World Cup of Darts Saturday evening session Round-Up | England and Netherlands survive tricky tests as defending champions Northern Ireland edge Belgium
PDC
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries anchored home hopes on Saturday night as they started their campaign at the World Cup of Darts. Also, the Netherlands' duo Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen were also involved. Both avoided scares at times but won through.
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England had to deal with utter brilliance from Cristo Reyes who showed once again why he is a force to be reckoned with for Spain but Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are finally on track.
Reyes kicked off 180. He hit 140 to leave 90 on the England throw. Justicia missed double five for a 90 checkout. Littler returned looking at 68 but missed the top of the shop, and Reyes returned to miss two darts. Humphries is back but more darts are missed. Justicia came back but didn't use the marker on double one. Littler finally back for double five. Humphries missed 144 for 2-0. Reyes returned looking at 103 but couldn't get the right treble and Littler returned for double six.
Littler missed 64 for 3-0. Reyes returns but can't get the treble for 120. Humphries eventually back for double five for 3-0. A 90 checkout on double 14 for Justicia who made it 3-1. A 60 checkout for Reyes to make it 3-2 as Spain break back. Justicia missed two darts for 3-3 and Humphries looked at 52 for 4-2. But he missed two darts and allowed Reyes back for 3-3.
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Littler hit double 20 for 4-3. But Reyes tied it up at 4-4. England broke on double six for 6-4 though and were now one away as Reyes was unable to anchor them further. But the twist followed as England missed match darts both on double 20 and Reyes is back. But he misses two to hold. Littler misses two more for the win though and Justicia is there for double 10.
A 180 from Reyes as Spain looked to break. Justicia can't hit 102. Littler looked at 89 and he finally got over the line.
Netherlands navigate Sweden storm
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While Van Gerwen and Van Veen for Netherlands navigated a Swedish storm as Jeffrey de Graaf and Oskar Lukasiak made life very tough for the duo.
It was great to start as Van Gerwen hit a 74 checkout to lead. A 180 from MVG. A 140 from Van Veen leaves double 12 for the Netherlands. MVG poked in the double last dart to make it 2-0. A 150 from MVG to leave 95 as Van Veen took aim on the treble for double 19 target for 3-0.
But Netherlands missed darts to hold and De Graaf who is Dutch born hit double eight for 3-2 to break. A 75 checkout from Lukasiak on double 20 sees Sweden make it 3-3. Van Veen back for double 10 but he misses three darts and Lukasiak looks at 155 which he pins to break and make it 4-3.
Lukasiak left it handy for De Graaf on 90 with Netherlands not on a finish. De Graaf went the wrong route and Van Gerwen returned for 74. He missed double 20 though and Lukasiak returned for double 14 to make it 5-5.
Van Veen finally got to play with MVG.
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Van Veen took aim at 77 and he missed double 20. Lukasiak returns but misses double 20 himself. MVG hit double 10 for 6-5. Lukasiak poorly busts 16 but De Graaf returned with Netherlands not on a finish. He missed three darts though and Netherlands hit double 16 through MVG for 7-5.
Germany and defending champions Northern Ireland tested
Home hopes Germany took down a tricky Czechia test which also threatened to go the distance. To start, 180 from Gawlas left 136. Schindler hit 140 to leave 121. Pietreczko returned but he slipped into the wrong bed going for 121. Gawlas went for 90 and had a dart at the bull which he missed. Schindler returned to break on double 11 after a superb adjustment. Lukasiak hits 85 on double 20 for an 11-darter to break back but in the end Netherlands hit back pinning a 70 checkout to get over the line 8-6.
Schindler left Pietreczko 74 but he missed two darts. Sedlacek looked at 141 but he couldn't pin it and Schindler looked at double six. He hit it last dart for 3-0. Sedlacek missed three darts for the first leg on the board. Pietreczko looked at 82 and pinned double 20 for 4-0 for a break. Czechia missed dart after dart through both Gawlas and Sedlacek. Schindler missed the bull for 5-0. Finally Gawlas hit double two for 4-1 to break. Now they were throwing for 4-2 down.
Double 10 for Schindler continued Germany's control for 5-1. Pietreczko missed 67 on double 16 but Schindler returned for 6-1 to romp the opening session. A 70 checkout missed by Pietreczko and Sedlacek returned for 90 for 6-3 down. Sedlacek missed darts to hold but Pietreczko missed 105. But Gawlas missed more darts to hold. Schindler missed even more darts though on double nine and Sedlacek finally hit double eight for 6-4.
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Germany positioned themselves one away but Czechia were eventually back for 7-5. Czechia were emphatic in power scoring to hammer the German throw but Pietreczko hit 180 and left 57 in case Sedlacek didn't hit 52. He did hitting double eight and Czechia were suddenly throwing for a decider. Then finally Germany sealed the win.
Northern Ireland opened the night against Belgium in a hotly anticipated tie and it was the defending champions who just about squeaked through.
To start, De Decker missed 106 and Gurney hit double four to make it 1-1. The defending champions levelled in the process.
84 from De Decker to leave 56 as Rock took aim at 135. But Van den Bergh came back for 56. He missed two darts though. Gurney came back but missed 78. De Decker returned for double 10 again to make it 2-1. Van den Bergh slapped in a last dart treble 19 to leave 51. But Rock took aim at 103. He missed double 20 though and De Decker returned for a clean kill 51 for a break. 3-1 Belgium at that point.
77 and double 20 for 4-1 as De Decker screamed as Belgium made it 4-1. Rock hit back with an 80 checkout on double 20 as Northern Ireland made it 4-2. 89 to leave double 16 as De Decker came back to make it 5-2. Rock missed 80 for a hold but Belgium could only pressure back on 182. Gurney returned on double five for 5-3.
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Belgium were first to a finish on 139. De Decker missed it but Van den Bergh was left double 20. He missed all three darts and allowed Gurney back to thump in double 20 to break for 5-4. Rock missed double 16 for 5-5. De Decker returned for double 16 for 6-4.
De Decker couldn't take the marker on 120. Rock returned to switch for 34 for 6-5 to break again and he was throwing for 6-6. Rock took 108 down to 32 to set it up for Gurney on return to break again. 'Superchin' though missed three darts on the wire and De Decker returned to take aim at 80. He pinned double 20 for 7-6. Double four for Gurney sent it all the way.
134 for Van den Bergh. Gurney though responded himself with 136. Rock hit 140 to leave 102. Gurney hit it superbly to win.
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- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
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- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
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- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026