Stephen Bunting vs Luke Littler – World Darts Championship semi-final: Live rating and set-by-set updates as ‘The Nuke’ goals for second straight closing, whereas Michael van Gerwen begins strongly in opposition to Chris Dobey

Quite a low-quality leg to start off with but Dobey puts the pressure on MVG with a 134 mid-way through it, only for the Dutchman to respond with a 140 to get down to 73.

Dobey need something big from 225, but slumps with a 58.

And MVG checks out from the 73 to take the set. That. Was. Rapid.

Almost a nine-darter from MVG! He hits two 180s in a row and then experienced the customary boos after missing out on the nine at the seventh dart, but he gets it done in 10.

MVG somehow lands one of his darts… in one of his others! You don’t seethat often.

But he finished from 100 with a treble 20 and tops. Back on form.

It’s a weak start from Dobey to this leg and he finds himself on 150, with MVG needing 74.

Dobey can only get down to 108 but MVG only hits 34 and there’s a chance.

And he does it! Dobey comes down from 108 to take the set!

Wow! Huge cheers for Dobey as he smashes a finish from 170 but two double 20s and then a bullseye to set the Ally Pally alight! MVG was breathing down his neck but he has broken him big time with that.

‘Walking in a Dobey wonderland,’ the crowd sings. A 12-darter.

More big-hitting from MVG with a 134 and 140 along the way. A haphazard leg.

Dobey opens with 60, but then MVG only manages 59.

The Englishman can only reach a 67 after that, and MVG gets his nose ahead with a 134.

At the end, MVG needs 48 and only hits 32… a chance for Dobey to finish from 80? Well, he misses double tops and MVG has a chance… but busts his score!

Finally, Dobey manages to hit a double 10 to hold his throw.

That could be a pivotal moment in this match – 40 required, three throws, and yet Chris Dobey contrived to miss double 20, then double 10, then double five. Oh dear.

Clinical from MVG and Dobey will be regretting his errors.

Dobey loves that triple 19 and does well in this leg with a huge 134, before a 131. But he couldn’t finish from 96 and then failed from 40, missing double tops, double 10, and double 5. Ouch.

MVG swoops down to punish him and lands a double 16 at the second time of asking to complete a 74 checkout.

It was a weak start from both of them, but Dobey got his nose in front with a 126 using two triple 18s.

But then… a 140 from MVG to leave himself on 180, but he can only hit a subsequent 60.

Dobey manages to finish from 48 to keep himself in the set,

A lovely set-up from MVG from 179 to 40.

Dobey almost gets down from 126 to deny him, but hits the 25 rather than bullseye at the last dart, and the Green Machine punishes him with double 20.

A straght break back from the Dutchman. He needed double 12 to finish and got it done.

He’d almost hit another 180 on the way.

Dobey had the chance to win from 70, but needed a bullseye and hit 25. That was costly.

Dobey flew out of the traps there. MVG got off to a shoddy start with 59, and Dobey came out hitting with 154, 140, and 134. He couldn’t finish on the 59 initialy but gets the job done on his 13th dart.

The Ally Pally faithful are trying to encourage Chris Dobey by singing his name. Important that he logged his first leg of the match, as a nervesettler. My prediction? 6-3 to Michael van Gerwen.

MVG lands another 180 but has a couple of disappointing throws in the 50s. He is nailing that treble 20.

Dobey is still having decent luck with that triple 19 that he has liked so far this tournament, but it’s not enough.

MVG finishes with tops and takes the set with an average close to 104.

Well, that was all Dobey. He showed what he can do with a 180 and a 140. A bit nervy on the finish as he missed double eight but hit double four to take the leg. MVG only got down the 170.

Another max score from MVG to establish early dominance here!

It’s an 11-darter from the Dutchman as he finished from triple 20 and tops. Dobey got nowhere near but did hit a 140 along the way.

Light work for Van Gerwen as he breaks Dobey’s throw!

Dobey got off to a disappointing start with 65 and Van Gerwen set the tone with a 180 and then 140.

At the finish, MVG needed a second go at the double eight but got the job done.

It’s a noisy reception for Michael van Gerwen with the fans chanting his name. He claps to the crowd as the sparks fly, exchanges a hug with Dobey. Moments away from the start now.

Let’s see if he really does rumble as his song suggests. Dobey is on stage.

Chris Dobey speaking to Sky Sports:

It’s an amazing feeling, big achievement and a big step in my career. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

I’m capable of doing it and I know I can go on to win. It’s just waht happens on the night.

Van Gerwen:

There’s still a long way to go and I’m feeling good. He got away with it against Gerwyn Price but that can make him more confident. I’m concentrating on my own game.

The stats in the tweet below said it all for this quarter-final – averages of over 103, with 31 180s between them.

In another year, playing the way he did, unseeded Rydz might have won the whole thing. He has the second-highest average for the entire tournament but he was outclassed – just – by Van Gerwen.

Are you happy to see MVG back on the big stage?

We’re not far from that part where Michael van Gerwen and Chris Dobey will be doing their ring walks. They’ll be backstage trying to keep their hands still.

Van Gerwen always comes out to Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, while Dobey grooves his way to the stage to the tune of Let’s Get Ready to Rumble by PJ & Duncan.

Luke Humphries has revealed who he wants to win this year’s championship and take the mantle from himself. You can read more about that below.

Who are you getting behind?

There’s always entertainment at the darts, even if none are thrown!

Here are just some of the outfits on display at Alexandra Palace tonight.

It’s a bold move from the chap dressed up as a bag of fries – he might get eaten if somebody in a drunken state gets confused!

Good effort from this lot.

Nothing like a bit of virtual sparring, is there?

Dobey said that facing Van Gerwen in the semis would be ‘easier’ than Callan Rydz, who is from the same town in the north east, Bedlington.

He had made that comment before MVG beat Rydz, but the Dutchman later hit back: ‘People, when they win, they talk a lot of nonsense.’

Soon to be settled on the oche…

Mighty Mike hasn’t won the world championship since 2019 and last year was the first since 2011 that he didn’t win a televised tournament.

Underestimate him at your peril, though.

This is his ninth semi-final here. He knows what he’s doing.

Asked if he coule become champion again, he said:

‘That would be nice. People probably know the answer, but no, it’s a tough one.

‘It’s a tough battle, but I love to face battles, and as long as I keep believing in my own ability, then the King will come back.’

Chris Dobey may have a word or two to say about that…

Considering his affinity for Manchester United, it was something of a surprise to see Littler mimic Didier Drogba’s celebration during last night’s action.

At least he’s cleared it up now!

What would your celebration be? Do let us know in the comments. No prizes for the winner. Personally, I’d go for a Peter Crouch robot, or a stunning triple-backflip if my rigid frame would allow.

Well, as we go further into the tournament, the sets only increase.

Tonight’s competitors must be the best of 11 sets, so it’s as much about stamina, particularly mental, as it is skill.

A place in the final is worth £200,000, while the winner will take home a tidy £500,000. Hold your nerve, boys.

This is how Littler held his nerve against Aspinall to book his place in the last four.

It wasn’t always easy going for the 17-year-old – especially that nervy fourth set – but it was a double tops to seal the deal.

Michael van Gerwen and Chris Dobey will get us going on the oche at around 7.40pm.

While the Dutchman edged out Callan Rydz 5-3 in a rollercoaster of a quarter-final, Dobey – who happens to be from Bedlington, the same town as Rydz – beat Gerwyn Price by the same score in the last eight, taking four sets on the spin to make it to this stage.

Scouse sensation, Tiktok trender, and Tungsten talent Stephen Bunting is the man aiming to stop Littler in his tracks.

He’s a hit with the crowd, and knows his way around a darts board. He beat Peter Wright, a two-time champion, to get his shot tonight.

Until he lifts the title, Alexandra Palace will always be felt with a tinge of heartache for Luke Littler.

Last year he came so close on that memorable debut. This year he is the favourite, especially with reigning champion Luke Humphries out.

He comes into tonight with a tournament-high average of 101.08 and smashed Nathan Aspinall 5-2 in the quarter-finals to get here.

One man stands in his way of back-to-back finals…

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the World Darts Championship semi-finals drama.

Tonight the dreams of two men will be crushed, while another two will edge a step closer to glory.

First up we’ll have three-time champion Michael van Gerwen against Chris Dobey, and then we’ll get down to Luke Littler against cult hero Stephen Bunting.