Luke Humphries and Rob Cross will renew their rivalry on Night Five of the BetMGM Premier League in Brighton, as Humphries targets a third nightly win of the campaign.
World number one Humphries has enjoyed a terrific start to the season, claiming a brace of nightly wins in Belfast and Exeter, while also finishing runner-up on Night Two in Glasgow.
The 30-year-old boasts a seven-point lead over his closest challenger Luke Littler at the top of the table, after recording his first Premier League victory over the teenager in last week’s Night Four finale.
Humphries also overcame Gerwyn Price and Cross on his way to victory in Exeter, converting a hat-trick of ton-plus checkouts to deny Cross in a compelling semi-final tussle.
The pair will lock horns for a second straight week at The Brighton Centre, and Humphries is determined to build on his magnificent start to the league phase against the Hastings-born star.
“To be on 15 points after four nights is fantastic, but there’s still a long way to go,” claimed Humphries, who celebrated a nightly victory in Brighton 12 months ago.
“I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season, but I’m going to make sure I don’t relax and think I’m almost there [in the top four], because that is when it starts to affect you.
“I can take great confidence from last week into Brighton, but I have to keep working hard to try and pick up those nightly wins!”
Reigning champion Littler will also headline Thursday’s action on the South Coast, fresh from his sensational UK Open triumph on Sunday.
Littler produced a tournament average of 104.35 on his way to glory in Minehead, while also crashing in a record-high 47 maximums across his six matches.
The 18-year-old will play Chris Dobey in the evening’s second quarter-final, as the Bedlington star bids to halt a run of three consecutive defeats since reaching the Night One showpiece.
“I just want to win as much as I possibly can,” declared Littler, who claimed the Night Two spoils in Glasgow last month.
“I know where my best game is at and it was certainly there last weekend; it meant the world to win the UK Open.
“I’m very happy with the way I played throughout the weekend, but now it’s full focus on the Premier League."
Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen sit third and fourth respectively heading into Night Five, and the pair will go head-to-head in a fascinating tussle to kick off Thursday’s proceedings.
Price enjoyed a welcome return to form with a nightly victory in Dublin a fortnight ago, while he also secured his first ranking title since November 2023 with success on the PDC ProTour last month.
Van Gerwen, meanwhile, made a trio of semi-final appearances to kick off his campaign, but his deciding-leg defeat to Cross in the Night Four quarter-finals saw that sequence come to an end.
The evening’s other quarter-final tie will pit Nathan Aspinall against Stephen Bunting, who is desperate to open his account following a run of four consecutive quarter-final exits.
Aspinall is just one point adrift of the Play-Off places after picking up five points in the last two weeks, and the Stockport star maintained his return to form with a quarter-final showing at the UK Open.
Bunting has registered ton-plus averages in his previous two outings against Humphries and Littler, although the Liverpudlian remains three points adrift of Dobey, who occupies seventh position in the table.
The 2025 Premier League sees eight of the sport’s biggest names contesting 16 mini-events during the season, with each league night comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final over the best of 11 legs.
Ranking points will be awarded per night - with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists - to form the league table from which the top four players will progress to the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on Thursday May 29.
The 2025 BetMGM Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers (outside of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland).
2025 BetMGM Premier League
Night Five - Thursday March 6
The Brighton Centre
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen
Luke Littler v Chris Dobey
Rob Cross v Luke Humphries
Stephen Bunting v Nathan Aspinall
Semi-Finals
Price/Van Gerwen v Littler/Dobey
Cross/Humphries v Bunting/Aspinall
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs
