Michael van Gerwen admitted the Netherlands were beaten by a “phenomenal” England display after Luke Littler and Luke Humphries powered their way to World Cup of Darts glory in Frankfurt. England beat Van Gerwen and Gian van Veen 10-5 in the final at the Eissporthalle, averaging 104.77 as they claimed the nation’s sixth World Cup title. For Humphries, it was a second World Cup crown; for Littler, it was a first.
“There’s definitely positives,” Van Gerwen told Sky Sports after the final. “We did okay but I think we can do a lot better than this. But the English guys played an absolutely phenomenal final. When they had to do well, they produced fantastic darts.” The Netherlands had arrived in the final with momentum after an emphatic 8-2 semi-final win over defending champions Northern Ireland. Van Gerwen and Van Veen averaged 101.55 in that match, with Van Gerwen producing a 125 checkout and Van Veen sealing victory with an 83 finish for a 12-dart final leg.
They also started the final strongly. Van Gerwen opened the match with a 180 and later took out 113 as the Netherlands moved 2-1 ahead, but England responded before the first interval and then took command through the middle section of the match. Littler and Humphries moved from 2-1 down to 6-2 ahead, with Humphries landing key finishes and Littler repeatedly punishing missed Dutch chances. The Netherlands closed to 8-5, but England pulled clear again before Humphries finished 41 on double eight for the title.
Van Gerwen also pointed back to England’s escape against Wales, where Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny pushed the eventual champions to the edge before Littler and Humphries survived. “During their route they got a bit lucky against Clayton and Kenny, and you could see how much confidence that gave them,” Van Gerwen said. “And you don’t want to give these two guys confidence. No 1 and No 2 in the world, they are doing great lately.” That confidence carried England through the final session. They averaged 101.59 in an 8-3 semi-final win over Scotland, ending the run of Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies, before finding an even higher level against the Netherlands.
The final was the performance England had been expected to deliver from the moment Littler and Humphries were installed as the top seeds. After last year’s early exit, they returned to the World Cup with heavy pressure on their partnership and left Frankfurt with the trophy. Van Gerwen and Van Veen had the early lead, the scoring power and the form to test them. England still finished the night with a sixth World Cup title, Humphries’ second crown, and Littler’s first in the event.
