Six Finals, Five Winners: What Vault 17 and 18 Tell Us Ahead of Vault 19

 

With Vault 19 approaching, I wanted to look back at the recent MODUS Super Series regional finals covered by the Q4QS database.

This first review concentrates on three regions: South West, South Wales, and South East & London. Across Vault 17 and Vault 18, each region staged two finals offering winners the opportunity to appear in the MODUS Super Series.

Six finals produced five different champions.

Henry Cooper was the only player to win twice, completing back-to-back South West successes. Connor Hopkins and Louis Melville claimed the two South Wales places, while George Cressey and Roger Crook emerged from South East & London.

However, the winners were only part of the story.

Several players came within one match of earning a MODUS opportunity. Others produced some of the best averages of the six events but failed to reach the final. There were also players who challenged strongly in both series without managing to secure the ultimate prize.

Those are the names who may be particularly interesting when Vault 19 begins.

Henry Cooper Rules the South West

The clearest story from the six regional finals belongs to Henry Cooper.

Cooper won the South West MODUS qualifier in both Vault 17 and Vault 18, becoming the only player across these three regions to successfully retain the regional title.

His first victory came at Shaftesbury Football Club during Vault 17.

Cooper defeated Andy Steed 6–4 in the final with a 91.06 average. Before that, he had averaged 86.95 in his semi-final victory over Pierce Speechley-Price and 89.86 against Jamie Kay in the quarter-finals.

He returned for the Vault 18 final at St Breward AFC & Social Club and produced an even more commanding finish.

After beating Lee Andrews 6–2 in the quarter-finals, Cooper whitewashed Jamie Kay 6–0 with a 92.02 semi-final average. He then defeated Ricky King 6–2 in the final, averaging 90.28.

Across the latter stages of the two finals, Cooper repeatedly found his best darts when the MODUS place moved within sight.

That is perhaps the most impressive part of the double. Regional finals bring together players who have already performed consistently throughout the Vault campaign. Cooper did not merely qualify for both events—he navigated two strong knockout draws and delivered 90-plus averages in both finals.

The obvious Vault 19 question is whether anybody in the South West can stop him from reaching a third successive MODUS opportunity.

The Players Who Came Closest to Cooper

Andy Steed and Ricky King were the two players left one match short.

Steed’s Vault 17 run included a 6–5 victory over Kev Dunstan and a 6–4 semi-final win against Gareth Griffiths. He then stayed close to Cooper in the final before losing 6–4.

King followed a similar path during Vault 18. He defeated Steed 6–3 in the quarter-finals before surviving a deciding leg against Neil Meneer in the semi-final. Cooper proved too strong in the final, but King had come through two of the most dangerous players in the draw to get there.

Both have therefore demonstrated the ability to reach the last match of a regional final.

There are also players whose numbers suggest they were closer than their eventual finishing position might imply.

Gareth Griffiths produced one of the most intriguing runs of Vault 17. He opened with a 99.51 average against Nick Eggbeer and then averaged 84.78 in beating Finlay Cleave. Griffiths produced another strong performance in the semi-final, averaging 88.91, but lost 6–4 to Steed, who averaged 80.94.

It was a perfect example of why averages alone do not decide knockout darts.

Jamie Kay also threatened in both South West finals.

In Vault 17, Kay opened with an 89.43 average and then averaged 81.93 in the next round. Kay produced an 88.36 average against Cooper in the quarter-finals but was beaten 6–3.

During Vault 18, Kay averaged 90.99 in a 6–5 victory over Griffiths before running into Cooper again. This time, Cooper delivered a 92.02 average and a 6–0 victory.

Kay has now reached a South West quarter-final and semi-final across the two series, with Cooper ending both runs. If Cooper is the regional standard, Kay has repeatedly put himself within range of challenging it.

Neil Meneer is another who came extremely close. The Vault 18 semi-final against King went to a deciding leg before King edged through 6–5.

Steed, King, Griffiths, Kay and Meneer have all shown enough to enter Vault 19 as serious South West contenders.

Hopkins Sets the South Wales Standard

Connor Hopkins produced arguably the most complete individual regional-final performance across the six tournaments.

Hopkins won the Vault 17 South Wales final at Duffy’s in Pontypridd, defeating Sion Thomas 6–2 with a 92.98 average.

That followed a 92.85 semi-final performance against Mike Huntley and an outstanding 98.02 average in a 6–0 quarter-final victory over Timothy Jones.

From the quarter-finals onwards, Hopkins won 18 legs and conceded only four. His average exceeded 92 in all three matches.

Where Cooper’s achievement was built on winning two separate regional finals, Hopkins produced one afternoon of sustained control. There was no narrow escape or obvious drop in standard during the closing stages.

It was exactly the kind of performance that makes a player stand out as a future threat beyond the Vault system.

Melville Survives the Vault 18 Tests

The South Wales Vault 18 final produced a very different type of champion.

Louis Melville did not dominate every match statistically. Instead, Melville repeatedly found a way to win close contests.

After beating Llew Bevan in the Last 16, Melville edged past Corey Milward 6–5 in the quarter-finals. A strong 87.35 average then helped secure a 6–4 semi-final win over Stephen Cake.

The final against Dean Reynolds also went to a deciding leg.

Reynolds recorded the higher average, 86.48 to Melville’s 80.71, but Melville took the match 6–5 and secured the MODUS place.

It was a run built on resilience. Melville survived two deciding legs and defeated two opponents who produced higher averages during the knockout stages.

Hopkins had swept through the closing rounds of Vault 17. Melville had to scrap through the decisive moments of Vault 18. Both routes led to the same reward.

Stephen Cake Keeps Knocking on the Door

If there is one South Wales player who can consider themselves particularly unfortunate not to have claimed a place, it may be Stephen Cake.

Cake reached the semi-finals in both regional finals.

In Vault 17, Cake beat Jonathan Davies and Liam Cook before losing 6–4 to Sion Thomas. Cake actually recorded the higher semi-final average, 80.23 to 78.60, but Thomas secured the crucial legs.

Cake returned in Vault 18 and began with the best individual average of that entire regional final—a 93.94 performance in a 6–0 win over Geraint Cuddihy.

A 6–5 quarter-final victory over Ryan Davies followed before Melville stopped the run in the semi-finals.

Two series, two semi-finals and no MODUS place.

That combination makes Cake one of the most obvious players to watch in Vault 19. There is no question about the ability to reach the business end of a regional final. The remaining task is to convert one of those opportunities.

Dean Reynolds also has a strong case for being among the leading South Wales contenders. Reynolds averaged 90.80 in the Last 16 of Vault 18, reached the final and then produced the higher average in a deciding-leg defeat.

Mike Huntley’s Vault 17 run is also worth remembering. Huntley averaged 91.33 in beating Gavin Sterio before running into Hopkins’ outstanding semi-final display.

South Wales has produced two different winners, but several challengers have already shown that the margin between qualification and elimination can be extremely small.

Cressey Peaks at the Right Time

George Cressey won the South East & London Vault 17 final at the Phoenix Railway Social Club in Dover.

Cressey began steadily but raised the level considerably as the tournament progressed.

A 95.71 quarter-final average against John Power was followed by a 94.16 performance in the semi-final against Colin Sulston. Cressey then defeated Adam Mould 6–4 in the final.

Interestingly, Mould recorded the higher final average—88.88 compared with Cressey’s 83.83—but Cressey secured the legs that mattered.

It followed the pattern seen in several of these regional finals. The best average did not always belong to the winner, particularly when matches became close.

Stuart Dutton looked capable of challenging Cressey after averaging 90.55 in a 6–1 quarter-final victory over Jake Eichen. However, that level fell away in the semi-final, where Dutton averaged 76.10 and lost 6–4 to Mould.

It was one of the clearest examples of a player looking extremely dangerous in one round before being unable to reproduce the same standard in the next.

Crook Comes Through the Deciders

Roger Crook’s South East & London Vault 18 victory had similarities to Melville’s South Wales success.

Crook had to survive pressure repeatedly.

He beat Stuart Dutton 6–5 in the Last 16 before producing the standout winning performance of the tournament—an average of 95.39 in a 6–2 quarter-final victory over Dai Lewis.

A 6–4 semi-final win against Jack Seymour took Crook into the final, where Connor Levett provided another severe test.

Levett averaged 87.54 to Crook’s 86.74, but Crook edged the deciding leg to win 6–5.

Three of Crook’s four matches were decided by either one or two legs. Rather than cruising through the draw, Crook continually responded when the result remained in doubt.

That ability to survive may be just as important in a regional final as producing one spectacular average.

Levett Leads the Chasing Group

Connor Levett may have lost the Vault 18 final, but the run contained plenty to suggest another opportunity could arrive.

Levett came through the draw from the No.21 position. He defeated Jack Harvey 6–5 with an 85.36 average before producing 89.63 in a commanding 6–2 win over Ian Hobbs.

After beating Mat Caste in the quarter-finals, Levett defeated John Power 6–1 to reach the final.

He then produced his second-best average of the event but lost 6–5.

Levett was therefore one leg away from the MODUS place despite beginning outside the leading seeds. That makes the run one of the strongest breakthrough stories across the six finals.

There was another striking performance much earlier in the draw.

Andy Smith averaged 92.87 against John Power in the Last 16 but lost 6–5. Power averaged 87.34, yet took the deciding leg and subsequently reached the semi-finals.

Smith recorded one of the highest averages of the entire event and was eliminated in the opening round. It was another reminder that regional-final darts can punish even a very strong performance.

Jack Seymour also progressed to the semi-finals, while Cressey’s attempt to win consecutive South East & London finals ended in the first round against Reggie Woodmore.

Unlike Cooper in the South West, Cressey could not successfully defend the regional title.

Six Finals, Several Different Ways to Win

Looking across the six events, no single formula guaranteed success.

Cooper combined consistency, scoring and the ability to peak during the closing rounds.

Hopkins dominated his regional final statistically, producing three consecutive averages above 92 from the quarter-finals onwards.

Cressey found two outstanding performances at exactly the right stage of the competition.

Melville and Crook survived close matches and deciding legs, sometimes defeating opponents who recorded higher averages.

The results also highlight why several players who failed to qualify should remain prominent in the Vault 19 conversation.

Steed, King, Reynolds and Levett were each one match away. Cake reached two semi-finals. Kay made the latter stages in both South West events. Griffiths, Huntley, Dutton and Smith all produced performances suggesting that they could challenge again.

Not everyone will return through exactly the same qualifying route, and the regional fields may change for Vault 19. However, recent history gives us a strong starting point.

Who Can Take the Next Step in Vault 19?

Henry Cooper is the obvious benchmark after winning both South West finals.

Behind Cooper, Jamie Kay’s repeated progress and strong averages suggest a player capable of going further. Gareth Griffiths has already shown the highest individual level in the region, while Ricky King, Andy Steed and Neil Meneer have all moved within one match of the prize.

In South Wales, Stephen Cake’s consecutive semi-finals make the case particularly compelling. Dean Reynolds was one leg away in Vault 18 and Mike Huntley produced 90-plus darts before meeting an inspired Hopkins.

Connor Levett heads the South East & London list after coming through from outside the leading seeds and losing the Vault 18 final by a single leg. Stuart Dutton and Andy Smith also produced peaks that would make them dangerous if sustained across an entire regional final.

Vault 17 and Vault 18 produced five winners from six events, with Cooper alone managing to repeat the achievement.

That tells us how difficult these regional finals are to predict—and how hard they are to win.

The next part of the Q4QS Vault 19 coverage will look more closely at the qualifying venues themselves. Using the developing Venue Hub, I will examine which locations regularly attract the strongest fields and where the route to the next regional final may be particularly demanding.

For now, the recent finals have already provided plenty of names to remember.

Some have secured their MODUS opportunity. Others missed by one leg, one match or one outstanding performance from an opponent.

Vault 19 gives them the chance to begin all over again.

Yesterday’s Darts Results – Saturday 6 September 2026

Sunday produced another busy day across the grassroots darts scene, with 23 tournaments added to the Q4QS database. There was some exceptional scoring at the top end, led by Steve West’s 118.66 average, while Scott Mc and Craig Stoner also broke through the 100 barrier.

West tops the day with 118.66

Steve West produced the standout individual performance of Sunday at the Gap Week MiMo at Phoenix Darts Club.

West took the title with a 4–1 final victory over Frankie Howard, but the headline number came earlier in the competition when he averaged a superb 118.66 against Freddie Rowlands. West also recorded averages of 93.94 and 91.34 during the event, underlining a very strong day at the oche. Ben Rowley also impressed at Phoenix with a 96.97 average.

Scott Mc hits 111 in Wiltshire

There was another huge average at Wiltshire Darts House, where Scott Mc won the Wiltshire Darts House Comp.

Mc defeated James Roberts 5–2 in the final and finished the tournament with nine match wins. His best performance was a 111.33 average, the second-highest recorded across Sunday’s 23 events. Ian Greenaway also reached 91.09 during the competition.

Stoner fires 107.36 as Rodgers takes Week 3

The third ton-plus performance of the day came at the Littlehampton Premier Darts Series.

Craig Stoner produced a 107.36 average in a 2–0 victory over Jack Candler and collected six wins during the event. The title, though, went to Mick Rodgers, who beat Lewis Gurney 3–2 in the final and finished with eight victories.

Pilgrim takes Morden Super GP

Darryl Pilgrim enjoyed an excellent day at the IDL Super GP Morden September Sunday, taking the title with a 6–2 victory over Charlie Green.

Pilgrim recorded eight wins and also produced a 96.85 average, the fifth-highest individual average across all of Sunday’s tournaments. Oscar King reached 91.09, while Arjun Sharma hit 88.41.

Shipwright wins Bucks Youth County Open

There was a sizeable field at Bradmoor Farm Sports Bar, with 147 matches recorded at the Bucks Youth County Open Day.

Oscar Shipwright emerged as champion after beating Jayden Laming 4–2 in the final. Shipwright collected nine wins and also topped the tournament averages with 93.94, ahead of Jai Carlton's 81.24.

More Sunday winners

Elsewhere, Luke Leonard won the Champs Money In Money Out Vault Break 3, defeating Andrew Smith 3–2, while Damian Gibbon took the JDC Volts Style Round Robin and Harvey-Lee Nelson-Harris won the Junior Darts Round-Robin Tournament.

At Shaftesbury Football Club, Lexi Ayres won the Ladies Money In event, while David Holt claimed The Doble Chase Series event. Jack Seymour won the M.I.M.O competition, Jamie Evans took Money In Money Out and Luke Oldham came through the NYDA Summer Singles Under-18s.

Taylor Morgan won the Nags Head Pre-Vault Open, Sam Done took Oliver’s Sports Bar Series 3 Week 2, Ryan Perks won the Round-Robin Money In Money Out and Samuel Price was victorious at The C’s Bar & Function Rooms.

There were further wins for Jamie Elliott at the Silver Band Sunday Pre-Vault, Elijah Bishop in the Toe To Oche Darts Academy Under-55 Open, Adrian McGee in the U65 Bostin Round Robin, Craig Sharp in the Under-55 Average Series 2.0, Kaden Johnson in the Under-65 Average 4.0 and Kyron Harrison in Vault Break 4.

Sunday’s top five individual averages

1. Steve West — 118.66, Gap Week MiMo
2. Scott Mc — 111.33, Wiltshire Darts House Comp
3. Craig Stoner — 107.36, Littlehampton Premier Darts Series
4. Ben Rowley — 96.97, Gap Week MiMo
5. Darryl Pilgrim — 96.85, IDL Super GP Morden September Sunday

Another 23 tournaments are now added to the growing Q4QS database, continuing to build the picture of form, results and performances across the grassroots game.

MODUS Super Series Week 6 Preview: Can Anyone Stop Derek Coulson?

 

The MODUS Super Series returns for Week 6 of Series 15, and there is one very obvious place to start.

Derek Coulson is back.

Coulson has become one of the standout MODUS stories of recent times, finally converting years of deep runs into Champions Week success earlier this year. Now he returns to Portsmouth as the clear man to beat in a 12-player field containing a fascinating mixture of established names, former MODUS winners, emerging players and experienced campaigners.

And the Q4QS numbers reinforce just how formidable Coulson currently looks.

He sits 12th in the Q4QS rankings with a 728.3 rating and 91.69 average, and his recent results have been exceptional. Coulson won Challenge Tour 16 unbeaten with a 93.77 tournament average and subsequently reached the final of Challenge Tour 20, averaging 95.15 across that run. Even his recent Players Championship appearances have seen him operating around the 90-plus mark.

The question this week is whether anybody in this field can prevent another Coulson run.

Van den Herik brings another winning pedigree

One of the strongest candidates is Jamai van den Herik.

The Dutch youngster already knows how to win a MODUS week, having done so during Series 13, and his recent results elsewhere show why he could be one of Coulson's biggest threats.

Van den Herik won Development Tour 18 with an 86.48 tournament average, going 8–0, and his notable recent victories include Owen Bates and Dominik Gruellich. He is ranked 109th by Q4QS with an 84.54 average.

Coulson and Van den Herik are together in Group A, but that section has considerably more depth than just its two headline names.

Hubbard could be one of the week's dangers

James Hubbard arrives with one of the strongest recent form profiles in the field.

The former PDC World Youth Champion has reached the semi-finals of both the England Open and UKDA National Finals in his recent recorded events. The England Open run came with an 85.89 tournament average, while his latest National Finals campaign produced an 84.16 average.

He is also 8–2 across his last ten recorded matches.

That consistency makes Hubbard particularly interesting in the MODUS format, where producing your level repeatedly across multiple sessions can be every bit as important as one spectacular performance.

Mawson arrives as a recent champion

There is also plenty of international interest.

Canada's Gary Mawson comes into Week 6 after winning Championship Darts Circuit Main Event 8, going through the tournament unbeaten with an 81.21 average. He has since reached another quarter-final and also carries an 8–2 last-ten record.

David Munyua returns to the Super Series following the Kenyan's memorable appearance at Alexandra Palace, while Patrick Dekker completes what looks a genuinely intriguing opening group.

Dekker's recent results include an 84.59 match average on the Challenge Tour and a victory over Steve Lennon.

Three Kevins – and three very different threats

One of the more unusual features of Week 6 is a group containing Kevin Edwards, Kevin Lane and Kevin Painter.

Beyond the shared first name, there are three very different darting stories.

Edwards has been producing some excellent numbers on the ADC circuit. His recent results include tournament averages of 87.92, 85.78 and 85.71, with a peak match average of 96.27. He is 7–3 across his last ten recorded matches.

Lane has also been competing strongly. He reached the quarter-finals of ADC Championship South Event 11 with an 83.64 tournament average, beating Lewis Cook with an 89.02 average along the way. More recently he has continued to average in the mid-80s on the Challenge Tour.

Then there is Kevin Painter.

The former World Championship finalist needs little introduction, and while his recent results are less consistent than some of the field, the scoring ability remains. Painter recently reached a Vault quarter-final averaging 80.92 and produced a 91.09 match average during the event.

Killington could be dangerous

Another name I particularly like this week is George Killington.

Killington comes in immediately after reaching a Vault final at Waterlooville, averaging 82.54 across the tournament. His individual performances included a 93.94, and he is 8–2 across his latest ten recorded matches.

The former Tour Card holder has enough experience to make a sustained MODUS run, and his recent numbers suggest he arrives in good shape.

John O'Shea and Ram Guevara Jr complete the 12-player field. The Q4QS database is currently much thinner on Guevara, while O'Shea's recorded recent results include an 87.44 match average on the Challenge Tour and a 5–1 victory over Jelle Klaasen.

Six Players to Watch

Derek Coulson

The obvious benchmark. Challenge Tour champion, Challenge Tour finalist and consistently producing 90-plus tournament numbers. If Coulson brings his recent level to Portsmouth, somebody is going to have to play extremely well to stop him.

Jamai van den Herik

Already a MODUS weekly winner and a Development Tour champion this season. He has both the scoring level and experience of this particular format to challenge again.

Kevin Edwards

Possibly the most interesting player outside the headline names. Recent ADC numbers have been excellent, including a 96.27 match average, and this week provides a chance to translate that form onto the MODUS stage.

James Hubbard

Two recent major amateur semi-finals and an 8–2 last ten. Hubbard's consistency makes him a serious candidate to outperform expectations.

George Killington

Arrives straight from a final and has been producing plenty of 80-plus darts, with the ability to push considerably higher. A dangerous player if momentum carries over.

Kevin Lane

Recent Challenge Tour averages in the mid-80s follow an impressive ADC quarter-final. His current scoring suggests he can cause problems throughout the week.

A favourite – but not necessarily a straightforward week

Coulson deserves to begin as the standout name. The combination of MODUS experience, current form and a Q4QS average above 91 separates him from the field on paper.

But MODUS weeks rarely play out entirely on paper.

Van den Herik has already demonstrated that he can win in this environment. Hubbard is making deep runs. Mawson has recently won on the CDC. Killington arrives from a final. Edwards and Lane are producing numbers capable of beating very good players.

And with players such as Painter, Dekker, O'Shea, Munyua and Guevara completing the field, there should be plenty of opportunities for the week's expected order to be disrupted.

Coulson starts as the man to beat. Finding out who can get closest to him – or perhaps knock him off the top altogether – should make Week 6 well worth following.

Q4QS Weekly Spotlight

Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week

Another busy week of grassroots darts has produced three very different stories for this week's Q4QS Weekly Spotlight.

Sean Holley backed up an already formidable record with two more tournament victories. Joshua Russell combined another title with a superb run to the JDC Wales Regional Final and produced some of the best junior averages of the week. And Riley Milligan earns a first Spotlight appearance after another strong week on the JDC circuit, including an excellent performance at the South West Regional Finals.

As always, this isn't simply about finding the three biggest averages or choosing the week's biggest tournament winners. It's about performances, consistency and players whose progress or results have caught my eye over the previous seven days.

Sean Holley

Player Profile

Sean Holley's numbers underline just how consistently successful he has been.

Across 569 recorded matches, Holley has won 482, an outstanding 84.7% win rate. His 100 recorded tournament appearances have already produced 35 victories, eight runner-up finishes and another 24 semi-final or quarter-final appearances. His current form is also excellent at nine wins from his last ten matches.

The scoring numbers are equally impressive. Holley has an 81.63 overall match average, with that rising to 85.13 across his latest ten. His best recorded performance is 117.72, while his five highest averages all exceed 109.

There is plenty of quality among the opposition too. His recorded wins include Jack Drayton, Nathan Potter, Robbie Martin and Danny Lauby, with Holley averaging 100.99 in his victory over Martin.

This Week

Holley started the week by winning the Bank Holiday Comp at Wiltshire Darts House, coming through a tournament containing 113 recorded matches.

He beat Johnny Haines 5–1 in the final, recorded ten wins across the event and produced a 96.97 average along the way.

Later in the week came title number two.

At Bradmoor Farm's Friday Vault Break 3, Holley progressed through the knockout stages with averages of 90.18, 92.02, 88.46 and 84.03 before producing 94.92 in the final to beat Adam Mould 3–2.

That gives Holley two tournament victories in the week, and his profile now shows 35 recorded titles from 100 events.

Another hugely consistent week from a player who continues to make winning tournaments look remarkably routine.

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Joshua Russell

Player Profile

Joshua Russell already has an enormous amount of competitive experience recorded in the Q4QS database.

His 795 matches have produced 646 victories, giving him an 81.3% win rate across 133 events. Even more strikingly, Russell has already recorded 42 tournament wins, as well as 18 runner-up finishes and 25 semi-finals. His latest form stands at nine wins from ten.

Russell's overall match average is 73.86, but his recent numbers are considerably higher: 89.21 across his last five matches and 86.37 across his last ten.

And his best-ever Q4QS recorded average is now 103.66 — a figure he has produced twice.

This Week

Russell began the week with another tournament victory, winning Clive Arms Vault Break 3. He recorded seven wins and defeated Edward Manley in the final.

There was more success at Cardiff County Cons later in the week. Russell beat Joe Hoffman with a 93.94 average in the quarter-final, Josef Howlett 3–0 in the semi-final and Edward Manley 3–0 in the final, averaging 85.08.

Then came Friday's JDC Volts Wales Series 7 Regional Finals.

Russell opened the knockout stages with successive 4–0 wins, averaging 95.43 against Archie Lane, 87.13 against Dylan Person and then producing a huge 103.66 against Rhodri Phillips in the quarter-final. He followed that with a 4–2 semi-final victory over James Prettyjohn before Jack Powell edged the final 4–3.

It meant Russell finished the week with two tournament victories and a JDC Regional Final, while also producing one of the week's outstanding averages.

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Riley Milligan

Player Profile

Riley Milligan's inclusion gives this week's Spotlight another developing-player story.

Milligan already has 486 recorded matches, winning 370 for an impressive 76.1% win rate. Across 98 events, that has produced 16 tournament wins, 13 runner-up finishes, 13 semi-finals and 14 quarter-finals.

His overall match average stands at 69.93, but there is a spectacular number at the top of his record: a 125.25, produced during a JDC Volts event in June. He has also broken the 100 mark on three other occasions.

His best wins include an 88.41 average in a 3–0 victory over Logan Neil Symons, while he has also beaten Henry Cooper and Robbie Long.

This Week

Milligan's week began on the JDC England South Foundation Tour, where he reached the last 16 of Event 12 after victories over Aiden Styler and Jayden Moss.

But the performance that really caught my attention came at Friday's JDC Volts Southwest Series 7 Regional Finals.

Milligan began with a convincing 4–0 victory over Frankie Lynch, averaging 74.22.

He then produced his best performance of the week against Tai Anderson. Milligan averaged an excellent 84.33, but was edged out 4–3 in a close last-16 contest.

Interestingly, that 84.33 was the highest recorded average anywhere in the South West Regional Finals, despite Milligan not ultimately taking the title.

That is exactly the type of performance this feature is intended to recognise. The winner isn't always the only player whose week deserves attention, and Milligan's scoring at a regional final earns him his place alongside Holley and Russell this time. 

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Quinn Wins Huge Charity Event as Russell Fires 103.66 (5th September 2026)

Saturday produced another strong day of grassroots darts, with 22 tournaments from 5 September added to the Q4QS database.

There was plenty happening across the South and South West, but one event stood out immediately for its scale: the MDO Round Robin Charity Event supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK, which produced 113 recorded matches. Andrew Quinn came through that field to take the title, while elsewhere Joshua Russell produced the biggest average of the day with a superb 103.66 in the JDC VOLTS Wales Regional Finals.

Quinn comes through huge charity tournament

The MDO Round Robin Charity Event was one of the biggest competitions of Saturday, with 113 matches recorded and an Under-70 average restriction.

Andrew Quinn eventually took the title, beating Ben Spencer 3–1 in the final.

Quinn also produced the best average of the tournament at 88.41, and added further scores of 80.52 and 79.80 during his run. He finished with 11 victories, ahead of Colin Sulston on nine and Spencer and Sam Green on eight.

That combination of tournament size, a title and 11 wins makes Quinn’s performance one of the clearest headline stories from Saturday.

Russell hits 103.66 in JDC Wales Regional Finals

The biggest average anywhere in Saturday’s results came from Joshua Russell in the JDC VOLTS Wales Series 7 Regional Finals.

Russell fired a superb 103.66 average, and also recorded 95.43, 87.13 and 81.25 during an excellent run.

The title, though, went to Jack Powell, who edged Russell 4–3 in the final after five victories across the tournament. Russell finished with four.

It was still one of the standout individual displays of the day, particularly on a junior regional finals programme.

Lauridsen wins South West JDC Regional Final

There was South West success in the JDC VOLTS Southwest Series 7 Regional Finals, where Joseph Lauridsen took the title.

Lauridsen beat Tai Anderson 4–1 in the final and finished with five victories.

The best average of the event belonged to Riley Milligan at 84.33, while Anderson reached 78.33 and Lauridsen’s best recorded figure was 69.99.

With George Miller, Oliver Hutchings and Charlie Fone also among those progressing, there was plenty of familiar South West junior talent involved.

Warren Ryan takes CUFC birthday bash

At CUFC Darts, Warren Ryan came through the Jack Collins + Ellis Turner Birthday Bash.

The event generated 84 matches, with Ryan beating Logun Godbeer 4–3 in the final.

Godbeer actually finished with the most wins overall on nine, while Ryan, Andy Darbon, Dave Fisher and Liam Trotman were all close behind.

The best recorded average belonged to Dave Fisher at 91.09, while Godbeer reached 83.50 and 81.24.

Long beats Hedman in Saturday MIMO

One of the more eye-catching finals came in the Saturday Afternoon Money In Money Out Round Robin, where Robbie Long defeated Deta Hedman 4–2.

Hedman produced the highest average of the event at 93.94 and finished with seven victories, the same total as Long.

Long’s own best was 81.24, while Martyn Freeman also enjoyed a strong day with six wins.

That makes Long’s victory particularly notable given the quality Hedman produced during the tournament.

Finch wins Pre-Vault event

Matty Finch enjoyed a strong day in the Pre-Vault event, finishing with eight victories and beating Adam Finch 3–0 in the final.

His best recorded average was 90.88, comfortably the highest of the event, while George Whyte reached 81.56.

Finch also added 79.11 twice during his title-winning run.

Harri Firmo wins Epsom U65

At Epsom Town Social Club, Harri Firmo won the Champagne Shot Darts Under-65 Round Robin Series.

Firmo beat Izzy Cochrane 3–0 in the final and finished with seven wins.

Tony Oak produced the event’s best average at 86.71, while Firmo himself reached 85.74 and later 76.42 in the final.

Dean Rogers wins Church Wicketts Open

Dean Rogers took the Church Wicketts Open after beating Anthony West 6–3 in the final.

Rogers collected six victories and produced the tournament’s best average at 87.50.

Jake B-Smith also had a strong event, recording 83.95 and 80.67.

More JDC regional winners

Saturday’s JDC regional finals programme was spread across several regions.

Remy Stapleton won the East Midlands final, Alfie O’Flynn Rogers took the Southeast event, Harvey-Lee Nelson-Harris won the West Midlands and Jack Powell took the Wales title.

Across those events, the best numbers included 81.79 from O’Flynn Rogers, Tyler Shuck at 74.43 and Riley Herbert at 72.74.

Plenty more Saturday winners

There was no shortage of other titles across the day.

Rich Hosey won the 301 DIDO event at Bostin Darts 180 Bar, beating Jake Shipley 3–2 in the final.

Harrison Graves won the Clwb Emrys Circuit 2.0, Kyle Jones took the SDO Challenge Summer Series Finals, and Katie Titley won the SDO Ladies Autumn Series 1.6.

There were also victories for Soxy O’Callaghan, Paul Sewell, Zakk Stanley, Nathan Grice, Kevin Thomas and Ben Simpson across the rest of Saturday’s programme.

Saturday’s standout numbers

The day’s leading averages were headed by:

Joshua Russell – 103.66
Joshua Russell – 95.43
Deta Hedman – 93.94
Dave Fisher – 91.09
Tyler Garrett – 91.09
Danny Humphries – 91.09
Matty Finch – 90.88

For me, though, the day’s biggest story is probably the combination of Quinn winning an 113-match charity event and Russell producing the standout scoring performance of the day.

With Lauridsen winning the South West JDC regional final, Ryan taking a strong CUFC event and Long beating Hedman, there was plenty of local interest too.

Did the BDO/WDF Become Weak—or Did the PDC Become Exceptional?

 

For many darts fans, the answer will seem obvious.

The PDC World Championship is regarded as the pinnacle of the sport. It has the biggest names, the greatest financial rewards and a level of global attention that the old BDO World Championship—and its successor, the WDF World Championship—cannot match.

But has the standard of performance at the BDO and WDF championships really been as far behind as many people assume?

I have been analysing World Championship standards across nearly 50 years of darts using one simple measure: the average of the ten highest individual match averages recorded during each championship.

This is not a measure of the strength of the entire field. It does not account for prize money, tournament depth, the number of professional players or the difficulty of winning the title.

What it does attempt to capture is the peak performance level reached at each championship.

Rather than judging a tournament solely by its champion or final, it considers the ten best individual displays produced across the event. The same player can therefore appear more than once if they recorded several of the championship’s leading averages.

The results produced some surprising findings. In my view, they challenge some of the assumptions regularly made about the relative playing standards of the two World Championships.

The First Surprise: The BDO Was Consistently Strong

When fans discuss the BDO’s golden years, names such as Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and Bob Anderson immediately come to mind.

There is often a perception that this period represented a significantly higher standard than anything seen in the WDF game today.

The data does not entirely support that conclusion.

The average of the BDO’s ten highest match performances reached 97.23 in 1985 and regularly sat in the mid-90s throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

The 1985 tournament included several exceptional displays. Keith Deller became the first player to record a three-dart World Championship average above 100, producing 100.30 despite losing his quarter-final to John Lowe. Lowe averaged 97.83 in the same match, while Bristow recorded 99.66 in his semi-final.

However, strong top-end performance levels were not confined to that celebrated era.

The BDO’s figure reached 98.57 in 1999, 99.34 in 2002 and 97.45 as late as 2015. The modern WDF World Championship returned figures of 93.39 in 2024 and 95.14 in 2025.

There are naturally fluctuations from one year to another, but the overall picture is one of considerable consistency.

The more I examined the numbers, the harder it became to support the idea that the leading standard at the BDO—and later the WDF—had simply collapsed.

The Split Did Not Create an Immediate Gulf

Another common assumption is that the 1990s split immediately transferred virtually all of the game’s quality to the newly formed organisation that eventually became the PDC.

Again, the data presents a more nuanced picture.

The first PDC World Championship was held in 1994. Fourteen years later, the difference between the championships’ leading performances was still surprisingly small.

In 2008, the BDO World Championship recorded a top-ten performance average of 95.31. The equivalent PDC figure was 96.29.

The difference was less than one point.

That does not mean the two organisations were identical. By then, the PDC had developed a stronger commercial position and was attracting many of the sport’s leading professionals.

Nevertheless, if we look specifically at the ten best match performances produced at the two World Championships, there was still remarkably little between them.

Even well over a decade after the split, the highest level reached on the two stages remained broadly comparable in certain years.

The Turning Point Arrived in 2009

If there is one year when the PDC begins to pull decisively away using this particular measure, it appears to be 2009.

The average of its ten highest match performances increased from 96.29 in 2008 to approximately 104.02 in 2009.

That is an extraordinary single-year rise.

When we look beneath that figure, one name appears repeatedly: Phil Taylor.

Taylor produced a 110.94 average in the final, 108.80 in his quarter-final, 103.44 in the semi-final, 102.57 in the second round and 101.63 in the last 16.

Five of the tournament’s ten leading match averages belonged to the same player.

Raymond van Barneveld also contributed several three-figure performances, including a 106.68 in the quarter-finals and 101.18 in the final.

It is difficult to believe that the sudden increase and Taylor’s dominance were unrelated.

The PDC had undoubtedly developed a stronger collection of leading players, but its 2009 figure was also heavily influenced by one exceptional individual producing five elite performances within the same tournament.

That raises an important question about how the data should be interpreted.

Was the widening difference purely evidence of the PDC’s greater organisational strength and depth? Or was it partly caused by arguably the greatest player of all time dragging the championship’s peak numbers upwards?

The answer is probably a combination of both.

The Taylor Era Changed the Comparison

Between 2009 and 2013, the PDC consistently outperformed the BDO using this measure, often by a margin of between six and ten points.

By this stage, there was no realistic doubt that the PDC had become the stronger championship.

However, something important can be overlooked when that period is described simply as the decline of the BDO.

The BDO was still generally producing top-ten performance averages in the low-to-mid 90s. That was broadly consistent with much of its previous history.

Its standard had not necessarily collapsed. Instead, the PDC had accelerated away from it.

Taylor played an enormous role in that change, but he was not operating entirely alone. Van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson and other leading professionals helped create a championship in which three-figure averages became increasingly common.

The comparison had changed.

The BDO was often delivering similar leading standards to those it had produced for decades. The problem was that maintaining those standards was no longer enough to remain close to the rapidly improving PDC.

Then Came Michael van Gerwen

If Taylor accelerated the separation between the championships, Michael van Gerwen helped take it to another level.

The biggest gap in this dataset occurred in 2017.

The ten highest PDC match averages that year produced an average of approximately 107.07. The BDO equivalent was 95.88—a difference of around 11.19 points.

Van Gerwen’s 114.05 against Raymond van Barneveld in the semi-final remains the highest match average ever recorded at a World Championship.

Remarkably, Van Barneveld averaged 109.34 in defeat.

Van Gerwen also averaged 108.06 in the final and 105.24 in the second round. Gary Anderson contributed performances of 107.68, 105.90 and 104.93, while Cristo Reyes, Peter Wright and Darren Webster also appeared among the championship’s ten leading averages.

This was no longer simply one extraordinary player dominating the list.

Van Gerwen was setting a remarkable standard, but numerous opponents and fellow contenders were also producing averages that would once have been considered exceptional.

The PDC had reached a level of scoring that had never previously been seen across a World Championship.

Importantly, though, the BDO’s figure of 95.88 was not particularly unusual when viewed against its own history. It sat comfortably within the range produced during many earlier championships.

Once again, the story appears to be less about the BDO suddenly becoming much weaker and more about the PDC becoming extraordinarily strong.

What About the Modern WDF Championship?

The BDO World Championship ended after the 2020 edition, with the WDF staging its first World Championship in 2022.

The modern tournament is sometimes dismissed as a shadow of the old Lakeside championship. Its prize money, profile and playing depth cannot currently match the PDC, but the leading performance figures are more competitive historically than that description might suggest.

The 2024 WDF World Championship produced a top-ten average of 93.39. That increased to 95.14 in 2025.

The latter figure is clearly below the level of the modern PDC World Championship. However, it is comparable with numerous BDO championships staged across the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

That does not prove that the present WDF field is as deep as the strongest BDO fields.

A top-ten average cannot tell us how strong the 30th, 40th or 50th-best player in a tournament might be. Nor does it measure how many serious title contenders entered each event.

It does, however, show that the modern WDF World Championship is still producing leading match performances within the historical range associated with Lakeside.

In other words, the peak standard is not necessarily far removed from the BDO championships remembered so fondly by many supporters.

The major difference is that the WDF now exists alongside a PDC that has reached an unprecedented level.

Measuring Peak Quality Rather Than Complete Depth

This distinction matters.

If the question is which championship currently has the stronger overall field, the answer is unquestionably the PDC.

The leading players in the world compete there, the prize money is vastly greater and the depth of professional quality extends much further through the draw.

The results of this analysis should not be used to argue otherwise.

But if the question is whether the BDO and WDF World Championships have always been dramatically weaker at their highest performance level, the answer becomes much less straightforward.

A comparison of the ten best match averages suggests that the peak level remained relatively close for many years after the split.

When a major gap eventually emerged, it was not caused solely by the BDO suddenly losing all of its quality. It also coincided with the PDC producing Taylor at his most dominant, followed by Van Gerwen and an increasingly powerful group of full-time professionals.

That is a substantially different story.

The Littler Factor

Many people believe that Luke Littler’s emergence could push the PDC even further ahead.

That may happen in future, but the data suggests that the separation has not yet grown significantly beyond the peak of the Van Gerwen era.

The PDC advantage was approximately 11.19 points in 2017. According to my dataset, the difference in 2024 was 11.09.

For now, the modern era led by Littler and Luke Humphries appears to be maintaining the extraordinary standards reached during Van Gerwen’s peak years rather than extending the gap dramatically.

Littler could still have a huge long-term influence on the sport. His emergence may inspire greater participation, raise expectations and push his leading rivals to improve.

However, the PDC was already operating at an exceptional level before his arrival.

Going into this project, I expected to find clear evidence that the BDO—and later the WDF—had steadily weakened over time.

Instead, I found something rather different.

The leading standard at the BDO and WDF championships appears to have remained surprisingly consistent across nearly five decades.

The strongest performances have generally fallen within a relatively narrow range, whether they were produced during the eras of Bristow and Lowe, Martin Adams and Ted Hankey, Jim Williams and Scott Mitchell, or the present WDF generation.

There have been stronger and weaker individual editions, but the data does not show a simple, continuous collapse.

The much clearer movement has occurred within the PDC.

From 2009 onwards, driven initially by Taylor and later by Van Gerwen, Anderson, Humphries, Littler and a much deeper group of elite professionals, the PDC World Championship accelerated to levels never previously seen in darts.

That does not make the two championships equal.

The PDC World Championship is comfortably stronger overall, and its depth extends far beyond the handful of leading performances examined here.

But the figures do challenge the idea that the BDO/WDF World Championship became dramatically weaker than everything that came before it.

Perhaps the better question is not simply whether the BDO and WDF became weak.

Perhaps it is whether the PDC became exceptionally strong.

The evidence suggests that it did.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Eichen and Mitchell Hit 111.33 as Boundy Wins Again at Portishead

Friday brought another strong night of grassroots darts, with 21 tournaments from 4 September added to the Q4QS database.

There may have been fewer events than on some recent days, but the quality certainly wasn’t lacking. The standout scoring came at Woodbridge Hill, where Jake Eichen and Ryan Mitchell both produced 111.33 averages, while closer to home Steve Boundy won again at Portishead, Pete Hughes took the title at Evesham and Reuben Avis came through at Bridgwater Darts Academy.

Eichen wins superb Woodbridge Hill contest

The Final Vault Break at Woodbridge Hill Working Men’s Club produced the two biggest averages of the day.

Ryan Mitchell hit 111.33, but remarkably Jake Eichen matched him with his own 111.33 — and Eichen did it in their final meeting, winning 2–0 to take the title.

Mitchell also produced a 103.25, along with a 93.94, while Eichen added a 91.09 during his run.

Eichen finished with eight victories, Mitchell with seven, making this one of the strongest head-to-head performances in the recent Q4QS daily results.

Boundy wins another Portishead title

Steve Boundy continued his excellent run at Portishead Workmens Darts by winning Friday’s Open.

Boundy came through a close 4–3 final against Logun Godbeer, finishing the tournament with nine victories. Godbeer won eight, with Josh Rose and Ryan Greenslade also putting together strong runs.

Boundy also topped the averages with 88.41, followed by 85.06 and 82.14, while Greenslade reached 80.76.

Boundy’s name has appeared regularly among the winners at Portishead recently, and this was another strong combination of tournament consistency and scoring.

Holley beats Mould in strong Bradmoor field

The Bradmoor Farm Friday Vault Break 3 was one of the biggest events of the day, with 109 matches recorded.

Sean Holley came through the field to take the title, beating Adam Mould 3–2 in the final.

Mould produced the tournament’s highest average at 102.48, while Charlie Collins reached 95.23. Holley himself recorded 94.92 in the final, adding another 92.02 earlier in the competition.

Holley finished with eight wins, one ahead of Mould.

That is a particularly good win given the quality Mould was producing during the event.

Hughes takes Evesham title

At Evesham Darts Competitions, Pete Hughes came through the Double In Double Out Round Robin.

Hughes recorded nine victories, the most in the tournament, before beating Reece Pinches 3–0 in the final.

The biggest average of the event belonged to Curtis Savage at 85.89, with Darrel Williams producing 83.50 and 81.24. Hughes’ best recorded figures were 80.52 and 79.11.

It was another example of a player winning through sustained tournament consistency rather than simply producing the single biggest average.

Avis takes Bridgwater DiDo Week 5

There was another South West success at Bridgwater Darts Academy, where Reuben Avis won BDA DiDo Week 5.

Avis came through a 65-match tournament, finishing with eight victories and beating Finley Bird 2–1 in the final.

He also dominated the top of the averages, recording 68.22, 62.63 and 58.94 among his performances.

Bird finished with seven wins, while Harrison Moule picked up six.

Wild wins despite two 103.66 averages

At Bostin Darts 180 Bar, the Inbetween Vault produced another very strong statistical event.

Neil Wild took the title after seven victories, beating Martin Tonks 3–2 in the final.

However, the biggest numbers came from Reece Colley and Jake Shipley, who both hit 103.66 averages.

Wild himself reached 95.84, while Shaun Hercules recorded 96.97.

Yet again, it was a night where the eventual winner wasn’t necessarily the player with the biggest single performance.

Carl McFarlane wins at Galaxy

There was also another Friday Super Night at Galaxy Sports Bar, where Carl McFarlane took the title.

McFarlane beat Curtis Green 3–0 in the final and finished with eight victories.

Andy Steed produced the event’s highest recorded average at 90.18, while McFarlane hit two separate 83.50 performances during his winning run.

Plenty more winners

Friday’s programme also included some substantial events further afield.

Luke Cox won a huge 127-match Challow Vault Break, finishing with ten victories. Craig Edwards produced a 100.20 average, while Shane Turner hit 96.97.

Arjun Sharma won the IDL Super GP Ruislip September event, John Power took the Epsom Social Club Vault Break and George Jones won at Llandeilo Rugby Club.

There were also wins for Andy Smith, David Hitchman, Callum Lester, Mark Howard and Chris Howse among the rest of Friday’s results.

Friday’s standout numbers

The top of Friday’s averages made impressive reading:

Ryan Mitchell – 111.33
Jake Eichen – 111.33
Reece Colley – 103.66
Jake Shipley – 103.66
Ryan Mitchell – 103.25
Adam Mould – 102.48
Craig Edwards – 100.20

For me, though, Eichen’s victory stands out most. Matching Mitchell’s 111.33 and doing it in a 2–0 win against him while taking the tournament gives Friday a particularly strong headline performance.

Closer to home, another Portishead title for Boundy, a nine-win night for Hughes at Evesham and Avis winning at Bridgwater gave the South West plenty to talk about too.