It was a pedestrian start to Littler’s semi-final with Van Gerwen, with the Dutchman taking time to warm up having received a bye due to Gian van Veen having to pull out with kidney stones.

But Van Gerwen lit the blue touch paper by winning legs in 12 and 11 darts to lead 4-3, and that sparked some sheer darting chaos as the two traded some electric arrows – and two maximum finishes.

Littler is renowned for hitting the ‘Big Fish’ but he missed his first try at the maximum 170 checkout in the match.

Amazingly Van Gerwen was also sat on 170 in the same leg and duly hit the two treble 20s and the bull to show his rival how it was done – and move one leg from victory in the process.

Littler was not to be outdone, though, and duly nailed a 170 finish of his own as he fought back to force a final-leg decider, following two missed match darts by the three-time world champion.

And when Van Gerwen missed another match darts, the Warrington-born teenager jumped in to pinch victory in one of the matches of the tournament so far.

If that was a match to remember, it was a night to forget for Josh Rock as he remained without a win in his Premier League debut season – with this seventh loss his most embarrassing.

The Northern Irishman was jeered on every throw by the Dublin crowd as he suffered a 6-0 humbling at the hands of a ruthless Price.

Rock has endured a calamitous first Premier League campaign and on this form it’s hard to see where his first point will come from.