LUKE ‘The Nuke’ Littler cruised into the quarter-finals of the Dutch Darts Masters.

The 17-year-old, who spent the early years of his childhood in Runcorn, hardly got out of second gear to march past home thrower Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 in the first round at De Maaspoort in Den Bosch, The Netherlands.

Littler, a former Padgate Academy student, averaged just under 91 and threw four 180s across the eight legs as he seeks to add the Toon Greebe Trophy to the Bahrain Masters title he won last week.

Checking out on 150 to win the match was stylish, but it all looked too easy for ‘The Nuke’ against an out-of-sorts 2022 Dutch Darts Masters runner-up ranked No13 with the PDC.

Littler took a 2-0 lead before a 13-dart break of throw suggested there would be some fight from the Dutchman.

But the Warringtonian was quickly 4-1 in front and although he slipped up again in the sixth the victory never looked in doubt.

He will be back at the oche for the quarter-finals tomorrow night.