Humphries earns draw in thrilling battle with Price

The Newbury man put up a good fight against the world number seven in Exeter

LUKE Humphries delivered with another impressive performance as he shared the spoils in a 6-6 draw with Gerwyn Price on night four of the Unibet Premier League in Exeter.

Humphries, making his debut on the stage after being selected as one of the 'nine-contenders' to replace the injured Gary Anderson.

Price, ranked world number seven, raced into an early lead and looked favourite to take the win after an impressive 147 finish.

However, Humphries fought back with a 161 checkout before taking out a second bullseye finish of the match to take the lead.

Speaking to the PDC after the game, Humphries said: "I've been looking forward to this for a while and I love playing up on the big stage.

"After the first 3 legs I'm happy with my performance, we were both brilliant and I really enjoyed the game.

"Gerwyn could be the second best player in the world on form so it shows my credentials and I'm happy with a draw," he added.

And although missing a double 14 to take a 7-5 win, Humphries believes his performance can go along way in developing his career.

"I've got to keep working hard and get the consistency but I loved every minute of it up there. I've got to work on my floor form because I want more nights like this. This could be the kick start for my season."

For a full interview with Luke Humphries, pick up a copy of next week's Newbury Weekly News, out Thursday.