Stephen Bunting wades in on Luke Littler's behaviour as Gian van Veen hostility spills over

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Stephen Bunting has defended Luke Littler after his high-profile bust-up with Gian van Veen during last week's Premier League Darts semi-final. The Nuke and the Dutchman were embroiled in a war of words after the two-time World Champion crashed out in the last four, seven days ago.

Littler came in for criticism after celebrating a missed dart to checkout from his rival. Van Veen criticised his fellow professionals' conduct with tensions erupting on stage, post-match and on social media, with the 19-year-old poking fun at Van Veen, five years his senior.

The Premier League Darts returned on Thursday (April 9) with the Warrington-born darts sensation kicking off his bracket against Stephen Bunting in Brighton and talk of the incident between the players spilled over into the latest set of matches. There was a place in the semi-final at stake where there was the possibility of facing Van Veen, who is due to take on fellow countryman Michael van Gerwen.

Speaking pre-match, Littler said: "Everyone's looking towards the semi-finals, me and Gian could meet. I've got to focus on Stephen.

"It's his birthday, he'll be wanting a birthday win but if we do meet, whatever happens, happens. I've got to get two points on the board first."

Bunting, who celebrated his 41st birthday on the south coast, didn't wish to be drawn on the controversy which dragged into a week in Brighton. He said: "I seen what happened, I'll stay out of all that. If he celebrates me missing doubles, I know Luke pretty well, he wouldn't do it to me. I don't think he did with any malice."

It was a hostile welcome from Littler in Brighton as he was booed upon walking to the stage. The avid Manchester United fan shrugged off the jeers from the vocal crowd as he geared up to face a North West rival.

Bunting raced into a two-leg lead with the 19-year-old forced to deal with sarcastic cheers after each dart. Littler did answer back to end the possibility of a defeat to nil but the 41-year-old responded with a 15-dart leg.

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Commentator Rodd Studd said: "This is extraordinary and if he (Littler) does go on to lose, it's an easy narrative that there was the lingering effect from the Van Veen spat in Manchester and fans giving him the bird as he walked on having an effect. I have no idea whether it had or it hadn't."

During the fifth leg, Littler paused after his first throw to fix his darts and after two missed darts at top for Bunting, the world number one reduced the deficit to one once again.

The 18-year-old, who led the Premier League standings before night 10, averaged just above 80 in a largely eventless showdown with Bunting. The Liverpudlian failed to assert himself on the game and opened the door on numerous occasions for the teenager, who capitalised.

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