Premier League Darts: Stephen Bunting wins in Belfast as Josh Rock hits nine-darter and Luke Littler loses again | Darts News

Rank-outsider Stephen Bunting was at his brilliant best to seal Premier League Darts victory on Night Four in Belfast as Josh Rock hit a nine-darter and Luke Littler suffered another early exit.

Bunting, defeated defending champion Luke Humphries before whitewashing Jonny Clayton to set up a final against Gian van Veen.

‘The Bullet’ was in rampant form and he went from zero to five points overall with a 6-2 success over the Dutchman to claim glory in Northern Ireland.

“Last year – losing seven or eight games on the bounce – really helped me. It gave me a lot of experience in this field,” said Bunting, a two-time World Championship semi-finalist.

“When you are playing in the Premier League, you are facing the best of the best.

“I am overjoyed by this win. It will rank up there win one of my best wins. I was a bit emotional after my first game but I held it together.

“Every time I step up, I still believe I am one of the hardest players to beat. People find their best game and I always seem to lose to the winner. Tonight I am the winner.

“I have come off social media, have a great team around me and I am not looking at the negatives. I had hypnotherapy this morning.

“I believe I am one of the best players in the world and deserve to be in the Premier League. This goes a long way to showing I should be here.”

A teary-eyed Bunting continued: “Everyone was writing me off before the tournament. People were saying I shouldn’t be in it but I know how hard I work.

“These are the nights I play for and the crowd pulled me through. I have to juggle family life. I have a lovely family at home.”

Bunting registered the first whitewash of the 2026 Premier League by thrashing league-leader Clayton with another 106+ average to take his place in the final against Van Veen.

The Dutchman had held his nerve to make his third Premier League final this year, beating Gerwyn Price in a last-leg decider with a 105.22 average and monster 160 checkout along the way.

Littler down in seventh after Clayton defeat

Littler has still only won just one match in this year’s Premier League and is down in seventh place in the standings after he was dispatched by Clayton in the quarter-finals.

Clayton won his fourth-straight round-one clash with an emphatic 6-3 success against the world No 1 after punishing just 3/13 on the doubles from the 19-year-old from Warrington.

‘The Ferret’ defeated the back-to-back world champion for a second week running, with ‘The Nuke’ frustrated by whistles from the Northern Irish crowd.

“It is a surprise that Littler has only won one match in the Premier League. It is just not clicking here and there is not always a reason for it,” said former women’s World Championship quarter-finalist, Laura Turner on Sky Sports.

“He is now going to be thinking about it but it is not panic stations. There is plenty of time.

“Jonny looked really assured. It was his finishing, for me, that was on point once again. He is not letting people back up to the oche.”

Bunting set up a semi-final date with Clayton after notching his first win in the tournament with a stunning display, beating Humphries 6-4.

‘The Bullet’ averaged an incredible 106.63 to defeat Humphries, who averaged 106 himself but was let down by poor finishing.

Price produced an unstoppable burst to rattle off three legs on the spin in crushing the hopes of Michael van Gerwen in a thrilling last-leg decider.

A fired-up Price capitalised on his excellent form at the Players Championship during the week by posting another 100+ average. He took out the final two legs in 22 darts to complete a fabulous fightback.

Raw, electric, unforgettable! Rock strikes perfection

Van Veen defied an extraordinary nine-darter from Rock to brush aside the home hero in Belfast with three ton-plus checkouts in a 6-2 win.

Although Rock remains rooted to the bottom of the table and is yet to pick up a point on his debut, the boy from Antrim raised the roof with a perfect eighth leg in front of his adoring fans.

“We know it is all about the points but to hit a nine-darter in front of a home crowd in Belfast… the noise was unbelievable when he hit the double,” said Turner.

“Nines don’t win you matches but it was a special moment.”

Rock: Belfast nine-darter a dream come true

Josh Rock on his nine-darter, for which he earned a £30,000 custom-made set of 18ct solid gold darts:

“My body is in overdrive. I am shaking like a leaf. It was a dream come true,” he told Sky Sports’ Polly James. “If I ever played in the Premier League, I’d love to hit a nine-darter in Belfast.

“I don’t care with losing. Hitting a nine-darter in front of my home crowd is a massive achievement in my eyes.

“I don’t care if I never throw a nine-darter again, this is a dream come true. I can’t explain how I feel.”

Mardle: Nine-darter doesn’t hide problems

Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle said: “The way he was playing just previously – I was saying he’s got no composure! I was saying ‘it’s all going wrong’ – and then he does that!

“A lot of pros say once two 180s go in you relax – you don’t.

“To regain composure and do what he did was incredible – but he needs to play miles better than that.”

What’s happening on Premier League Night Five?

Price and Clayton will be the star attractions when the darting roadshow rolls into Cardiff, with the pair pitted against Bunting and Van Veen respectively.

Van Gerwen and Humphries also do battle in the evening’s opener at the Utilita Arena, as Littler – who landed a nine-darter in the Welsh capital 12 months ago – takes on Rock.

Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will be defending his title and you can watch the action every single Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.