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Crabtree Edges Past Littler 6-5 to Reach World Youth Final

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Crabtree Edges Past Littler 6-5 to Reach World Youth Final
Photo: Image: Luke Littler was beaten by Luke Woodhouse in the first round of the World Grand Prix on Monday (credit: Kieran Cleeves/PDC)

Cam Crabtree defeated Luke Littler 6-5 in the semi‑final of the World Youth Championship, earning a place in the final against Jan Schmidt at Minehead. Littler, who had returned to competition after a shock loss to Luke Woodhouse at the World Grand Prix, rallied from a 2‑0 deficit to level the match at 3‑3, but Crabtree secured a 5‑4 lead with a 92 and 100 finish. Littler forced a last‑leg decider with a 117 finish, but Crabtree won the final leg with a 16‑dart finish on double six, posting a 97.91 average. The tournament, open to players aged 16‑24, offers £60,000 in prize money. Littler had been unbeaten in the group stage, defeating Lewis Cook, David Fidler, Archie Self and Harrison Leigh before his semi‑final defeat. Crabtree, 23, will now face Jan Schmidt in the final. The event is part of the 2026 PDC calendar, which also includes the Swiss Darts Trophy, Dutch Darts Championship, European Championship in Dortmund and the Grand Slam of Darts on Sky Sports.

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