A semi-final that had just swung on a nerveless 117 checkout from Luke Littler finished on a 16-dart hold from the other side of the oche.

Cam Crabtree took out double six to beat Littler 6-5 in Monday’s semi-final at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, knocking the world No.1 out of the 2026 Winmau World Youth Championship.

The two finished level at 97.9, separated by one hundredth of a point on the three-dart average: 97.91 to Crabtree, 97.89 to Littler. Littler had taken out 164 earlier in the match and 117 to force the decider. Crabtree held his throw in the 11th and never let it slip.

For Littler, it was a second straight year out at the same stage. The two-time senior World Champion also lost in the semi-finals in 2025.

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“Fair play to Cam”

Littler, who retained his senior PDC World Championship title at Alexandra Palace in January, posted on Instagram later on Monday.

“Nice day out today, seen loads of faces who I grew up playing darts with (JDC, England, Development Tour and many more). Fell short at the last hurdle, fair play to Cam he’s playing well atm. Overall a good day and some good practice put in.”

Schmidt waits in Minehead

Crabtree had already locked up his Alexandra Palace place via the Development Tour Order of Merit the day before. In the final he meets Germany’s Jan Schmidt, who beat Charlie Manby 6-3 in the other semi-final to become only the third German to reach a World Youth Championship final, after Max Hopp in 2015 and Martin Schindler in 2018.

The final is a best of 11 legs and will be played at Butlin’s Minehead on November 29, between the semi-finals and the final of the Players Championship Finals. The 16-24 competition carries £60,000 in prize money.

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