LUKE 'The Nuke' Littler will get his second crack at the new Premier League season in Berlin on Thursday night.

The Warrington 17-year-old faces Rob Cross in the quarter-finals, with Luke Humphries or Peter Wright awaiting the winner in the semi-finals.

Littler and Cross last met in the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace last month when the former Padgate Academy student ran out the 6-2 victor and going on to face world number one Humphries in the final showdown.

Last week, Littler made his Premier League debut in Cardiff, beating Humphries in his opening game before being squeezed out by a rejuvenated Michael Smith in the semis.

That was the first time in six tournaments that 'The Nuke' hadn't reached the final game.

After being crowned the PDC Youth world champion and JDC Junior world champion, he built on the momentum of his sensational Ally Pally run by winning the Bahrain Darts Masters, where he also produced a magnificent nine-dart leg, and reaching the final of the Dutch Darts Masters.

All eyes will be on seeing how he responds in Germany against Cross, who also reached the semi-finals in Cardiff last week but was knocked out by Gerwyn Price.

Competing players in 2024 PDC Premier League Darts:

Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross, Peter Wright, Luke Littler.

Schedule for PDC Premier League Darts Night 2, Berlin, live on Sky Sports:

Quarter-final 1: Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen, 7.15pm

Quarter-final 2: Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price, 7.45pm

Quarter-final 3: Luke Littler v Rob Cross, 8.15pm

Quarter-final 4: Luke Humphries v Peter Wright, 8.45pm

Semi-final 1: Winner of QF1 v winner of QF2, 9.15pm

Semi-final 2: Winner of QF 3 v winner of QF4, 9.45pm

Final: Winner of SF1 v winner of SF 2, 10.15pm

What Luke Littler's saying prior to facing Rob Cross at the Mercedes-Benz Arena:

“I am just happy with how I have been playing.

“The Worlds was a big step up but I have proved I can play with the best and that is why I have got my shot in the Premier League.

“It was good to win on my debut (in Bahrain) and obviously be the youngest person to hit a nine-darter as well.

“But overall it was just match practice for the Premier League, as was Holland. Now we are kicking on with the Premier League. I know I have got the ability to beat the best.”

What Rob Cross is saying ahead of Premier League Darts clash with Luke Littler in Berlin:

Littler averaged 106 to demolish Cross at Alexandra Palace last month, and the 2018 World Champion was full of praise for the young star ahead of this meeting:

“Luke is an amazing kid but I still want to beat him," declared Cross, who defeated Peter Wright in his Cardiff quarter-final.

“I genuinely don’t think any of the more experienced guys like myself, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price or Peter Wright actually think of him as a 17-year-old teenager.

“We just see him as someone we have to beat on the stage. He conducts himself brilliantly, he acts like he’s been around the sport for years the way he handles the pressure and the media.

“It’s a big match for both of us. My doubles cost me big time in Cardiff. My scoring has been the best of my career. So if I sort the finishing, I’ll be dangerous."

PDC Premier League Order of Merit:

Michael Smith - 5pts

Gerwyn Price - 3pts

Luke Littler - 2pts

Rob Cross - 2pts

Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Nathan Aspinall, Peter Wright - 0pts

Format for PDC Premier League nights 2024:

Each night will see quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final played over the best of 11 legs (first to six).

Players will face each other twice in quarter-final ties throughout the season, with the fixtures being balanced for players to be in opposite halves of the draw in an equal number of weeks.

The fixtures for Night 8 and Night 16 will be based on the league table following Night 7 and Night 15 respectively.

The top four players from the final league table will progress to the Play-Offs, which will feature the semi-finals over the best of 19 legs and the final over the best of 21 legs.

The order of throw for all league night matches will be decided by a bull-off, which will be conducted beforehand in the practice room. For the Play-Offs, the semi-finals will see the higher-placed player from the final league table throw first, with a bull-off for the final.

League Points per Night:

Night Winner - 5 points + £10,000 bonus

Runner-Up - 3 points

Semi-Finalists - 2 points

Prize Fund:

Winner - £275,000

Runner-Up - £125,000

Semi-Finalists - £85,000 each

Fifth in League Table - £75,000

Sixth in League Table - £70,000

Seventh in League Table - £65,000

Eighth in League Table - £60,000

Nightly Winner Bonus - £10,000 x16

Total - £1,000,000

Schedule for remaining Premier League Darts 2024, quarter final fixtures:

Night 2, Berlin, February 8: Aspinall v Van Gerwen, Smith v Price, Littler v Cross, Humphries v Wright.

Night 3, Glasgow, February 15: Cross v Smith, Van Gerwen v Wright, Aspinall v Humphries, Price v Littler.

Night 4, Newcastle, February 22: Smith v Aspinall, Cross v Humphries, Wright v Littler, Price v Van Gerwen.

Night 5, Exeter, February 29: Humphries v Van Gerwen, Aspinall v Wright, Price v Cross, Littler v Smith.

Night 6, Brighton, March 7: Humphries v Price, Cross v Van Gerwen, Aspinall v Littler, Smith v Wright.

Night 7, Nottingham, March 14: Wright v Price, Humphries v Smith, Van Gerwen v Littler, Cross v Aspinall.

Night 8, Dublin, March 21: Fixtures confirmed following Night Seven.

Night 9, Belfast, March 28: Humphries v Littler, Smith v Van Gerwen, Aspinall v Price, Cross v Wright.

Night 10, Manchester, April 4: Aspinall v Cross, Littler v Van Gerwen, Smith v Humphries, Price v Wright.

Night 11, Birmingham, April 11: Wright v Humphries, Cross v Littler, Price v Smith, Van Gerwen v Aspinall.

Night 12, Rotterdam Ahoy, April 18: Smith v Littler, Cross v Price, Wright v Aspinall, Van Gerwen v Humphries.

Night 13, Liverpool, April 25: Littler v Price, Humphries v Aspinall, Wright v Van Gerwen, Smith v Cross.

Night 14, Aberdeen, May 2: Wright v Smith, Littler v Aspinall, Van Gerwen v Cross, Price v Humphries.

Night 15, Leeds, May 9: Van Gerwen v Price, Littler v Wright, Humphries v Cross, Aspinall v Smith.

Night 16, Sheffield, May 16: Fixtures confirmed following Night 15.

Play-Offs: The O2, London, May 23: The top four players after 16 nights.

Story of 2024 so far for Luke Littler:

PDC World Darts Championship runner-up

Bahrain Darts Masters Champion, including first leg nine-darter in quarter-final

Dutch Darts Masters runner-up

Premier League Night 1 (Cardiff) semi-finalist