“I can’t produce my best darts without this wonderful crowd week in, week out. The fanbase we are building at the moment is crazy and thank you very much.
“I am lost for words. I am playing the best I have ever played, I am more consistent.
“Being world No 5 is an incredible feeling and it has made me very strong to be honest.”
Littler was looking to defend his title in Bahrain, which was the first he picked up on the PDC professional circuit. It is also the tournament at which he hit a nine-darter against Nathan Aspinall in the 2024 quarter-finals, his first of four across the year.
However, he came up against a Price in some sensational form, the Welshman going eight darts into what would have been a sensational nine-darter before missing D12.
It means that the 17-year-old, who was on the end of a 6-2 scoreline against Price, will be made to wait for his second title of 2025.
With a clutch break of throw then bringing the game level, Bunting showed his class with some high scoring and pinned 96 on D12 to send the former world champion out.
Bunting also put in a relentless performance as he dominated Chris Dobey 6-0 in a whitewash quarter-final.
A break of throw in the opening leg set the precedent and with two 12-darters, an 11-darter, plus an incredible 111.33 average, ‘The Bullet’ lived up to his nickname and raced through.
The other two quarter-finals saw Humphries beating Nathan Aspinall 6-5, while Wright battled past Paolo Nebrida.
It is the first World Series win of Bunting’s career and his first World Series event in 11 years, a further symbol of his rise in the darting circuit over the last 12 months.
Bunting beat Luke Humphries and Chris Dobey on his way to the final, two players he will battle weekly in the Premier League,
