Jonny Clayton asserted his dominance at the Premier League Darts Week 6 in Nottingham, securing his second nightly victory and extending his lead at the top of the table by a commanding eight points. Luke Humphries reached his first final of the season after overcoming tough opponents, but ultimately fell short against the relentless ‘Ferret’. Meanwhile, Josh Rock’s challenging debut season continued as he failed to register any points, highlighting a stark contrast in fortunes across the league.
Clayton’s Unstoppable Charge
Jonny Clayton, known as ‘The Ferret’, continued his remarkable form, winning his sixth consecutive quarter-final match of the 2026 Premier League season. He faced a challenging start against Michael van Gerwen, who quickly raced to a 2-0 lead with impressive 11 and 15-dart legs. However, van Gerwen then squandered seven crucial darts at doubles over the next two legs, inviting Clayton back into the match.
Clayton seized the opportunity, leveling the score with a 15-darter. From that point, Clayton took control, firing in two 13-dart legs to establish a 5-3 lead before sealing the victory on double 4. This win not only secured his spot in the semi-finals but also guaranteed his position as the Premier League leader going into Week 7.
Humphries Breaks Through to the Final
After five frustrating weeks, Luke Humphries arrived in Nottingham determined to make an impact. His opening match was against his notorious bogey opponent, Gian van Veen, who had previously defeated the former World Champion in significant clashes, including the European Championship final and the World Championship quarter-finals.
The match began evenly, tied at 3-3 after six legs. The turning point came when van Veen missed a 124-bullseye finish, allowing Humphries to secure the first break with an 80-checkout on double 10. Despite van Veen’s attempt to break back, missing double 16, Humphries capitalized, hitting double 10 again. Although van Veen held his throw on double 20, Humphries checked out 74 on double 16 to clinch a vital 6-4 victory, earning him two crucial points.
Littler vs. Price: A Darts Thriller
Matches between Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price are always anticipated for their spectacle, and Nottingham delivered. Littler quickly established a 2-0 lead with 14 and 11-dart legs. Price responded under immense pressure, checking out 151 with a 12-darter and 152 with a 15-darter to level the score.
The back-and-forth continued with a 12-darter from Littler. Price then held his throw comfortably. Amidst whistles from the crowd, Littler missed tops twice, allowing Price to secure a break for a 4-3 lead. However, Price then missed single 5 for a 13-point finish, failing to punish Littler further. The ‘Nuke’ capitalized, securing a re-break with a 17-darter. Despite missing his first two match darts, Price forced a decider with a 98-finish.
In the deciding leg, Littler showcased brutal composure, starting with two 180s and finishing an 82-checkout on tops for an 11-darter – a perfect leg from Price would have been the only counter.
Semi-Final Showdowns
- Stephen Bunting vs. Jonny Clayton: Clayton sought revenge for a previous 0-6 defeat. After Bunting missed three doubles for the lead, Clayton took control, quickly establishing a 3-0 lead with a 100% double success rate. Bunting fought back, leveling the score. However, Bunting then endured ‘double trouble’, missing seven chances at doubles, allowing Clayton to break on double 3. Clayton then closed out the match on tops, securing his third final appearance of the season.
- Luke Humphries vs. Luke Littler: This highly anticipated clash saw the first five legs go with the throw. Humphries then landed the first break with an 81-checkout in 11 darts. Littler tried to build pressure, setting up 82 after nine darts, but Humphries shut the door with a stunning 130-bullseye checkout. Littler fought back to 3-5. Humphries had a chance to seal the win on his throw but missed double 11. Littler capitalized, hitting double 10. The world number one missed double 7 for the equalizer, and the world number two missed two darts at tops, allowing Littler to force a decider on double 2. In a tense final leg, Humphries held his nerve, checking out 128 for a 12-darter on double 10, earning his first Premier League final spot of the season.
The Grand Finale: Clayton vs. Humphries
The final pitted the league leader, Jonny Clayton, against the determined Luke Humphries. Clayton wasted no time, racing to a 2-0 lead. Humphries responded with a brilliant 121-bullseye finish for a 12-darter to get on the scoreboard. However, Clayton quickly reasserted his dominance, hitting a 17-darter and then punishing a Humphries error with a 146-checkout on double 16 to go 4-1 up. He continued his clinical finishing, hitting double 16 on his first attempt in both the fifth and sixth legs, while Humphries struggled with his doubles.
Clayton made short work of the final, securing a dominant 6-1 victory, further solidifying his position at the top of the Premier League table with an eight-point cushion.
Nottingham Week 6 Results Overview
Quarter-Finals:
- Josh Rock 1-6 Stephen Bunting (Average: Rock 82.88 – Bunting 91.24)
- Jonny Clayton 6-3 Michael van Gerwen (Average: Clayton 95.47 – van Gerwen 91.01)
- Luke Humphries 6-4 Gian van Veen (Average: Humphries 95.94 – van Veen 89.96)
- Gerwyn Price 5-6 Luke Littler (Average: Price 101.31 – Littler 108.66)
Semi-Finals:
- Stephen Bunting 3-6 Jonny Clayton (Average: Bunting 94.37 – Clayton 95.27)
- Luke Humphries 6-5 Luke Littler (Average: Humphries 105.71 – Littler 101.31)
Final:
- Jonny Clayton 6-1 Luke Humphries (Average: Clayton 99.59 – Humphries 97.56)
Josh Rock’s Premier League Nightmare Continues
For Josh Rock, his debut year in the Premier League continues to be a tough experience. Despite reaching the UK Open semi-finals the previous weekend, he couldn’t find his form against Stephen Bunting, suffering his sixth consecutive defeat. Bunting even had five match darts for a whitewash, but Rock managed to win one leg on double 1 – his only leg of the match, taking 23 darts. Bunting then closed out the match 6-1 on double 10, leaving Rock with a disappointing average of under 83 points.
Key Takeaways for Josh Rock:
- Sixth consecutive loss in six Premier League appearances.
- Struggling to replicate his form from other tournaments.
- Failed to register any points so far in the league.
What’s Next? Premier League Darts Heads to Dublin
The Premier League Darts 2026 continues next Thursday in Dublin at the 3Arena. Fans can look forward to another exciting night of darts action.
Dublin Week 7 Fixtures:
- Quarter-Finals:
- Gian van Veen vs. Michael van Gerwen
- Stephen Bunting vs. Luke Littler
- Josh Rock vs. Gerwyn Price
- Jonny Clayton vs. Luke Humphries
- Semi-Finals:
- Winner of Van Veen/van Gerwen vs. Winner of Bunting/Littler
- Winner of Rock/Price vs. Winner of Clayton/Humphries
- Final:
- Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2
Premier League Darts Prize Money Explained
The Premier League Darts boasts one of the highest prize funds in the sport, second only to the PDC World Championship. It’s important to note that this prize money does not count towards the PDC Order of Merit, which determines player rankings based on earnings from ranking tournaments. Instead, it serves as a substantial bonus for the elite players invited to compete.
Prize Money Breakdown:
- Winner: £350,000
- Runner-Up: £170,000
- Semi-Finalists: £110,000 each
- 5th Place: £95,000
- 6th Place: £90,000
- 7th Place: £85,000
- 8th Place: £80,000
- Bonus per Nightly Win: £10,000
Total Prize Fund: £1,250,000
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
