granting an automatic match victory for any nine-darter, limited to shorter-format events like Premier League nights.
This scenario repeated recently in Belfast, where local hero Josh Rock hit a nine-darter but lost to Gian van Veen. Commentator Wayne Mardle laughed off Part’s idea during the broadcast.
Humphries reflected on his rare feat: “I’ve hit about five or six nine-darters in my career. But it’s always a special feeling to do it on the big stage and the crowd went wild, which was amazing. Of course, I would have rather won the game, but it’s a really nice memento.”
Humphries Targets Cardiff Breakthrough
Humphries seeks his first nightly win in Cardiff. He recently admitted his challenge lies in sustaining starts: “My game at the moment, I am starting off like a train in every game I play, playing the best darts out of anybody. Then, all of a sudden, I am playing the worst darts. It’s just a strange scenario for me.”
