Stephen Bunting's 6-4 quarter-final victory over Luke Littler on Night 10 of the 2026 Premier League Darts in Brighton came with a remarkable statistical twist. The Englishman set a new record for the most darts at a double in a single match this season, with 23 attempts. Rather than indicating poor control, this high figure highlighted how often Bunting put himself in winning positions against a below-par Littler, creating a steady stream of opportunities that ensured the result never truly slipped away.
This is not the first time Bunting has featured prominently in this statistic. Earlier in the season, on Night 6, he recorded 21 darts at a double, making him the only player to appear twice at the top end of this list. That same pattern was visible later in the evening in his semi-final against Michael van Gerwen, where Bunting again generated enough opportunities to take control. However, missed doubles proved decisive this time, with Van Gerwen punishing those lapses at key moments and edging through a deciding leg to end Bunting's run.
Bunting is not alone in this statistic. Defending champion Luke Humphries sits second on the list with 22 attempts at a double in a match earlier in the campaign, while Littler himself has also recorded the same figure this season. This reinforces a broader theme across the Premier League: while scoring often grabs headlines, matches are frequently decided by what happens on the doubles. A high number of darts at a finish can point to dominance, but it also shows how fine the margins are when converting those chances.
For Bunting, the takeaway from Brighton is ultimately encouraging. Beating the league leader and pushing Van Gerwen all the way in the same night underlines his ability to compete with the very best. If he can combine that consistent scoring with sharper finishing, he has the potential to become a real threat in the closing weeks of the league phase. Until then, his Night 10 performance stands as a reminder of both his strengths and the small margins that continue to define his campaign.
