Luke Littler vs Nathan Aspinall – World Darts Championship: Live score and leg-by-leg updates as the Nuke sets his sights on first world title plus Peter Wright vs Stephen Bunting

No treble in the first visit for Wright so a chance here. A good start with 140. Better from Wright though with one of his own.

More big trebles for the Bullet, though, and he can set up here after stealing the darts.

Just 60 but should get another chance…

Wright still not on a finish. Bunting leaves 28 for the set.

D14 and that’s the first set!

Bunting pins the first 180 of the match to kick off the third leg! And follows it up with 42. Ha.

Wright stays with him with 140 and 100. But Bunting leaves 139 with a 140 of his own.

That doesn’t go and Wright can’t get near the 156 so Bunting gets three to check out 52. He only needs two and he’s one leg away.

Bunting is the man on the mouths of the crowd right now. But Wright is ahead in the leg.

A nice 140 leaves 130 and Bunting is down in 205.

Wright can go with the ball but decides against it with his opponent not on a finish.

He mops up with D16 at the second attempt.

No pantomime villains in this one, the Ally Pally crowd love Peter Wright and Stephen Bunting in equal measure.

My pre-match prediction was 5-3 to Wright, but this could go either way.

Bunting has the darts and will gte us underway. He of course stands very far to the right of the oche.

A steady start from both men. Just two big trebles in the first nine for Bunting so eight is in it. He recovers, well, though with a 140.

He leaves 111 and Wright 117. Bunting can’t take it out – nor can Wright.

Butning pins D16 to take the first leg.

Here we go! We are about to get underway.

Wright is first out. A few boos. A very, very colourful shirt and trousers with a dark blue mohawk.

And there’s the shuffle across the stage.

Bunting is out next. THEY SHOOT ME DOWN, BUT I WON’T FALL!

He has the crowd in the palm of his hand. What an atmosphere.

Stephen Bunting, speaking to Sky Sports:

In the few hours leading up to the game the byutterflies are flowing, but as soon as I get on stage and the fans are behind me and I take to it like a duck to water and they can get me through every game.

I have had a very successful year. I am in the top eight now, long may that continue, I just need to keep my feet on the floor and doing what I’m doing.

Peter has a cough. I try to ignore him. It is all about me, what I do, how I prepare, and that doesn’t start from here.

I think Peter can get better on the scoring but the doubling would be flukish to be the same. I think he has the ability though, when you are pushed in a match, that is when he will get the most out of himself.

It will force him to focus. I expect him to play decently. I don’t know how much traction he will get set-wise.

Anyway, before we get to Littler, we have Wright vs Bunting and it should be a cracker.

The walkouts will be very soon. Will we get Wright’s shuffle across the stage this time? What on earth will he be wearing?

I’m waiting for Titanium, personally. I’m bullet proof…

Littler has been active on social media during this tournament and took to X to explain how he had to ‘dig deep’ against Joyce.

He let out a roar of emotion when hitting his final checkout. Littler is generally a quiet character, but, the more he is pushed, the more we see that emotion come out.

We may see it again tonight.

Mark Webster, Sky Sports:

They have all had to work really hard. Aspinall has had an easier route but Littler has been challenged. They have all played their part and this is the stellar test. Win tonight, win tomorrow, then win Friday.

Peter Wright, speaking to the PDC:

I know I can beat the likes of Luke Humphries and Luke Littler, but I’ve also said that those guys inspire me to carry on playing darts, and they do.

I’m not ready to go to the senior side yet because I know that I can still play this game. It didn’t feel like I played my game against Luke, but I know I can get better.

Fans are arriving in their droves ahead of tonight and, as per, almost all of them are in fancy dress. I went early on in the tournament in normal clothes and genuinely felt out of place.

The atmosphere, as it was this afternoon, will be electric, with the session sold out for what is widely-regarded as the most exciting day in the darts calendar.

Humprhies is, of course, out. Spoiling the party, somewhat, with it expected that he would face Littler in tomorrow’s semis. That now won’t be the case.

Cool Hand has, however, given his verdict on who he wants to win the Worlds now he can’t. Spoiler: it’s not Littler.

Click below or here to find out who he’s backing.

It’s been quite the journey already for Littler, who was of course the runner-up last year on debut.

He had to wait a fair amount of time for his first game, but averaged over 100 to beat Ryan Meikle in his first match, which he criticised. He then burst into tears after.After that, veteran Ian White tested him, missing set darts that he lost, but Littler prevailed.

That was before one of the games of the tournament so far, when he beat Ryan Joyce 4-3 two days ago.Joyce, as he often does, put on a finishing clinic, penning 48.15 per cent of his checkouts to push the teenager all the way, but the Nuke averaged over 103 to hold his nerve and survive.

Tonight should be an cracker against one of his closest friends in the game.

We’ll look at Aspinall next, the man with the best walkout in the sport.

He was the somewhat villain of the piece when he knocked out Leonard Gates in round two, before thrashing what was, in all honesty, a poor Andrew Gilding in round three.

It was then an even worse Ricardo Pietreczko in round four, who the Asp described as an ‘odd’ character before the bout. The German didn’t lay a glove on him – averaging a measly 78.46. 4-0.Yet to be tested? Or going about his work?

We will see tonight, because you can bet he will be tested against Luke Littler.

The Liverpudlian, after receiving a bye as a seed in the first round, would take on Germany’s Kai Gotthardt in round two. He wasn’t at his best, but didn’t need to be, as he emerged the 3-1 victor.

It was world No 44 Madars Razma in the next round, and we did then see the best of Bunting, who averaged over 100 to hardly give the Latvian a sniff.

And last time out, he shone on the doubles, pinning more than 40 per cent as he decimated fellow Brit Luke Woodhouse, who had looked good up until that point.

A win here could set up a last-four clash with Luke Littler – and would almost certainly secure his spot in the Premier League.

Let’s have a look at how the two from tonight’s first game got to the last eight, then.

Peter Wright has been in awful form this year. But the two-time champ has, somehow, found his best again when almost everyone had written him off.

He got the better of Wesley Plaisier in round two, entering as the 17th seed. After that, he faced the tough task of Jermaine Wattimena, who had been backed by many to be the surprise package. But, averaging 96, he breezed past the Dutchman and set up a last-16 tie with defending champion Luke Humphries.

Surely that would be a step too far? Oh no. Averaging nearly 101, he blitzed Humphries 4-1, despite the Englishman averaging over 99 himself and putting in a performance that probably would have beaten 99 per cent of players.

Now it’s Bunting. You’d be brave to bet against him emerging victorious again – especially if he plays the way he did the other night.

What a couple of crackers we had earlier today. First, Chris Dobey booked his place in the last four for the first time after overcoming former champion Gerwyn Price, whose finishing was all over the place. He beat himself more than anything else.

Then, Callan Rydz pushed three-time champion Michael van Gerwen all the way, but the Green Machine did what we does best and came out the winner by five sets to three. Silly darts.

Can this evening live up to it? There’s no reason to believe not.

We have Peter Wright vs Stephen Bunting up first, followed by Luke Littler vs Nathan Aspinall.

He is indeed. Welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the second set of quarter-finals from Ally Pally tonight – we have two games for you.

One of them will, indeed, be Luke Littler. The tournament favourite will take on Nathan Aspinall in the last eight after just about overcoming Ryan Joyce on Monday, with the Asp quietly going about his business too.

First up, though, it’s Peter Wright, who put out defending champion Luke Humphries last time out, versus the people’s champion Stephen Bunting.