Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Pinches Keeps Delivering as Wales Pulls Clear in WADC Vault 3.0

 

Two weeks into Vault 19 and we're beginning to get something much more useful than a collection of impressive one-off Tournament Strength scores.

We're starting to see patterns.

When I first looked at the new series, Pinches Cue Club in Norwich immediately set the benchmark with a Tournament Strength of 1.350.

A week later, Pinches backed that up with 1.340.

Now we've had another week.

Pinches has done it again.

Its latest tournament produced 1.331.

So the sequence now reads:

1.350 → 1.340 → 1.331

That consistency is becoming the biggest Tournament Strength story of Vault 19.

Elsewhere, some familiar venues have bounced back strongly, Faringdon has provided more evidence that its earlier huge score wasn't simply about an eight-player field, and Hethersett is quietly moving in the opposite direction to Pinches — getting stronger every week.

And over in WADC Vault 3.0, the story has changed dramatically.

Last week I asked whether England was beginning to catch Wales.

This week, Wales has pulled further away.

How I'm Ranking the Venues

I'm continuing with the method I used in the previous update.

Each venue appears only once in the table, ranked by its highest Tournament Strength during Vault 19.

That stops venues holding several positions simply because they've staged several events.

But the other scores aren't ignored.

In fact, as the series develops, they are becoming increasingly important.

A venue producing 1.300 once is interesting.

Producing something around that level three weeks running tells us considerably more.

Vault 19 – Strongest Venues After Two Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club	1.329
3	Tipton Sports Academy	1.297
4	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.280
5	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
6	The Gardeners Arms, Ipswich	1.270
7	Sartan Club	1.265
8	Hethersett Social Club	1.260
9	Clacton Sports Bar	1.256
10	The Monty Club	1.256

One entry per venue, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded in Vault 19 through the week ending 26 September.

Pinches Is Becoming More Than a Big Number

There isn't much debate about the headline.

Pinches remains No.1.

But I'm actually more interested in its third-best number than its best one.

The three Vault 19 scores are:

1.350

1.340

1.331

Its Tournament Strength has dipped very slightly each time, but only by 0.019 from its highest to its lowest.

That's remarkably consistent.

When Pinches first produced 1.350, I deliberately avoided immediately declaring it the toughest venue in Vault 19.

One exceptional tournament wasn't enough evidence.

Three consecutive scores above 1.330 make the argument considerably stronger.

There is still plenty of Vault 19 to come, but at this stage Pinches isn't merely holding onto the top position because of one spectacular opening night.

It keeps producing exceptionally strong fields.

Faringdon Is Answering an Important Question

Faringdon's 1.329 initially came with a fairly obvious caveat.

There were only eight players.

A very strong eight-player field can produce an excellent Tournament Strength figure, but I wanted to see what happened when the venue attracted a bigger entry.

We now have some evidence.

This week Faringdon produced 1.275 from a 24-player field.

It didn't beat its 1.329 record, so only the higher figure appears in the table.

But arguably the 1.275 tells us more.

Faringdon has now demonstrated that it can produce a strong Tournament Strength figure with a much larger field.

That makes its position immediately behind Pinches considerably more interesting.

Hethersett Is Quietly Climbing

One venue that might easily be missed by simply looking at the highest scores is Hethersett Social Club.

Its progression has been:

1.224 → 1.237 → 1.260

Three tournaments.

Three increases.

Its latest figure moves Hethersett into the current Top 10 and, perhaps more importantly, gives us another example of why following Tournament Strength week by week is useful.

It hasn't produced one enormous result.

Instead, the strength of the field has increased every time.

I'll be interested to see whether that continues.

Sartan Bounces Back

Sartan Club is another good example of why one week's number shouldn't be treated as definitive.

Sartan opened Vault 19 with an excellent 1.265.

Its next tournament dropped to 1.184.

This week it was back up to 1.256 from 25 players.

So while Sartan hasn't beaten its opening figure, it has returned very close to it.

Given how often Sartan appeared towards the top of my Vault 18 analysis, that's probably more significant than simply looking at its position of seventh in the current table.

The familiar South West benchmark is still producing strong fields.

Lindsay Is Remarkably Steady

There's a similar story at Lindsay Constitutional Club.

Its three figures are:

1.250 → 1.198 → 1.251

The latest tournament has actually edged above its opening Vault 19 score.

Again, this isn't about producing the biggest number in the entire series.

It's about a venue repeatedly returning to roughly the same strong level.

Lindsay was one of the Welsh venues that stood out during Vault 18, and two weeks into Vault 19 it remains very much part of the picture.

A New Name Enters the Top Group

The Gardeners Arms in Ipswich is one of the notable additions this week.

Its 1.270 puts it straight into sixth place when each venue is counted only once.

That's the sort of result that makes a venue worth following over the next few weeks.

As I've said throughout these updates, the next question is always the same:

Can it do it again?

Pinches is showing why that question matters.

The Top 10 Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

This is where I think these updates are becoming more interesting.

If I simply published the ten biggest numbers every week, we would miss some of the actual movement.

Pinches hasn't improved its best score this week — but producing 1.331 again is hugely significant.

Faringdon hasn't improved its best either — but 1.275 from 24 players strengthens its case.

Sartan hasn't beaten 1.265 — but its return to 1.256 matters.

Meanwhile, Hethersett has improved every week.

Tournament Strength is therefore becoming less about one league table and more about the pattern behind it.

And that should become even clearer as Vault 19 continues.

---

WADC Vault 3.0 – Wales Pulls Further Clear

Last week's WADC question was simple:

Is England beginning to catch Wales?

At the time, South Wales held the top three positions, but Dereham Cricket Club had moved into fourth with 0.980.

England appeared to be closing the gap.

One week later, that isn't the direction the numbers have gone.

Instead, Wales has strengthened its position.

And the biggest mover of all is Briton Ferry Workies.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Strongest Venues After Two Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC #2, Ammanford	1.049
3	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
4	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
5	Dereham Cricket Club	0.980
6	Walton WMC	0.941
7	Fordham RBL	0.933
8	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933
9	Wiltshire Darts House	0.929
10	Shooters, Leominster	0.916

One entry per venue, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength recorded so far.

Briton Ferry Makes a Huge Jump

This is the standout WADC result of the week.

When I first looked at Briton Ferry in Vault 3.0, it had produced 0.961.

Its next event improved to 0.989.

Now it has recorded:

1.151.

That's not a marginal improvement.

Briton Ferry has gone from being part of a very competitive South Wales group to holding a substantial lead at the top of the WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength table.

And it reinforces something I mentioned previously.

Briton Ferry has previous form.

It produced strong Tournament Strength figures in the previous WADC Vault series as well.

We're now getting increasing evidence that this isn't simply a venue that happened to produce one unusually strong women's field.

Briton Ferry is becoming one of the most interesting WADC venues in the data.

Penybanc Makes It a Welsh One-Two

There's another significant new entry.

Penybanc RFC #2 in Ammanford has recorded 1.049.

That immediately puts it second.

Last week's WADC benchmark was The 9 Darter's 0.997.

We now have two Welsh venues above 1.000.

That changes the shape of the table considerably.

The 9 Darter Hasn't Become Weak Overnight

One thing worth stressing is that The 9 Darter dropping from first to third doesn't mean anything has gone wrong there.

Its 0.997 remains exactly the strong score it was previously.

It has simply been overtaken by two even stronger Welsh fields.

That's an important distinction when looking at these rankings.

Positions can change even when a venue's own performance hasn't.

Resolven Makes It Four for Wales

Arrows Darts Venue #2 in Resolven remains at 0.986.

That means the current top four are:

Briton Ferry — 1.151

Penybanc — 1.049

The 9 Darter — 0.997

Resolven — 0.986

All four are Welsh.

Only then do we reach England's leading venue, Dereham Cricket Club at 0.980.

So if last week's question was whether England was catching Wales, the current evidence says:

Not this week.

England Still Has Some Strong Fields

That doesn't mean the English WADC venues aren't competitive.

Dereham's 0.980 remains an excellent figure and is only just behind Resolven.

Walton WMC is next at 0.941, followed by Fordham RBL and London GAA on 0.933.

Wiltshire Darts House has reached 0.929, with Shooters in Leominster at 0.916.

But at the very top of the table, Wales has created some daylight.

And Briton Ferry in particular has raised the benchmark considerably.

Two Weeks In – What Are We Learning?

We're still early in both series.

But the picture is becoming clearer.

In the main Vault 19 series, Pinches Cue Club remains the venue everyone is chasing.

Not simply because of its 1.350 record, but because it has followed that with 1.340 and 1.331.

Faringdon has strengthened its case with a strong 24-player field.

Hethersett is improving every week.

Sartan has bounced back.

Lindsay continues to produce remarkably similar strong figures.

And Gardeners Arms has entered the conversation.

Over in WADC Vault 3.0, the story has moved dramatically.

Last week England appeared to be closing on Wales.

This week Briton Ferry has surged to 1.151, Penybanc has entered at 1.049 and Wales occupies all four of the leading positions.

The more tournaments we add, the more useful this becomes.

A huge one-off Tournament Strength figure will always catch the eye.

But I'm increasingly interested in something else:

Who keeps doing it?

After two weeks, Pinches is providing a very convincing answer.

And in the WADC Vaults, South Wales is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Q4QS Weekly Spotlight Week Ending 26th September 2026

 

Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week

Another week of grassroots darts, and this time my three selections are Andy Steed, Kirsten Casley and Tony Chapman.

As always, this isn't simply about finding the three highest averages or counting who collected the most trophies. The idea of this feature is to pick out performances and stories that caught my attention for different reasons.

This week I've got a player who reached four finals in five days, a young player mixing success in girls' darts with impressive performances in open competition, and a player who managed to win four tournaments during the week.

Three very different stories, but all three deserve a closer look.

---

Andy Steed

Player Profile

Andy Steed has become one of the most familiar names in the South West events covered by Q4QS.

His record now stands at 943 matches, 784 wins and 159 defeats, giving him an excellent 83.1% win rate across 144 events.

He's collected 52 tournament victories, alongside 31 runner-up finishes, and his overall recorded match average is 76.16. His best is a huge 111.33.

What's particularly noticeable at the moment is his form. Andy's last ten recorded matches have all been victories, while his last-five average has climbed to 87.20. Andy Steed_profile

He's also shown that he can beat some very strong players. His recorded victories include Owen Bates, Simon Stevenson, Gareth Griffiths, Neil Wild and Robbie Martin. Andy Steed_profile

This Week

Andy had one of those weeks where he seemed to be appearing at the business end of virtually everything he entered.

He started with a final at Legends Lounge in Plymouth on Sunday, losing out to Simon Stevenson. The following night brought another runner-up finish, this time at 8 Ball Bar & Sports in Paignton.

Then came the wins.

On Wednesday at Barnstaple Football Club, Andy took the title, beating Neil Ridd 3–0 in the final with a 92.02 average. Andy Steed_profile

Twenty-four hours later he did it again at Cue Sports Bar in Torquay. He averaged 85.08 in his quarter-final, 93.94 in the semi-final, and 87.61 when beating George Butcher 3–1 in the final. Andy Steed_profile

That's four finals in five days, two titles, and he finished the week with ten consecutive recorded victories.

That's some week.

---

Kirsten Casley

Player Profile

Kirsten Casley's selection is perhaps the best example of why I don't want this feature simply to become a list of the week's most prolific tournament winners.

She has now played 319 recorded matches across 75 events, winning 193 of them for a 60.5% win rate.

There are already eight tournament victories, ten runner-up finishes and eight semi-finals on her record. Her overall average is 54.11, but there are plenty of signs of a much higher ceiling — including a personal best of 85.89. Kirsten Casley_profile

She's also already recorded wins against players including Eve Watson, Lloyd Sterio and Rhys Evans. Kirsten Casley_profile

This Week

Kirsten first caught my attention on Tuesday when she reached the final of the WADC Vault 3.0 at The 9 Darter in Port Talbot, finishing runner-up to Eve Watson.

But Friday was the real highlight.

Kirsten won the JDC Girls Series and also came through the JDC Wales Girls Series Event 6 at Arrows Darts Venue.

In the latter, she beat Erin O'Sullivan 3–0 in the quarter-final, Tia Sterio 3–1 in the semi-final and Celyn Saunders 3–1 in the final, averaging 65.09 for the title match. Kirsten Casley_profile

There was another interesting performance the following day. Playing in a Money In Money Out event, Kirsten produced an 81.24 average in a 2–0 victory over Lloyd Sterio, one of the highest averages of her recorded career. Kirsten Casley_profile

A WADC final, success in the girls' events and then an 81-plus performance in open competition.

Exactly the sort of week this feature is designed to notice.

---

Tony Chapman

Player Profile

Tony Chapman doesn't yet have the huge volume of matches in the Q4QS database that Andy Steed has, but what is there makes impressive reading.

Across 88 recorded matches, Tony has won 77 and lost just 11 — an 87.5% win rate.

His record currently contains six tournament wins, three runner-up finishes and two semi-finals from just 12 events. His overall average stands at 74.13, with a best of 103.66. Tony Chapman_profile

That 103.66 only came on 18 September, so his current run of form hasn't suddenly appeared from nowhere.

This Week

Tony's week is the easiest of the three to summarise:

Four tournament victories.

He started on Sunday by winning the Vault at Fordham RBL, beating Jon-Sebastian Wright 3–0 in the final. During that event he also produced a 93.68 average against Dylan Waites.

On Monday he moved on to Legends Sports Bar in Wisbech and won again, with a 93.94 average among his performances.

Thursday brought title number three at Thetford Pool Club, where he defeated Adam Fellingham 3–0 in the final.

And then came Saturday's invite-only competition back at Fordham RBL.

Tony won seven matches on the day and finished it by beating Liam Ticehurst 5–0 in the final with an 81.68 average. His knockout run also included a 3–0 quarter-final win and a 4–0 semi-final victory. Tony Chapman_profile

So that's Fordham, Wisbech, Thetford and Fordham again.

Four tournament wins on four different days.

A fairly straightforward reason for making this week's three.

---

Three Different Reasons to Catch the Eye

That's what I like about this week's selection.

Andy Steed demonstrated remarkable consistency, reaching four finals in five days before finishing with back-to-back titles.

Kirsten Casley showed why looking beyond the obvious tournament winners can uncover a much more interesting story, combining girls' success with a WADC final and an 81-plus performance in open competition.

And Tony Chapman simply kept winning — four tournaments across the week.

Three players at different stages, playing different circuits and catching the eye for different reasons.

I'll be looking through the results again next week to see who stands out.

50,000 More Simulations: The 2026 Challenge Tour Tour Card Race Has Changed

 

Two events ago, the 2026 PDC Challenge Tour Tour Card race still looked relatively open.

Derek Coulson was in control, Joe Hunt was strongly placed but vulnerable, and Daniel Klose still had a very realistic chance of breaking into the top two.

I ran the final four events 50,000 times before the weekend began.

Now, with only two tournaments left and a maximum of £6,000 still available to any one player, I have run the remaining Challenge Tour season another 50,000 times.

The picture has changed dramatically.

The Order of Merit with two events left

Joe Hunt now leads on £17,050, ahead of Derek Coulson on £15,500.

Daniel Klose remains third on £11,900, with Tommy Morris fourth on £11,350.

Archie Self has climbed to fifth on £9,400, while Tommy Lishman, Daniel Ayres and Henry Coates remain further back.

The important thing now is that only £6,000 remains available.

That makes the gaps much harder to close.

The latest Q4QS simulation

Here is how the final two events played out across 50,000 simulations.

Player	Current Prize Money	Finish 1st	Tour Card Top 2	World Championship Top 3
Joe Hunt	£17,050	62.19%	99.78%	100.00%
Derek Coulson	£15,500	36.86%	96.37%	99.998%
Daniel Klose	£11,900	0.94%	3.78%	85.53%
Tommy Morris	£11,350	0.01%	0.06%	12.71%
Daniel Ayres	£7,650	—	—	0.81%
Tommy Lishman	£8,600	—	—	0.64%
Archie Self	£9,400	—	—	0.17%
Henry Coates	£7,000	—	—	0.07%

The Tour Card race now looks very different from where it stood before the weekend.

Joe Hunt has transformed his position

Before the final weekend began, Hunt was on £13,050.

He took a Tour Card in 81.45% of my original 50,000 simulations.

That was a very strong position, but still left a meaningful possibility that Daniel Klose or somebody else could catch him.

After two events, Hunt has moved to £17,050.

His Tour Card probability has now risen to 99.78%.

He also finishes the season at number one in 62.19% of the new simulations.

That is an enormous shift.

Two events ago, the main question around Hunt was whether he could hold off Klose.

Now it would take a very unusual sequence of results for Hunt to miss out.

Coulson remains overwhelmingly likely to take a card

Derek Coulson began the weekend as the clear favourite in the simulation.

His original Tour Card probability was 99.59%.

After two events, that figure is now 96.37%.

That slight reduction is mainly because Hunt has moved ahead of him, while Klose and Morris still retain mathematical routes into the top two.

Coulson remains in an extremely strong position on £15,500.

He also finishes first in 36.86% of the simulations.

Between Hunt and Coulson, the leading two now occupy the Tour Card places in the overwhelming majority of runs.

Klose now needs something special

The biggest change is Daniel Klose.

Before the weekend, Klose had a 16.98% chance of reaching the top two.

That was roughly one chance in six.

With only two events remaining, his probability has dropped to 3.78%.

That is still not zero.

Klose remains close enough to the leaders that a tournament victory could put enormous pressure on them.

But there is now much less time for the standings to move.

Klose is also in a completely different position when it comes to the World Championship.

The top three on the final Challenge Tour Order of Merit qualify, and Klose finishes inside that top three in 85.53% of the simulations.

So his position is now much stronger in the race for Ally Pally than it is for a Tour Card.

Tommy Morris is the main challenger for third

Tommy Morris sits only £550 behind Klose on £11,350.

His Tour Card chance is very small at 0.06%, but the battle for third place is much more realistic.

Morris takes a World Championship place in 12.71% of simulations.

That makes the Klose-Morris battle one of the most interesting remaining storylines.

A deep run from Morris combined with an early exit for Klose could change third place very quickly.

Archie Self can no longer reach the top two

There is also now a simple mathematical cut-off.

Archie Self sits fifth on £9,400.

Even if he won both remaining tournaments, the maximum additional prize money available is £6,000.

That would take him to £15,400.

Coulson already has £15,500.

So Self cannot now reach the top two, even with two tournament wins.

That means the Tour Card race is mathematically down to:

Joe Hunt
Derek Coulson
Daniel Klose
Tommy Morris

Others can still affect the outcome by beating those players, but they can no longer claim one of the two Tour Cards themselves.

How much has changed?

This is perhaps the clearest way to show it.

Before the final four events

Player	Tour Card Chance
Derek Coulson	99.59%
Joe Hunt	81.45%
Daniel Klose	16.98%

With two events remaining

Player	Tour Card Chance
Joe Hunt	99.78%
Derek Coulson	96.37%
Daniel Klose	3.78%

Hunt has gone from being the player under pressure to being almost completely secure.

Coulson remains in a very strong position.

Klose still has a route, but it now requires a much more dramatic finish.

Two tournaments left

There is still enough prize money available for something extraordinary to happen.

A tournament winner receives £3,000.

Two wins would therefore add £6,000.

But with every event completed, the current money becomes more valuable because there are fewer opportunities left to make up the difference.

That is exactly what these simulations are showing.

Before the weekend, Klose had four chances to close the gap.

Now he has two.

Hunt and Coulson have done most of the work.

Klose still has a chance.

Morris remains very much alive in the World Championship race.

And with only two Challenge Tour events remaining, every round now matters.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Astbury Hits 111.33 as Archie Self Wins Challenge Tour – 26 September 2026

Another 38 tournaments have been added to the Q4QS database from Saturday, and there was plenty of variety in this set of results.

Daniel Astbury produced the biggest average of the day with a huge 111.33, Archie Self and Joe Hunt shared the two PDC Challenge Tour titles, and there was a particularly busy day of junior darts.

Closer to home, Hangar 61 staged both its Open Round Robin and a Sub 55 High Stakes Round Robin, while Wales produced several strong performances and there were also two WADC tournaments.

Astbury hits the biggest average of the day

The standout individual number came at the Inn On The Green in Shrewsbury.

Daniel Astbury averaged 111.33 in a 2–0 victory over Ash Coates and also produced a 93.94 later in the tournament.

The title, though, went to Jake B-Smith, who beat Kyle Jones 3–1 in the final. B-Smith finished with eight wins and also recorded a 91.09 average.

It's another example of why these daily reports are about more than simply listing the tournament winners.

Archie Self takes Challenge Tour 21

Archie Self put together an excellent run to win PDC Challenge Tour 21.

Self beat Tommy Morris 5–1 in the final, averaging 104.49, and finished the event with eight victories.

The highest average belonged to Michele Turetta at 105.85, with Martijn Dragt hitting 104.38, Morris 104.26 and Joe Hunt 101.55.

Those are serious numbers throughout the event.

Hunt follows up by winning Event 22

Joe Hunt then went one better in Challenge Tour 22, beating Callum Francis 5–3 in the final.

John Henderson led the averages with 103.98, while Tommy Morris continued an impressive scoring day with 102.95.

Across the two Challenge Tour events, Saturday produced a substantial collection of 100-plus performances.

Hangar 61: Allen takes the Open Round Robin

There was another busy Saturday at Hangar 61, with the main Open Round Robin producing 79 recorded matches.

Chris Allen took the title, beating Lewis Kendall 4–3 in the final and finishing with eight victories.

The biggest average of the tournament belonged to Joe Bagguley, who hit 88.41, with Darren Davies reaching 87.13. Allen's best listed performance was 85.89.

Ricky Palmer and Warren Ryan both recorded six wins, while Kendall and Bagguley finished with five apiece.

It's another useful result for the Q4QS database because Hangar 61 is one of the venues where the growing volume of results is starting to give us a much clearer picture of the regular players and the standard required to win there.

High Stakes Under 55 at Hangar 61

There was a second competition at Hangar 61 with the Sub 55 High Stakes Round Robin.

Russ Scott beat James Edwards 4–3 in the final, with both players recording six victories across the tournament.

Edwards produced comfortably the biggest average of the competition at 81.98, while Scott's highest listed figure was 66.80.

For an event restricted by playing level, an 81.98 is a particularly interesting number – and another reminder that an Under 55 event doesn't mean everyone in the room is going to average under 55 in every match.

Bobby Short breaks 100 in Llanelli

Wales supplied another of Saturday's biggest performances.

At the Terry Griffiths Matchroom in Llanelli, Bobby Short averaged 103.66 in a 2–0 victory over Ben Pumford and later added a 90.18.

The tournament was eventually won by Chris Bryant-Evans, who beat Louis Melville 3–1 in the final.

Bryant-Evans and Melville both recorded seven victories.

Henry Povey wins in Salisbury

One of the best stories from Saturday came from the junior game.

Henry Povey won the Salisbury Junior Super Series 4, beating Baileigh Stace 5–1 in the final and finishing with eight victories.

Povey produced averages of 84.40 and 83.50, while Mason Beaven recorded the tournament's best figure with an excellent 90.18.

Beaven and Stace both finished with seven wins.

Jack Johnson puts together an impressive sequence

There was more strong youth darts at the Mission Youth Open.

Jack Johnson won the 14 & Under Event 1, beating Archie Wright 4–1 in the final.

What particularly stands out is Johnson's consistency. His four leading listed averages were:

91.57, 90.83, 90.18 and 89.96.

Addison Hefferon produced the tournament's highest individual figure at 96.10, but Johnson put together the sustained run and finished with seven victories.

A busy Saturday for junior darts

The junior results didn't end there.

Rico Anderson won the JDC Wales Plate Tournament, beating Jaiden Jewell 3–0 in the final and averaging 80.52.

There were also Junior Volts titles for Prem Ahluwalia, Zain Edwards, Logan Smith, Harvey-Lee Nelson-Harris, Alex Gale and Theo Galea.

Nathan Ward-Wilkinson's 88.41 at Clacton was one of the strongest Junior Volts numbers of the day.

Wales produces plenty of stories

Away from the junior game, there was plenty happening across Wales.

Stephen Cake won the Aberfan Open, beating Joshua Brogden 6–1 in the final. Mike Huntley produced the event's best average at 98.36, with Marshall James reaching 96.57.

Finley Bennett took the Vault in Bargoed, while the 103.66 from Bobby Short in Llanelli was one of the highest grassroots averages anywhere in Saturday's results.

Bringing Wales further into these roundups is already adding some good performances and different names to the daily picture.

WADC: Fairbrother and Sayers take the titles

There were two WADC Vault events on Saturday.

At The Nags Head Inn in Cinderford, Vicky Fairbrother beat Dannie Hughes 3–1 in the final and finished with six victories.

Fairbrother also occupied the first four positions in the event's list of highest averages, headed by 56.11.

At The Glebe in Stevenage, Debbie Sayers beat Michelle Bull 3–2 to take the other WADC title.

I'll continue including the WADC results whenever events have been played. They are part of the same grassroots picture that Q4QS is trying to build.

Five performances that caught my eye

1. Daniel Astbury – 111.33 — Shrewsbury
2. Michele Turetta – 105.85 — Challenge Tour 21
3. Archie Self – 104.49 — Challenge Tour 21
4. Bobby Short – 103.66 — Llanelli
5. James Edwards – 81.98 — Hangar 61 Sub 55 High Stakes

There were plenty of alternatives. Martijn Dragt hit 104.38, Tommy Morris reached 104.26 and 102.95, John Henderson recorded 103.98 and Jack Johnson put together that excellent sequence around the 90 mark in the Mission Youth Open.

Another 38 tournaments added to Q4QS

Saturday's 38 tournaments might be fewer than some of the big midweek nights, but there was arguably more variety.

There was PDC Challenge Tour darts, WADC, JDC and junior competition, Welsh events, regular Vaults, open tournaments and two different competitions at Hangar 61.

That's what makes collecting all these results worthwhile.

The headline averages are interesting today, but over time the results build the player records, rankings, venue histories, form and head-to-head data that allow Q4QS to look much deeper than a single night's results.

---

Explore more on Q4QS:

Quest For Q School | Q4QS Player Profiles & Rankings

50,000 Simulations: Who Will Win the 2026 Challenge Tour Tour Cards?

 

Just four events remain in the 2026 PDC Challenge Tour, and the race for the two Tour Cards is approaching its conclusion.

Derek Coulson leads the Order of Merit on £15,150, Joe Hunt sits second on £13,050 and Daniel Klose is chasing on £10,800.

But with £3,000 available to the winner of each of the final four events, how secure are those positions really?

I decided to run the final Challenge Tour weekend 50,000 times.

How the simulation works

This isn't simply a case of randomly selecting winners.

I used the current Q4QS data for the 166 players in the final-weekend entry field, including playing strength, averages and recent form.

Each of the four remaining tournaments was then played out as a knockout event, with fresh draws and match results generated each time.

The actual 2026 Challenge Tour prize structure was applied:

Winner – £3,000
Runner-up – £2,000
Semi-final – £1,000
Quarter-final – £750
Last 16 – £350
Last 32 – £250
Last 64 – £100

That whole four-event finish was repeated 50,000 times.

These are simulation estimates rather than predictions of exactly what will happen. Darts is far too volatile for that. What they do show is how the current money advantage and the relative strength of the field combine.

The Tour Card probabilities

Player	Current Prize Money	Finish 1st	Finish Top 2
Derek Coulson	£15,150	86.09%	99.59%
Joe Hunt	£13,050	11.46%	81.45%
Daniel Klose	£10,800	2.34%	16.98%
Tommy Morris	£9,100	0.05%	0.79%
Tommy Lishman	£8,350	0.03%	0.59%
Daniel Ayres	£7,300	0.03%	0.46%
Henry Coates	£6,900	less than 0.01%	0.05%
Aden Kirk	£6,350	less than 0.01%	0.03%

Below that point, the simulation produced only extremely occasional Tour Card finishes.

Derek Coulson is almost there

The numbers underline just how powerful Coulson's £15,150 starting position is.

He finished inside the Top 2 in 99.59% of the 50,000 simulations.

More remarkably, he finished the season at number one in 86.09% of them.

Coulson does not need to dominate the final weekend. His previous results have already given him enough of a cushion that it requires a fairly unusual combination of results to remove him from the top two.

His average finishing position across all 50,000 runs was just 1.14.

In simple terms, the first Tour Card is very close to being decided.

Joe Hunt still has work to do

Hunt's position is very strong, but considerably less secure than Coulson's.

He took a Tour Card in 81.45% of simulations.

That means there was still roughly a one-in-five chance that somebody displaced him from the Top 2.

Hunt also topped the final Order of Merit in 11.46% of runs.

His average finishing position was 2.08, which is almost exactly where he currently sits.

The most important question for Hunt is therefore probably not whether he can catch Coulson.

It is whether he can keep Klose behind him.

Daniel Klose is the genuine danger

This is where the simulation gets particularly interesting.

Klose currently trails Hunt by £2,250, but his performances make him a serious threat during a four-event weekend.

Klose claimed a Tour Card in 16.98% of simulations.

That is approximately one in six.

He also finished top of the entire Challenge Tour Order of Merit in 2.34% of runs.

His average projected finishing position was 3.03.

So while the current table puts Klose third, the Q4QS model doesn't regard second place as remotely impossible.

One big tournament from Klose combined with an early Hunt exit could change the situation very quickly.

And with four separate tournaments available, there are several opportunities for that swing to happen.

Then comes the big gap

The chances fall dramatically after the leading three.

Tommy Morris started the weekend fourth on £9,100 but reached the Top 2 in only 0.79% of simulations.

Tommy Lishman was at 0.59%, with Daniel Ayres at 0.46%.

Those aren't zero.

Four tournaments can produce extraordinary sequences of results.

But players in this group essentially require both a huge weekend of their own and serious problems for the players above them.

Henry Coates fell to approximately 0.05%, while Aden Kirk was around 0.03%.

Beyond that, Tour Card finishes became exceptionally rare.

Projected finishing positions

The average finishing position across the 50,000 simulations was:

1. Derek Coulson – 1.14

2. Joe Hunt – 2.08

3. Daniel Klose – 3.03

4. Tommy Morris – 4.75

5. Tommy Lishman – 5.65

6. Daniel Ayres – 6.91

7. Henry Coates – 8.48

8. Aden Kirk – 10.11

That is perhaps the clearest way of looking at the race.

The model sees three fairly distinct groups.

Coulson is overwhelmingly likely to take a Tour Card.

Hunt is strongly placed but still vulnerable.

Klose is the one player with a substantial chance of breaking the current top two.

After those three, somebody probably needs an exceptional weekend.

Four tournaments can still change everything

An 81% probability is not the same thing as certainty.

Nor is 17% a long-shot number that can simply be ignored.

A single Challenge Tour title is worth £3,000.

If Klose were to win an event while Hunt went out before the Last 64, the £2,250 gap between them would immediately disappear.

That is why this final weekend should be fascinating.

Coulson has done the hard work.

Hunt has a very strong hand.

Klose has a genuine opportunity.

And everyone below them knows that, with £12,000 theoretically available across four events, the door is not completely closed until the darts are thrown.

I will update the simulation as the final Challenge Tour events are completed.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Adam Beck Hits 111.33 as 48 Tournaments Join Q4QS – 25 September 2026

Yesterday's Results – Friday 25 September 2026

Friday brought another 48 tournaments into the Q4QS database, with action stretching across England and Wales and another varied mix of Vaults, limited-average events, junior darts and women's competition.

The biggest average of the day came from Adam Beck, who hit a huge 111.33, while Paul Jones and Harley Glycos both went beyond 107.

There were also some interesting stories closer to the traditional Q4QS heartland, with Paul Gardiner winning in Taunton, Dale Mills in Yeovil, Freddie Harper at Portishead and Pete Hughes coming through a strong Bengeworth tournament.

Beck produces the biggest number of the day

The highest recorded average across Friday's results belonged to Adam Beck, who fired a 111.33 at The Black Swan in Melton Mowbray.

Beck's tournament eventually ended against Scott Boryszczuk, while James Young went on to take the title after beating Darren Tyler 3–2 in the final.

It is another good example of why these daily reports need to look beyond the tournament winners. Sometimes the performance that jumps off the page comes from someone who doesn't ultimately lift the trophy.

Paul Jones hits 107.36 at Bengeworth

There were more big numbers at The Bengeworth in Evesham.

Paul Jones averaged 107.36 in a 2–0 victory over Jason Reeve, while Danny Lauby hit 100.20 and Darrel Williams reached 93.94.

But the tournament belonged to Pete Hughes.

Hughes came through to beat Lauby 3–2 in the final and finished with seven victories. Darrel Williams, Lauby and Reece Pinches all recorded six wins, underlining the depth of the tournament.

Glycos hits 107 as Garrett takes the title

Wales also supplied one of Friday's biggest performances.

At the Thatchers Fusion Sub80 Series, Harley Glycos averaged 107.05, making it the third-highest individual average across all 48 tournaments.

Tyler Garrett also broke the ton with 100.20 and went on to win the event, beating Rico Anderson 5–4 in the final.

Garrett finished with nine victories, making this one of the strongest all-round performances of Friday's results.

Gardiner wins in Taunton

At Pegasus 68 Club in Taunton, Paul Gardiner came through a competitive field to take the title.

Gardiner beat Steve Boundy 3–2 in the final and finished with eight victories, while Boundy actually led the win count with nine.

Richard Frost produced the highest average of the tournament at 93.94, with Gardiner reaching 91.09.

Another good example of the difference between producing the night's biggest individual number and putting together the run required to win the whole tournament.

Mills wins in Yeovil

Dale Mills took the rearranged Vault at Bullets Sports Bar in Yeovil, beating Robbie Roy 3–2 in the final.

Mills recorded eight wins across the event.

The leading averages came from Zac Rendell and Robbie Roy, who both reached 91.09, while Roy also produced an 83.50.

Mills might not have topped the average table, but he was the player still standing at the end.

Harper takes the Portishead Friday Open

At Portishead Workmens Darts, Freddie Harper won the Friday Open after beating Max Maggs 3–2 in the final.

Harper, Chris Clark and Logun Godbeer all finished with seven victories.

Clark produced the highest average at 88.41, while Harper's best was 81.24 and Godbeer reached 77.08.

It was another substantial Friday night competition, with 49 matches recorded.

Ryan Davies dominates at Wattsville

There was another Welsh performance worth highlighting at Wattsville National Club.

Ryan Davies didn't simply win the tournament – he also dominated its leading averages.

Davies hit 100.20, followed by 92.02, 91.09 and 88.41, before beating Xavier Jones 3–2 in the final.

Seven wins and four of the five highest listed averages makes that one of Friday's more complete tournament performances.

WADC: Watson and Hughes take Friday titles

There were two WADC Vault events among Friday's results.

At Briton Ferry Workies, Eve Watson beat Rhian Osullivan 3–2 to take the title. Watson recorded six victories and produced the event's two highest averages, 84.66 and 81.37.

At the United Services Club in Harwich, Shaunna Hughes won the second WADC Vault, beating Amy Attridge 3–0 in the final. Hughes finished with four victories, while Attridge produced the tournament's highest listed average of 48.48.

I want the WADC results to remain part of these daily roundups whenever events have been played rather than women's darts disappearing among the much larger number of open tournaments.

Plenty more around the South

There were strong results across the wider southern area too.

Stuart Dutton averaged 100.20 at Danny's Bar in Banbury, although Luke Peacock ultimately took the title. Kevin Dean also hit 100.20 at Woodbridge Hill Working Men's Club in Guildford, where Callum Grealis emerged as champion.

Roger Crook produced a 95.94 and went on to win at GWRSA Club in Didcot, while Sean Lowndes hit 96.97 at Walderslade Club in Chatham, where Ross Lowe took the title.

There was plenty happening in Wales too, including victories for Richie Limbert in Swansea, Liam Forward in Cardiff and Lucas H Davies at Briton Ferry.

Five performances that caught my eye

1. Adam Beck – 111.33 — Melton Mowbray
2. Paul Jones – 107.36 — Evesham
3. Harley Glycos – 107.05 — Newport
4. Ryan Davies – 100.20 — Wattsville
5. Danny Lauby – 100.20 — Evesham

Sean Holley, Reggie Woollard, Tyler Garrett and Stuart Dutton also reached 100.20 on a day when nine of the ten highest listed performances were at or above the ton.

Another 48 tournaments added to Q4QS

That's another 48 tournaments feeding into Q4QS.

The daily winners and big averages make the headlines, but every one of these competitions adds more information to the rankings, player records, venue histories, form and head-to-head data.

And as the coverage expands further across southern England and Wales, these daily reports should increasingly give us a picture not just of who is winning locally, but of where the strongest grassroots performances are happening across a much wider area.

---

Explore more on Q4QS:

Quest For Q School | Q4QS Player Profiles & Rankings

 

Country Spotlight: Jamaica – A Darts Story That Goes Back Further Than You Think

My Country Spotlight journey remains in the Caribbean this week, and after looking at the Bahamas, I've moved on to one of the most famous islands in the region.

Jamaica.

Jamaica is known around the world for athletics, cricket, music and a sporting culture that has produced remarkable success for a country of fewer than three million people.

Darts probably isn't the first sport most people associate with Jamaica.

But this is one of those Country Spotlights where I started digging and discovered that the story goes back much further than I expected.

Long before the modern CDLC Tour existed, a Jamaican player was winning one of British darts' major open tournaments.

More than 20 years ago, Jamaica was represented at the PDC World Championship.

And now a new generation is trying to put Jamaican darts back onto the international stage.

Al Hedman – Jamaica's Darts Pioneer

The first name has to be Al Hedman.

Born in Kingston in 1953, Hedman played professionally across the BDO and PDC systems and produced one particularly significant result in 1995.

He won the British Open, defeating Andy Fordham in the final. The tournament's historical results list Hedman as the 1995 champion, between previous winner Steve Beaton and 1996 winner Roland Scholten.

That's a serious piece of Jamaican darts history.

But Hedman wasn't finished there.

He later moved into the PDC and qualified for the 2003 PDC World Championship at the Circus Tavern.

Hedman was one of four players to qualify through the PDPA route and faced former world champion Bob Anderson in the preliminary Last 40 round.

Anderson won 4–0, with Hedman averaging 76.36.

So when discussing Jamaica's ambitions in modern darts, it's worth remembering something important.

Jamaica has already been represented at a PDC World Championship.

Al Hedman did it more than two decades ago.

He is also the older brother of England great Deta Hedman, who was herself born in Jamaica. But Deta represented England internationally, so for the purposes of this series I'm not counting her as a Jamaican player.

A Long Wait For The Next Generation

What Jamaica hasn't yet managed is to turn Hedman's achievements into a continuous stream of players reaching the biggest stages.

That's hardly unusual across the Caribbean.

Geography, travel costs and the lack of a regular professional pathway have historically made things much more difficult for players from the region.

The creation of the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Tour has started to change that.

And Jamaica hasn't simply sent players to compete on it.

Jamaica has hosted it.

Montego Bay Becomes A Darts Hub

In July 2024, the CDLC Tour headed to Montego Bay for its opening double-header.

Rashad Sweeting won the first event and Norman Madhoo won the second, with some of the strongest players from Latin America and the Caribbean competing on Jamaican soil.

The events formed part of a much bigger period of darts activity in Jamaica, alongside the 2024 Caribbean Cup.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission described Jamaica as becoming the epicentre of darts in Latin America and the Caribbean, with events centred around Montego Bay.

For a developing darts country, hosting matters.

It gives local players an opportunity to compete against stronger regional opposition without the cost of travelling across the Caribbean or into Central and South America.

And Jamaica now has players beginning to make an impression.

Jonathon Heron – A Jamaican CDLC Breakthrough

One of the most important is Jonathon Heron.

Heron doesn't currently appear in my Q4QS database, so I can't give him the same statistical treatment as some of the other players in this series.

But his wider record deserves inclusion.

In April 2025, Heron produced a breakthrough run on the CDLC Tour in Panama City.

He defeated Brazil's Artur Valle 6–5 in the semi-final, becoming the first Jamaican to reach a CDLC Main Tour final.

His run eventually ended against the Bahamas' Rashad Sweeting, but reaching that final represented an important step for modern Jamaican darts.

Heron has remained part of the regional picture since.

And while he hasn't yet followed Al Hedman onto the PDC World Championship stage, his results demonstrate that Jamaican players can challenge at the business end of modern CDLC events.

Vasseon Roye – What The Q4QS Database Tells Us

The Jamaican player I can examine in much greater detail is Vasseon Roye.

And there are some interesting results here.

Roye has reached the six-event threshold required to receive an official Q4QS Average.

Across 13 matches, he has seven wins and six defeats, giving him a 53.8% win rate.

His overall match average is 58.90 and his official Q4QS Average is 58.34, with a best performance of 65.38.

Those figures don't immediately jump off the page.

The opponents he's beaten make things considerably more interesting.

Roye Can Produce An Upset

Roye's most significant Q4QS result came against a player we've already featured heavily in this series.

Norman Madhoo.

The Guyanese veteran is a multiple World Championship participant and remains one of the strongest players on the CDLC circuit.

Roye beat him 6–5.

He has also beaten Bahamas player Robin Albury 6–4 while averaging his personal best of 65.38, and defeated Chile's George Patterson 6–2 with a 62.49 average.

His losses also show the level he's competing against.

They include Rashad Sweeting, Guillermo Soto and Shane Sawyer.

Roye isn't yet consistently producing the averages of Sweeting or Jesús Salate.

But he has demonstrated that on the right day he can beat established regional opposition.

That's an important starting point.

Fitzroy Ellison – Another Jamaican Name

Fitzroy Ellison gives us another current Jamaican player to follow.

The sample here is much smaller.

My Q4QS database contains only five matches across three events, so Ellison doesn't yet qualify for an official Q4QS Average.

He has won two and lost three, with an overall average of 55.82 and a best of 62.27.

His two recorded victories came against Randy Cruz and Kevin Hinton.

The Hinton match was particularly encouraging, with Ellison averaging 60.66 in a 6–3 victory.

He also produced his best recorded performance against Shane Sawyer, averaging 62.27 in a 6–4 defeat.

It's nowhere near enough data to make a definitive judgement about his level.

But it gives Jamaica another player competing regularly enough to begin appearing in the Q4QS numbers.

Evon Faulkner – Another Sign Of Participation

Evon Faulkner also appears in my 2026 database.

There are only three recorded matches across three events, so I'm deliberately not going to draw conclusions from her averages or results.

That's simply too small a sample.

What matters more for this article is that she is another Jamaican player appearing on the CDLC circuit.

And that's something I've increasingly noticed while producing these Country Spotlights.

A country's future prospects aren't necessarily determined by its best player.

Depth matters.

The Difference Between Jamaica And The Bahamas

The contrast with last week's country is interesting.

The Bahamas currently has the standout modern player.

Rashad Sweeting has won CDLC titles, topped tournaments on home soil and reached Alexandra Palace.

Jamaica doesn't currently have an equivalent.

But Jamaica has something the Bahamas can't claim.

Its World Championship history stretches all the way back to 2003, through Al Hedman.

So these are two Caribbean countries at different points in their darts stories.

The Bahamas has the stronger current headline.

Jamaica has the longer history.

And now Jamaica is trying to create its next chapter.

Why Jamaica Matters

There's another reason Jamaica interests me.

The potential scale is considerable.

Jamaica has a population approaching three million and an extraordinary sporting culture.

That doesn't automatically translate into darts success, of course.

But the infrastructure around Caribbean darts is now much stronger than it was during Al Hedman's career.

There is a regional Tour.

There are pathways towards the PDC World Championship.

There is a World Cup qualifying route.

And major regional darts events have already been staged in Jamaica itself.

The opportunity exists in a way that it didn't before.

Looking Ahead

The challenge is turning participation into sustained results.

Heron's CDLC final was encouraging.

Roye has demonstrated that he can beat players such as Norman Madhoo, Robin Albury and George Patterson.

Ellison is competing.

Faulkner adds another name to the Jamaican presence.

And somewhere behind them may be the next player capable of making a bigger breakthrough.

Al Hedman reached the PDC World Championship in 2003.

More than two decades later, Jamaica is still waiting for someone to follow him.

But for perhaps the first time, there is now a genuine regional structure through which that player can emerge.

The pathway is there.

The next challenge for Jamaican darts is finding the player who can take it.

Q4QS Darts Nation Rating

Current Strength: 6/10
Participation & Depth: 6.5/10
International Achievement: 7/10
Future Potential: 8/10

Overall Q4QS Nation Rating: 6.75/10

I'd put Jamaica at 6.75/10 at this stage.

Its current playing strength doesn't yet match the Bahamas, Argentina or some of the stronger countries we've visited.

But Jamaica gets considerable credit for its history.

Al Hedman won the British Open and reached the PDC World Championship.

Montego Bay has hosted the CDLC.

Jonathon Heron has reached a CDLC final.

And Vasseon Roye has shown that Jamaica still has players capable of beating established names around the Caribbean.

The intriguing question is whether those pieces can eventually come together.

Al Hedman wrote Jamaica's first chapter in international darts.

More than 30 years after his British Open victory, Jamaica is looking for somebody to write the next one.