"He can't get, he surely can't take out 170 under this pressure, under these circumstances." - Humphries in awe after Littler's extraordinary display.
PDC
England produced the goods on Sunday afternoon reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup of Darts where they will go on to face Scotland in a crunch clash tonight.
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Scotland perhaps have been the most impressive thus far but England after dodging the Spanish bullet last night did so again but in one of the greatest contests seen in the World Cup as Clayton and Kenny's Wales campaign was thwarted in a last leg decider.
Reflecting to Viaplay afterwards, Humphries said that in reality it was what the World Cup is all about with four great players duking it out as England ended up the victor.
"Yeah, honestly, to be honest, it's one of those games that, when you've finished it and it's done and dusted, you kind of think, wow, that was actually a really good game," said Humphries to Viaplay.
"All four participants were good. It was drama. I guess it wasn't 100 averages and stuff like that, but I don't always think that makes a great game. I think the drama, the ebbs and flows, one minute they're missing, we're missing, they're missing, we're hitting, it makes a great game. What a game to be a part of. But obviously, of course, we're really, really happy to win it and move ourselves into the semi-finals and look forward to tonight."
Edging the key moments
Asked about key moments, including the fifth leg in which Jonny Clayton missed 120 to make it 5-0, England responded to make it 4-1 and that was very much the catalyst towards their comeback.
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"I think Luke said it then, just getting that first leg on the board, it means everything, obviously. We could have been 3-0, 4-0 up, the same as Wales, we just couldn't hit the doubles early on. The scoring was definitely there for us," said Littler.
"We came back off the break. Would have liked 4-3, but we're 5-2 down either way. We had to go back on stage and work really hard. But yeah, I think that was our mindset, was battling back. I think we did the first four legs on stage in 18, 11, 12, 13 and yeah, we got right back into the match.
But like Luke said, there's just so much drama. We were both missing, we were both hitting and yeah, that's the love of the game.
Humphries chimed in that it was a great advert for the game. "Yeah, that's what the World Cup is all about."
Welsh duo Clayton and Kenny thwarted.
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At 6-6, Kenny threw a 140 to put Wales on 66. England were on 170 and it was pinned by Littler superbly which proved to be a huge catalyst towards the team winning and Littler described it.
"I seen him move over and he found that first and I said, "Don't find another," and then he found another. Like I said on stage, whenever I'm under pressure, even at the Grand Prix against Gezzy, I took out the 152 to win. I always tend to try and float my darts in, just try and get them in, and that's what I done and yeah, just nailed the bull."
Humphries was on the side for once not as his opponent but as his teammate and had a smile of disbelief and said that it could be very much that moment that they look back on if they go on to win it later tonight.
"Yeah, because you kind of feel like you've seen it all. I've been on the end of it a couple of times from him and you're like, "He can't get, he surely can't take out 170 under this pressure, under these circumstances."
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"I didn't doubt him, but when he hit it, I celebrated but also was like, "I can't believe it." But I could.
"What a set-up shot as well. I said earlier, what, 134 to set it up. But yeah, that is the reason why he is the world number one and a back-to-back world champion. He does things that people can only dream of doing and that could be the pivotal moment where, maybe if we lift the trophy in six or seven hours, we'll look back at that and go, "That was the big shot that could win it." But of course, we've still got two big, important games to go yet."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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