Littler claims JDC Advanced Tour treble in Coventry

Luke Littler (PDC)

Luke Littler maintained his sensational start to 2023 by claiming a hat-trick of titles on the second weekend of Junior Darts Corporation Advanced Tour action in Coventry.

The JDC's Advanced Tour will feature three weekends in 2023, which each include four individual events, with a £10,000 prize fund available across the year.

Thomas Banks, Henry Coates, Leighton Bennett and Jenson Walker shared the spoils on last month’s opening weekend, although it was Littler who dominated the latest quartet of events on April 22-23.

The Warrington thrower - who made the fourth round on his Cazoo UK Open debut in March and also tops the Development Tour Order of Merit - produced a series of dominant displays to add to his title tally in the West Midlands.

The 16-year-old defeated Rune van Damme to seal Events Five and Six success on Saturday, having kicked off the day with consecutive deciding-leg wins over Coates and Alfie Busby.

Littler then eased past Welsh duo Keaton Williams and Fabian Tapner to set up a showdown against Van Damme, before producing a brace of 11-darters to dispatch the Belgian youngster 6-1.

The JDC World Champion then posted successive ton-plus averages to breeze through to the Event Six showpiece, where he reeled off six straight legs from 2-0 adrift to inflict another defeat on Van Damme.

Lewis Bell ended Littler’s winning run in Sunday’s Event Seven decider, dumping out Tapner, Coates and Williams before celebrating a superb 6-1 success against Littler with a 92 average.

However, the teenage sensation avenged that defeat in Event Eight, averaging over 105 to demolish Bell in four straight legs, missing double 12 for a nine-darter and converting a 130 checkout to confirm his progress.

Littler continued his charge by seeing off Cayden Smith and Jack Nankervis in the latter stages, and he completed the hat-trick with a 6-1 rout of Tapner to cap off a superb weekend.

The JDC Advanced Tour will continue on May 27-28, with Events 9-12 in Coventry. For more details, visit juniordarts.com.

The full list of JDC tour dates and more information on the Junior Darts Corporation is available here: https://www.juniordarts.com/index.php/jdc-tour/tour-dates-2020

2023 JDC Foundation Tour
Events 1-4 - February 25-26, Coventry
Events 5-8 - March 25-26, Coventry
Events 9-12 - April 29-30, Coventry
Events 13-16 - May 6-7, Netherlands (venue TBC)
Events 17-20 - June 17-18, Coventry

2023 JDC Advanced Tour
Events 1-4 - March 11-12, Coventry
Events 5-8 - April 22-23, Coventry
Events 9-12 - May 27-28, Coventry

2023 JDC Greenzone Tour
Event 1 - March 18, Halesowen
Event 2 - April 22, Carlow
Event 3 - May 7, Portsmouth
Event 4 - June 10, Lampeter
Event 5 - July 15, Paignton
Event 6 - August 5, Forest of Dean
Event 7 - September 9, Stockport
Event 8 - October 21, Stafford

JDC European Open
July 29-30, Ireland

JDC Super 16
Qualifiers 1-4 - September 23-24
Qualifiers 5-8 - October 14-15
Finals Day - November 4

JDC World Junior Championship
TBC