Sunday brought another 88 tournaments into the Q4QS database, and there was plenty to talk about. With ADC Vault 19 continuing around the country, the WADC National Singles Finals taking place and another busy programme of Junior Volts competitions, it was a proper Sunday of grassroots darts.
The graphic highlights Ryan Fuller's victory in Plymouth, Joseph Lauridsen's Junior Volts success in Exeter and Sharon McNulty's WADC win in Stroud. All thoroughly deserving of recognition.
But when I started looking further into the results, a few other performances really stood out.
Bobby Short produced a 107.36 average in Blaenavon, Andrew Hibbert recorded four averages above 90 on his way to victory at Bardon Hill, and there was another interesting result involving James Welding, who had won twice on Saturday.
And the women's darts certainly deserves its own section, particularly with a national title decided.
Bobby Short produces 107.36 in Blaenavon
One of Sunday's outstanding performances came at Blaenavon Constitutional Club, where Bobby Short defeated Ryan Davies 3–0 in the final.
Short finished with eight victories and produced an excellent 107.36 average against Mathew Howells.
But it wasn't a one-man show.
Davies recorded 103.66 against Dylan Ruck-Havard and another three-figure average of 100.20 against Bryan Wright. He finished with six victories.
That meant three averages above 100 between the two finalists, which is an impressive standard for a local Vault competition.
Short had also featured prominently in Saturday's results, so it was another productive weekend for him.
Andrew Hibbert dominates at Bardon Hill
If I were choosing one of the most complete tournament performances of Sunday, Andrew Hibbert would be right near the top.
At Bardon Hill Sports Club in Coalville, Hibbert defeated Elliott Neary 3–1 in the final and won eight matches.
His four leading averages were:
- 100.20 against Leon Baumber
- 96.97 against Will Ogg
- 94.33 against Elliott Neary
- 91.09 against Ben Hickling
Four averages above 90, including a ton-plus performance, is a particularly impressive collection.
Neary deserves credit too, reaching the final with seven victories, while Jack Beasley recorded 90.18 against Matthew Essex.
It is easy to get carried away by one exceptional average. Hibbert's performance was different because the quality appeared repeatedly throughout the competition.
Ryan Fuller wins a close final in Plymouth
At Legends Lounge in Plymouth, Ryan Fuller defeated Nick Miller 3–2 to claim the Vault 19 title.
Fuller recorded eight victories, with Miller collecting seven.
Interestingly, both players produced an identical highest average of 83.50.
Miller achieved his against Lennon Nicholls, while Fuller recorded his against Lee Noonan.
Miller also averaged 76.45 in the final, with Fuller producing 76.02 against Tyler Skews.
Andrew Cook was another player worth mentioning, recording 75.45 against Miller and finishing with five victories.
With 63 matches recorded, this was a substantial competition, and Fuller came through a closely contested final to take the title.
Dylan Cowley ends James Welding's winning run
One result I found particularly interesting came at the Hoop and Mallet in Warrington.
On Saturday, James Welding won two tournaments at the venue, collecting 14 victories across the two competitions.
On Sunday, he reached another final.
This time, however, Dylan Cowley defeated Welding 3–2 to claim the title.
Cowley finished with eight victories, while Welding added another six to his weekend's tally.
Welding recorded the highest average of the competition, 91.09 against Ian Woodward, and also produced 87.37 in the final.
Cowley averaged 88.58 in that deciding match.
That's quite a weekend for Welding, even though he couldn't complete a third tournament victory. Equally, Cowley deserves credit for coming through against a player who had clearly been in excellent form.
More excellent performances around the country
There were several other Vault results worth highlighting.
At Eastleigh Working Men's Club, Jason Collins defeated Mike Gillet 3–2, with eight victories for Collins and seven for Gillet. James Roberts recorded 107.36, while Gillet produced 100.20 and Collins 95.94.
At the Phoenix Club in Waterlooville, Leo Howard defeated Steve West 3–0 and finished with seven victories. Ricardo Ulrich produced 100.20, while West recorded 98.02 and 95.94.
At Longton Snooker and Pool Club in Stoke, William Gilchrist defeated Dylan Hulse Morgan 3–0. Bailey Ward recorded an excellent 103.66 and another average of 90.18.
At the Cue Club in South Wigston, Ben Flanagan-McClelland defeated Cayliss Fisher 3–0. His leading averages of 96.97, 93.94, 88.41 and 86.71 suggest another particularly consistent performance.
At the C's Club in Chelmsley Wood, Pete Hughes defeated Danny Lauby 3–1, recording 96.97 against David Barnett and finishing with seven victories.
And at Foots Cray Social Club, George Whyte defeated Dan Perfect 3–1, winning eight matches and recording two averages of 81.24.
It is a reminder of just how much competitive darts is taking place every Sunday, often with some very respectable standards.
WADC: Jo Locke wins the Red Dragon National Singles Finals
There was a major women's title decided on Sunday, with the WADC Red Dragon National Singles Finals, carrying an advertised £4,000 prize fund.
Jo Locke defeated Tracey Dean 5–2 in the final, completing six victories to take the title.
Locke also produced the competition's highest individual average, a superb 90.18 against Lauryn Salter.
She averaged 76.47 in the final and recorded further performances of 73.92 against Dean and 73.09 against Angela Barrow.
Lauren Bloomfield finished with five victories, while Bek Charles, Kerry O'Connor and Dean each collected four.
Locke had already featured prominently in Saturday's WADC results, winning the National Finals Money In, Money Out Knockout. That makes this a particularly impressive weekend, with two titles across the two days.
Seven more WADC Vault competitions
The National Finals weren't the only women's darts taking place.
- Sharon McNulty won at the Queen Victoria in Stroud, beating Rachel Gardiner 2–0 and collecting six victories.
- Susan Power won at Eastleigh WMC, defeating Elsie-Mai Tarrant 2–0, with both players recording a best average of 57.81.
- Kayleigh Brown won at Highways Sports and Social Club in Colchester, defeating Georgia Worrall 3–1.
- Danielle Evans won one of the Red Rose Darts Hub events in Preston, beating Andrea Holland 3–0.
- Eileen Harrison won the other Preston competition, defeating Danielle Evans 3–1.
- Susan Ramsay won at the Phoenix Club in Waterlooville, beating Caz Roberts 3–0 and recording a 66.80 average against Aimee Jeffery.
- Loz Jones won at Y Bodunig Inn in Dyserth, defeating Janet Hardman 3–1. Hardman recorded the competition's highest average of 66.80.
That's eight WADC competitions in total, including the National Singles Finals.
One thing I particularly like about these results is the mixture of players appearing at different levels. The national competitions provide the headlines, but the local Vault events are equally important in providing regular opportunities to compete.
Junior Volts: A busy Sunday for the next generation
Sunday's results also included 17 Junior Volts competitions, and there were some very encouraging performances.
Jack Taylor produces a 96.97 average in Leeds
At Woodhouse Cricket Club in Leeds, Jack Taylor defeated Max Priestman 3–1 in the final, finishing with eight victories.
Taylor produced the highest Junior Volts average I found in Sunday's report: 96.97 against William Sykes.
Priestman also impressed, recording 83.50 and collecting seven victories.
That is an excellent standard for a junior competition.
Leo Howard wins in Waterlooville
At the Phoenix Club, Leo Howard defeated Finley Lewis 3–0, winning seven matches.
Howard recorded a 91.09 average against Riley Pratt, along with 79.11 and 77.08 in other matches.
Interestingly, Howard also won the adult Vault 19 competition at the same venue, defeating Steve West 3–0.
Winning both a Junior Volts event and a Vault competition on the same day is a notable achievement.
Toby Clements impresses at Shepperton
At Shepperton Sports Club, Toby Clements defeated Harry Draper 3–0 and finished with seven victories.
His averages included 85.89, 83.50, 80.52 and 79.11.
That is another example of the consistency I often find more interesting than one exceptional performance.
Harvey-Lee Nelson-Harris continues his form
At Mossley Tavern in Rugeley, Harvey-Lee Nelson-Harris defeated Jake Whitehead 3–2, winning nine matches.
He produced averages of 77.74, 75.15 and 73.32.
Having also featured in Saturday's results, he is another junior enjoying a productive weekend.
Joseph Lauridsen wins in Exeter
At the Kings Pub in Exeter, Joseph Lauridsen defeated Aaron Rea 3–1.
Lauridsen recorded 70.31 in the final and 66.86 against George Miller.
Rea produced 61.21 in the final, making this one of the stronger South West junior performances of the day.
Other Junior Volts winners
There were plenty more young players to recognise:
| Winner | Venue | Final opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Kyrun Davies | Cogan Coronation, Penarth | Archie Melhuish |
| Ethan Challis | Crawley Green, Luton | Jayden Major-Smith |
| Addison Hefferon | Hotshots, Milton Keynes | Mika Usher-Yu |
| Freddy Farmer | Nou Range, Waltham Abbey | Freddie Gould |
| Fraser Waterworth | Soccer Zone, Halesowen | Charlie Lowin |
| Rowan Chadwick | Gamlingay Social Club | Josh Lloyd |
| Joshua Pravato | Banckers Draught, Minehead | Teddy Corbett |
| Teddy Penston | The Big Fish, Leigh-on-Sea | Eddie Waters |
| Ethan Goudy | The Bull Room, Stowmarket | Aiden Fulcher |
| Louie Cobb | Rock Avenue Club, Gillingham | Tyler Harris |
| Archie Chippendale | Tong Moor, Bolton | Leo Rowe |
| Evan Matthews | Towy Sports Bar, Carmarthen | Efan Pugh |
The range of locations is encouraging. Junior darts isn't confined to a handful of established centres, and the regular competition these players are getting should be a significant benefit as they develop.
Alan Slater wins a high-quality final in Gillingham
At the Plough & Cheques in Gillingham, Alan Slater defeated Freddy Turner 3–1 to win the Vault competition.
Both players finished with six victories, and the standard of darts was particularly good.
Slater recorded 103.66 against Charlie Smith, while Turner produced 100.20 against Harry Hannam and 93.94 against Smith.
Slater averaged 88.39 in the final.
This was another competition where both finalists deserve recognition, even though only one could take the title.
Sunday's standout averages
These are the leading individual match averages recorded in Sunday's results.
| Player | Average | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Bobby Short | 107.36 | Blaenavon Constitutional Club |
| James Roberts | 107.36 | Eastleigh WMC |
| Ryan Davies | 103.66 | Blaenavon Constitutional Club |
| Bailey Ward | 103.66 | Longton Snooker & Pool Club |
| Alan Slater | 103.66 | Plough & Cheques, Gillingham |
| Ricardo Ulrich | 100.20 | Phoenix Club, Waterlooville |
| Andrew Hibbert | 100.20 | Bardon Hill Sports Club |
| Ryan Davies | 100.20 | Blaenavon Constitutional Club |
| Mike Gillet | 100.20 | Eastleigh WMC |
| Freddy Turner | 100.20 | Plough & Cheques, Gillingham |
These are individual match averages, rather than tournament-wide averages.
There were also strong performances in the Junior Volts competitions, particularly Jack Taylor's 96.97 and Leo Howard's 91.09.
My five standout performances
- Bobby Short – Eight victories, a 107.36 average and the Blaenavon title.
- Andrew Hibbert – Eight victories and four averages above 90 at Bardon Hill.
- Jo Locke – WADC National Singles champion with a 90.18 average, completing a successful National Finals weekend.
- Leo Howard – Winner of both the Junior Volts and adult Vault competitions at Waterlooville, including a 91.09 junior average.
- James Welding – Another final in Warrington after winning twice on Saturday, even though Dylan Cowley took Sunday's title.
Special mentions go to Ryan Fuller, Alan Slater, Jack Taylor, Toby Clements and Sharon McNulty.
Another 88 tournaments added to Q4QS
Sunday's results really demonstrated the range of darts being played across the country.
We had established players producing three-figure averages, local regulars winning their Vault competitions, an important national women's title and junior players producing performances that would be competitive in plenty of adult tournaments.
And that's what I enjoy about looking through these results. There is always something beyond the obvious headline.
The highest average doesn't necessarily win the tournament. Sometimes the player with the most consistent performances takes the title. Sometimes a deciding leg separates two players who have barely been apart all evening.
With another 88 tournaments added to Q4QS, there is plenty more information going into the rankings and player statistics.
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