Luke Littler shows elite composure as he gets one over the Dutch crowd in key leg at World Series of Darts Finals

Luke Littler had to deal with a whole host of booing and jeering in his clash against Michael van Gerwen, with the 18-year-old taking an opportunity halfway through it to get his own back at the Dutch fans.

He was on the wrong end of a frustrating 11-7 defeat to the Green Machine in the World Series of Darts Finals final, unable to regain the title he triumphed in last year. Van Gerwen had a slight advantage in the match due to the crowd being firmly on his side, with the event being held in Amsterdam.

By now, it should come as no surprise that Littler feeds off stuff like this. Unlike Josh Rock, who was disposed of the three-time World Champion in the semi-finals, the crowd's antics did not get to Littler, with it being shown at one particular point during the final.

In the biggest leg of the match, van Gerwen had the chance to go into the second break with a 7-3 advantage. However, he missed two chances to go a double-break up, leaving the reigning world champion a chance to hold and get within two legs again.

The supporters, aware of the ongoing situation, chorused a melody of boos and whistles around the AFAS Live. The second the Dutch hero missed, Littler turned and headed straight to his table, having a sip of water whilst he patiently waited for the right opportunity to pounce.

This took a little bit of time, in which he swirled his water around the cup before going for another sip. He strolled to the oche, loosening himself up and taking a couple of glances at how much he had left: 20. Littler and double 10 are synonymous, and as expected, he found it on his second go, to the frustration of the fans.

Littler was not done there, as he took a menacing stare at the crowd before turning to them and pointing at himself, achieving the last laugh at the halfway point of the match.

This would seem to be the turning point, as the Englishman won two consecutive legs to level the score. However, van Gerwen then turned the heat up, winning five of the next six legs to claim his sixth World Series of Darts Finals triumph, and first since 2023, which also happened to be his previous big TV title.

Despite the Dutch fans having the ultimate last laugh, this from Littler shows why he is so popular. The ability to rattle the crowd up, before dashing their hopes in a swift moment, portrays why he is at the pinnacle of darts, and why, despite his tender age, he has already achieved so much in the sport.