Luke Humphries' gesture in final against Michael van Gerwen showed his true colours

Luke Humphries has been hailed for his sportsmanship during his World Matchplay final victory over Michael van Gerwen. 'Coolhand Luke' emerged victorious in a gripping encounter at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, edging out Van Gerwen 18-15 on legs.

As well as securing a £200,000 prize, he also became the fourth player to win both the world championship and the World Matchplay in the same year, a feat previously achieved by Van Gerwen, Peter Wright, and Phil Taylor.

Although Humphries came out on top, Van Gerwen began to mount a comeback in the crucial stages. Instead of trying to ramp up the pressure by exciting the crowd or playing mind games, Humphries encouraged the crowd to show the Dutchman more respect. In the 27th leg, the world champion even asked the fans to quieten down when Van Gerwen was on double ten.

It's a moment that impressed darts fans, with one fan saying: "Humphries telling the crowd not to whistle as MVG is on a double is all class." Another tweeted: "Classy from Humphries. The crowd whistling at MVG on the double, but Humphries was waving them down to stop."

A third commented: "Class from Humphries telling the crowd to stop whistling," before another fan said: "Humphries is a class act. Great final." 

Humphries clinched the title in a stunning display, hitting double tops twice for a 100 checkout, immediately after Van Gerwen missed three crucial darts at double eight that would have kept him in the game.

The victory marks his second major win in just three weeks, following his World Cup of Darts success with Michael Smith. A jubilant Humphries said: "Honestly, I've felt more emotion than when I won the worlds.

"I am going to watch back that double tops 100 times tonight. I feel so blessed to have my name on that trophy. I am absolutely over the moon. I am emotional, it really means the world to me."

Meanwhile, a frustrated Van Gerwen believes he was the better player on the night in Blackpool. The Dutchman said: "We all know I didn't start off the game very well, but I had my chances.

"I made mistakes but I also felt I was the better player. I have to do a little bit more. I always battle, but when you keep missing doubles it can be such a frustrating game sometimes.

"People need to know I never give up. I'm going to make [this rivalry with Humphries] really difficult in the next couple of years. I just felt I deserved a little bit more."