Littler and Humphries Lead England to Sixth World Cup of Darts Title
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries defeated the Netherlands 10-5 in Frankfurt to secure England's record-extending sixth World Cup of Darts victory, overcoming early deficits in the quarterfinals.
England's darts duo of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries clinched the World Cup of Darts for the sixth time, a new record, by beating the Netherlands' Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen 10-5 in the final in Frankfurt on Sunday.
The top-seeded English pair averaged over 104 and hit 15 finishes over 140 to overpower the Dutch, who were seeded second. The match was tight early on, but England pulled away after breaking the Dutch throw just before the first interval. Humphries later sealed the win with a double eight.
Earlier in the day, England faced a tough quarterfinal against Wales, trailing 0-4 and then 2-5 at the break. However, they mounted a comeback, winning a deciding leg after Nick Kenny missed a chance to close out. In the semifinals, they controlled Scotland from the start, taking a 5-2 lead into the interval and winning comfortably.
Last year, England suffered a shock second-round exit to hosts Germany, casting doubt on the partnership. Littler expressed his delight, saying, "That's the best we have played all tournament. We won together." Humphries praised van Gerwen's performance, noting, "You give Holland any hope and they'll take it away from us. We needed to take our chances."
Scotland had earlier impressed, thrashing Norway 8-0 and beating the Republic of Ireland 8-5, but could not match England's consistency in the semifinal. The Netherlands fought hard in the final, but England's composure and high scoring proved decisive.
