Luke Littler’s remarkable run at the World Darts Championship continues, as the 18-year-old sensation from Warrington overcame a spirited challenge from Rob Cross to clinch a 4-2 victory in their last-16 showdown at Alexandra Palace on December 29, 2025. The reigning champion, who’s already collected an astonishing array of trophies this year, booked his spot in the quarter-finals, keeping alive his dream of back-to-back world titles.
From the outset, the match crackled with tension and energy. Littler, nicknamed "The Nuke," wasted no time asserting himself, opening the contest with a maximum 180. But Rob Cross, the 2018 world champion from Hastings, was determined to make a statement of his own, matching Littler’s early fireworks and quickly reminding the crowd why he’s still one of the sport’s most dangerous competitors. Cross, who had bested Littler in their previous meeting at a Players Championship event in August, was not about to let the teenager have it all his own way on darts’ grandest stage.
The crowd at Ally Pally, known for their raucous atmosphere, made their allegiances clear early on, throwing their support behind Cross and greeting Littler with a chorus of boos. If the jeers rattled the young champion, he certainly didn’t show it. In fact, Littler seemed to thrive off the energy, even singing along with the crowd’s chants for Cross while methodically claiming the opening set 3-1, with legs finished in 16, 16, and 15 darts.
Yet, this was no procession. Cross, nicknamed "Voltage," regrouped during the interval and came out firing in the second set. He broke Littler’s throw in the first leg, paving the way for his own 3-1 success – marking the first set Littler had dropped in the tournament so far. The world number one missed crucial doubles in the second and fourth legs, giving Cross the openings he needed.
With the crowd firmly behind Cross, the match took on a gladiatorial feel. Littler, ever the competitor, responded with a dazzling display in the third set. After breaking Cross in 13 darts and holding in 11, he checked out a majestic 128 and mouthed "not bad" to the crowd, capping off the set with an astonishing average of 125.25 – the highest of the tournament to that point. According to Sky Sports, "Littler takes the third set against Rob Cross with an astonishing average of 125.25 - the highest set average of the tournament so far!"
The fourth set saw Littler edge ahead, breaking Cross in 14 darts to establish a 3-1 lead in sets. But if anyone thought Cross was finished, they were sorely mistaken. The fifth set went to a deciding leg, and Cross produced a stunning 126 checkout on the bull to stay alive and cut the deficit to 3-2. The tension was palpable, with both players trading 180s and high checkouts in a contest that had the crowd on their feet.
In the sixth set, Cross sensed an opportunity, moving 2-1 ahead and putting the pressure squarely on Littler. But when the decisive moment arrived, Cross missed a single dart at double 20 that would have leveled the match at 3-3. Littler seized the chance, firing in a clinical 10-darter to force a set decider, then holding his nerve with a 68 finish to seal the 4-2 triumph. Littler’s 17 maximum 180s, compared to seven from Cross, proved a telling difference, and his match average of 106.58 underscored the quality of his performance.
After the match, Littler addressed the crowd’s hostility with a trademark blend of cheek and confidence. "I’m not bothered (about the crowd). Can I just say one thing? You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money, so thank you for my money, thank you for booing me," he told Sky Sports. "I’ve just seen the stats but I wasn’t really thinking of anything. I just wanted to win the game. It was hostile, nobody wanted me to win, but I proved them wrong."
This victory extends Littler’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 16 matches, a streak that began after his last defeat to Matt Campbell on October 30. Since then, he’s swept through the Players Championship Finals, Grand Slam of Darts, World Grand Prix, World Matchplay, and UK Open, rising to world number one and solidifying his status as one of darts’ brightest young stars.
For Cross, the defeat will sting, but he leaves the tournament with his head held high after pushing the defending champion to the limit. As one Sky Sports commentator noted, "Rob Cross has been second-best for huge chunks of this game but he's found a way to win two sets. How is this going to pan out? Nothing is a given." Cross’s resilience, particularly his 126 and 128 checkouts under pressure, reminded everyone why he remains a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.
The night also featured other standout performances. Ryan Searle continued his own impressive run, whitewashing James Hurrell 4-0 to reach his first World Championship quarter-final. Searle, who has not dropped a set in the tournament so far, averaged over 100 and will now face Jonny Clayton or Andreas Harrysson for a spot in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Josh Rock bounced back from a set down to defeat Callan Rydz 4-1, dedicating his win to Rydz’s family after the recent passing of Rydz’s grandfather.
Elsewhere in the tournament, the afternoon session saw further drama as Nathan Aspinall crashed out to Kevin Doets in a final-set thriller, while Charlie Manby overcame Ricky Evans 4-2 to reach the fourth round, and Justin Hood dispatched Ryan Meikle 4-1 on his debut.
Looking ahead, Littler will face the winner of the last-16 tie between Luke Woodhouse and Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day. With his confidence sky-high and form at its peak, Littler’s quest to become the first back-to-back world champion since Gary Anderson is very much alive. But as this pulsating contest with Cross showed, nothing is guaranteed at Ally Pally – and every set, every checkout, and every roar from the crowd could make all the difference.
The World Darts Championship action rolls on, with the drama, passion, and unpredictability that have become hallmarks of the sport’s showpiece event. Littler may have silenced the doubters for now, but with the stakes rising and the pressure mounting, the next chapter in this thrilling saga is just around the corner.
