Luke Humphries and James Wade blast their way into World Matchplay semi-finals

Wade surprised many by eliminating Ross Smith 16-10 and world champion Humphries won against Dimitri van den Bergh by the same figures.

On Friday night, Michael van Gerwen will be in action against Andrew Gilding and Michael Smith will play Rob Cross.

Catch up on all the Thursday night action:

Ross Smith (#13) 10-16 James Wade (#22)

Wade started the match perfectly with a 180 score and after 12 darts he was on 40. And that went out with the third dart in hand. Double 10 went in for a 1-0 lead.

Wade also threw 180 in the second leg and put the pressure full on Smith's leg. But he coped well with that, as 116 went out: 1-1. Wade grabbed the lead again by keeping his own leg. The 49 went out in two arrows via tops. Smith threw six triples in three innings and also had no problems with Wade in the fourth leg. 

He threw out 82 via tops to make it 2-2. In the fifth leg, Smith also threw his first 180 and took the initiative in Wade's leg. Smith had 81 left and threw that out via double 18 to take the first break: 3-2.

Wade turns it around in the second session

Smith started the second session very badly with three innings without a triple, but was able to straighten it out just in time. A 180 left him with 84 and that went out in two darts: 4-2, cashing in on the break.

Wade also grabbed his first leg in the second session by throwing out double 9: 4-3. He started with a maximum score in the leg that Smith started. Smith did get first to a finish from 107, but missed the double 16. Wade had 120 left and took advantage. Via tops, he grabbed the break back and made it 4-4.

Smith threw a 180 in the ninth leg but could not prevent it becoming 5-4 for Wade. He hit 70 from tops to regain the lead.

Wade had the taste for it and threw 180 in Smith's leg, but he did the same himself. Wade got a dart for the break from 121 and also threw it via the bullseye: 6-4 for Wade and four legs in a row for The Machine.

In the third session, Wade made it 7-4 as 12 went out. Smith threw 180 in the 12th leg and finally picked up a leg. The 80 went out, making it 7-5.

Smith opened with 180 and 140 in the 13th leg, which Wade started. But Wade also threw 180, his sixth already. And Wade held on to 101 and threw that out too: 8-5.

It was already Wade's third finish above 100. Smith worked himself into a huge mess, as things were not going well at all in the 14th leg either.

Wade grabbed the break via double 9 to make it 9-5. Wade only failed to make it 10-5 as he missed three doubles on double 10 and 5. Smith threw out 107 and grabbed a break back: 9-6.

Lead won't go away again

Smith had three darts to make it 9-7 from double 6 and 3, but missed everything. Wade eventually had to go to double 1, but threw it out: 10-6. Wade had three chances at double 8 and missed them and therefore Smith was able to grab the break.

He only failed to throw 54 out and so Wade still made it 11-6 via double 8. Wade threw 180 again in the 18th leg. 

Smith had 76 left, but suffered setback after setback. He had another chance to break, but failed to do so from 82. Smith made it 11-7 by throwing out double 1. Wade threw his ninth 180 and took his own leg by throwing double 4: 12-7.

The session ended again with a 107 finish from Smith, making it 12-8.

In the fifth session, Wade had a chance to keep his leg at 120, but missed tops. Smith, who started with 180, threw out 64 to take the break: 12-9. But he also gave it away again very quickly in his own leg. He started the first two innings without a triple and Wade already had five in two innings. But a 180 kept Smith alive. Then 108 had to come out, but it didn't.

Wade threw out tops and grabbed the break back: 13-9. Smith still got back into the match as he very cleverly threw out 161: 13-10. Wade threw 180 at a perfect moment and so there was a lot of pressure on Smith's leg again. 109 was due out, but double 16 did not go in.

Wade did throw double 12 to make it 14-10 and the break was gone again. Smith threw a 180 in the 25th leg, but Wade got an arrow on tops and threw it out: 15-10 and match point for the Englishman. Wade already threw his 13th 180 in the next leg and eventually won the match. Via double 4, it ended in 16-10.

Luke Humphries (#1) 16-10 Dimitri van den Bergh (#9)

Humphries opened right away with a 180 in Van den Bergh's leg and took the initiative. He immediately threw in a second 180 and left 60. That went out and so the Englishman was out in four innings and posted the break: 1-0. Humphries also threw a 180 in the second leg, which was also the 250th of the tournament.

This time he was out in 13 arrows via tops and cashed in the break: 2-0. Humphries also threw a 180 in the third leg, but Van den Bergh had chances for a leg via 72. That didn't go out and Humphries did throw 97 out in two darts: 3-0. In the fourth leg, Van den Bergh threw his first 180 and also won his first leg via tops, a breakback thus.

The Belgian hit double 16 in his own leg and came back nicely: 3-2.

In the second session, Humphries again opened with a 180, but so did Van den Bergh. Humphries missed two chances on the double so Van den Bergh had the chance to make it 3-3 and he took it via double 4: 3-3. The Belgian got better and better and threw another 180 in the seventh leg.

Humphries had another chance to take the break, but missed the bullseye. Van den Bergh left 46 and threw that out and took the fourth leg in a row: 4-3 for the Dreammaker. Humphries started to miss more and more, as 46 did not go out.

Van den Bergh threw 180 and left 120, but that did not go out. Via double 4 it was still 4-4. Van den Bergh threw a good ninth leg and regained the lead. Via double 8 it became 5-4.

Humphries won the tenth leg by throwing 79 to make it 5-5.

Evenly matched

The Englishman threw another 180 in the first leg of a session and took the break. Tops made it 6-5 for Cool Hand Luke. He also threw 180 in the 12th leg, but failed to finish 78. Van den Bergh was on 60, but did not finish. Humphries did throw double 10 and cashed in on the break: 7-5.

Van den Bergh had to throw out 32 in the next leg and did so via double 4: 7-6. Humphries threw a bad fourteenth leg and also got frustrated. This gave Van den Bergh the chance to make it 7-7. He did so with double 10 to level the score. Humphries threw six perfect darts in the fifteenth leg, but it was not a nine darter.

A ten darter did and so it became a break and a lead for Humphries: 8-7.

In the fourth session, Humphries started again with some frustration, but he did win the leg by throwing double 16. Van den Bergh threw out 83 to make it 9-8.

Humphries threw the first barrel-plus finish in the 18th leg and, by throwing out 115, reached 10-8. He got ahead by a double break as double 6 went out in the nineteenth leg: 11-8. Humphries failed to get 65 out and so the Belgian had a chance for a rebreak. Van den Bergh grabbed that one too via tops: 11-9.

Humphries makes the difference

Van den Bergh had a chance to make it 11-10 as Humphries failed to throw out 72. But Humphries also failed to throw out 16 so it was still 11-10 via double 4. Humphries made it 12-10 as 106 went out. Van den Bergh did throw 180 twice, but did not get a chance for the break.

Humphries did get those chances. Via double 10 it was 13-10 and the Englishman had a two-break lead again.

Van den Bergh had a chance to break from 127, but missed the bullseye. 

Humphries made it 14-10 via tops. The final blow came at 15-10. Van den Bergh was facing 32, but Humphries threw out 164. Humphries threw 180 in the last leg and finished on double 10: 16-10.