SUBLIME LITTLER WHITEWASHES CROSS, AS FIVE WORLD CHAMPIONS CRASH OUT

Luke Littler produced a mesmerising display to whitewash Rob Cross on the opening day of the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals, as Luke Humphries kicked off his title defence with victory over Gabriel Clemens.

Day One of the £600,000 event saw all 64 players in first round action at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, as five World Champions crashed out during a marathon double session.

However, Littler stole the headlines on his Players Championship Finals debut, registering the second highest average in the tournament’s history to dispatch Cross in just over 11 minutes.

The newly-crowned Grand Slam champion averaged 112.73 to set up a second round tie against Ritchie Edhouse, registering winning legs of 14, 14, 13, 15, 13 and 11 darts in the process.

Humphries also eased through to round two with a routine 6-2 win against Clemens, defying a mid-game rally from the German number two to kick off his title defence in style.

“Every game you play now is cut-throat,” declared the world number one, who will play Dutch stalwart Raymond van Barneveld in Saturday’s second round.

“If you rest on your laurels you will face defeat, and I think we’ve got to step up and start working harder, because if you don’t, there are other players that will take your place.”