Cam Crabtree stuns Luke Littler 6-5 at World Youth Championship as his Minehead place hangs by a thread

Luke Littler's difficult autumn continued when Cam Crabtree beat him 6-5 in the semi-finals of the PDC World Youth Championship in Wigan on Monday (5 Oct). The defeat ended the world No. 1's bid to become the first player to hold the senior world title and the youth title at the same time.

It also adds to his recent slump. Littler is now at serious risk of missing the Players Championship Finals in November, a title he won last year.

A last-leg decider in Wigan

The match at Robin Park Leisure Centre was level for most of the way. Crabtree, 23, from Warrington, went 2-0 up before Littler fought back to 5-5, with a 164 checkout and two 14-dart legs in a row along the way.

Crabtree won the deciding leg in 16 darts, finishing on double six. The averages were almost identical, 97.91 for Crabtree and 97.89 for Littler.

Littler had won all three of his group games, then beat Archie Self 6-4 and Harrison Leigh 6-2 to reach the last four. He had come back from 3-1 down against Lewis Cook in an earlier round.

Crabtree later posted on social media that Littler was "the best in the world", calling the win a big achievement. He had already secured a place at the Alexandra Palace World Championship through the Development Tour Order of Merit a day earlier.

Schmidt waits in the final

Crabtree will face Germany's Jan Schmidt, who beat Charlie Manby 6-3 in the other semi-final. The best-of-11-leg final will be played on stage at Butlin's Minehead during the Players Championship Finals weekend in late November. The winner also earns a place at the Grand Slam of Darts.

The tournament is open to players aged 16 to 24 and has £60,000 in total prize money.

Littler's Players Championship Finals problem

Only the top 64 on the ProTour Order of Merit qualify for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead (27 to 29 November). Littler is currently 126th with £10,500.

Belgium's Mike De Decker holds 64th place with £29,250, and the final cut-off is expected to rise above £30,000. With only Players Championships 33 and 34 left, both in Leicester on 4 and 5 November, Sky Sports estimates Littler would probably need to reach the final of at least one event, and possibly both, to qualify.

A run of rare defeats

Littler won the first six premier events of 2026 after retaining his world title in January, including the World Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup and World Matchplay. Since then he has lost 10-4 to Jonny Clayton in the World Series Finals quarter-finals in Amsterdam and lost in the first round of the World Grand Prix to Luke Woodhouse.

He is still the favourite for most big titles. The Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton (14 to 22 November), which he has won in each of the last two years, and his bid for a third straight world title at Alexandra Palace from 11 December are still ahead of him.

Key takeaways

• Cam Crabtree beat Luke Littler 6-5 in the World Youth Championship semi-finals on 5 October, averaging 97.91 to 97.89.
• Crabtree meets Germany's Jan Schmidt in the final at Minehead in late November.
• Littler is 126th on the ProTour Order of Merit, where only the top 64 reach the Players Championship Finals.
• Players Championships 33 and 34 on 4 and 5 November are his last chances to qualify.

FAQ Who beat Luke Littler at the 2026 World Youth Championship? Cam Crabtree, 23, from Warrington, won their semi-final 6-5. Can Littler still qualify for the Players Championship Finals? Yes, but he would likely need deep runs at the last two ProTour events in Leicester on 4 and 5 November. When is the World Youth Championship final? It will be played at Butlin's Minehead during the Players Championship Finals weekend in late November.

Sources: Sky Sports, Darts World, SportBible