The 71-year-old Paul Lim pulled off a stunning victory in the PDC World Championship on Saturday night, beating the world No 49, Jeffrey de Graaf, in the first round at Alexandra Palace and becoming the oldest winner of a world championship match. Lim, who featured in his first world championship in 1982 and in 1990 became the first player to hit a nine-darter at a world championship,
Littler's extraordinary immunity to pressure is fast reaching the stage where even peak-era Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal would be taking notes. In his quarter-final against Gerwyn Price, Littler looked down and out at times until he hit a 156 checkout to clinch the match. Against Humphries, it didn't matter that his three-dart average was more than a point lower as he won five of his six sets in final-leg deciders.
So too is Oldham Athletic owner Frank Rothwell, for charitable services to dementia research. Littler and Humphries are honoured in the week they compete together for England at the World Cup of Darts in Germany.