England's golden duo Luke Humphries and Luke Littler have fired up their World Cup of Darts campaign with a storming 8-5 win over Spain's Cristo Reyes and Jose Justicia, catapulting them into a quarter-final showdown against fierce rivals Wales. It was a game of two halves – or rather, one blistering start followed by a nail-biting finish. The top-ranked English pairing made light work of their Spanish opponents in the early stages, racing to a 3-0 lead that left many wondering if this would be a cakewalk for the number one seeds.
But Spain had other ideas! They broke back into the contest with a defiant spirit, and what followed was a thrilling exchange of legs. The tension mounted as England's Littler and Humphries began to feel the pressure, but they refused to buckle under the strain. With their cool heads intact, the duo conjured up one crucial moment after another – none more vital than Littler's double six that sealed the deal and sent them crashing into a quarter-final battle against Wales.
It was far from perfect for England's dynamic duo, with Luke Humphries admitting: "That was probably about six out of ten. We knew it would be tough to maintain our Premier League pace, but I'm proud of how we fought back." The world's top two ranked players were in no mood to make excuses, though – instead, they're already eyeing up the challenge ahead. With their first-round jitters behind them, Humphries and Littler are poised to unleash their full fury on Wales' Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny in what promises to be a darts spectacular.
The quarter-final stage is where England's bid was cruelly ended last year – but this time around, they're determined to go all the way. The quarter-final line-up has taken shape, with Northern Ireland's Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney edging out Belgium 8-7, setting up a thrilling encounter against Latvia. Scotland's Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies made light work of Norway with an 8-0 whitewash, while their next opponents, Ireland, are licking their lips in anticipation.