BRILLIANT BUNTING SIGNS OFF IN STYLE WITH NIGHT SIXTEEN SUCCESS IN SHEFFIELD
Stephen Bunting ended his 2026 BetMGM Premier League campaign on a high, securing his second nightly win of the season in Sheffield.
With Finals Night at London's The O2 on May 28 already confirmed, pride was the only thing on the line for the eight Premier League stars at the Utilita Arena — and Bunting made sure his farewell counted, seeing off three of next week's Finalists in Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries.
"I felt great all night," said the 41-year-old. "I've really enjoyed myself. It's been a lot better than last year — I've got a lot more confidence and a lot more belief. I've played some fantastic darts tonight and I'm just so proud of myself."
Quarter-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6–3 Jonny Clayton
Gerwyn Price 6–2 Gian van Veen
Luke Littler 6–5 Josh Rock
Luke Humphries 6–5 Michael van Gerwen
Bunting opened his night with a 6–3 win over Clayton, while Price eased past Van Veen with an average of 106. At the top of the table, Littler needed a last-leg decider to see off Rock, finishing his league phase nine points clear of closest rival Clayton, and Humphries edged a tight contest with Van Gerwen 6–5.
Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6–3 Gerwyn Price
Luke Humphries 6–1 Luke Littler
Bunting backed up his opener with a 6–3 dismantling of Price, while Humphries produced a statement 6–1 win over Littler to book his spot in the final.
Final
Stephen Bunting 6–3 Luke Humphries
In an electric final, Bunting averaged 106.37 and landed seven maximums to see off Humphries. "Tonight I wanted to make a statement," Bunting said afterwards. "I want to be in the Premier League for years to come... that was a massive statement tonight for me."
The win pushed Bunting up to fifth in the overall table on 18 points, leapfrogging Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen — also on 18 points — on nights-won tiebreak. "I feel like I've played a great tournament," Bunting added. "Obviously people wrote me off, but I've finished fifth, I've dug deep and got two nightly wins."
Night Sixteen – Key Insights
180s: 46
Highest Average: 106.37 (Stephen Bunting, final)
Highest Checkout: 161 (Stephen Bunting, semi-final)
League Standings
| Player | NW | MW | L | +/- | Legs Won | LWAT | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Littler (Q) | 6 | 23 | 9 | +33 | 171 | 57 | 41 |
| Jonny Clayton (Q) | 4 | 20 | 11 | +18 | 151 | 53 | 34 |
| Gerwyn Price (Q) | 2 | 14 | 13 | +9 | 131 | 51 | 24 |
| Luke Humphries (Q) | 1 | 14 | 14 | +4 | 133 | 43 | 24 |
| Michael van Gerwen | 1 | 10 | 13 | -7 | 108 | 45 | 18 |
| Gian van Veen | 0 | 11 | 14 | -17 | 113 | 35 | 18 |
| Stephen Bunting | 1 | 7 | 14 | -15 | 88 | 28 | 13 |
| Josh Rock | 0 | 4 | 15 | -35 | 66 | 21 | 8 |
Finals Night — The O2, London, Thursday May 28
Semi-Finals (best of 19 legs)
Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price
Jonny Clayton v Luke Humphries
Final: TBC
