Friday brought another 60 tournaments into the Q4QS database, but this was more than an ordinary Friday night of grassroots darts.
The ADC National Finals weekend got underway, James Wright produced a superb series of averages in Evesham, and Stuart Dutton recorded a remarkable 115.62 in Banbury. Mike Gillet also broke the 110 barrier in Winchester.
There were victories across the South West, Wales and the rest of the country, alongside two WADC competitions and another opportunity to see the next generation in action through the Junior Volts.
James Wright dominates at the Bengeworth
There are occasions when a player wins a tournament without necessarily producing the best darts throughout the evening. That certainly wasn't the case for James Wright at the Bengeworth Club in Evesham.
Wright won all eight of his matches, defeating Jamie Vadasz 3–0 in the final.
What impressed me most was the consistency of his scoring. He recorded averages of 107.36, 96.97, 93.94, 93.94 and 88.41 among his leading performances.
The 107.36 came against Dave Davis, while his 96.97 was recorded against Vadasz.
Reece Pinches and Vadasz both finished with six victories, but Wright was clearly the standout performer.
It's one thing to produce a single three-figure average. It's another to back it up repeatedly and win the tournament.
Stuart Dutton produces the highest average of the day
At Danny's Bar in Banbury, Stuart Dutton defeated Chris Howse 3–1 in the final.
However, the result was only part of the story.
Dutton produced a staggering 115.62 average against Martin Williams, the highest individual match average recorded in Friday's results.
He also registered 95.69, 94.16 and 91.71 during the competition.
Both Dutton and Howse finished with seven victories, and Howse contributed a 93.27 average of his own.
It's worth remembering that individual match averages can be influenced by match length, but 115.62 is still an exceptional performance at any level.
Mike Gillet breaks the 110 barrier in Winchester
At the Worthies Sports and Social Club, Mike Gillet won eight matches and defeated Jarred Cole 3–1 in the final.
Gillet's best performance was a 111.33 average against Darren Andrews.
Cole also produced a three-figure average, recording 100.20 against Robin Whyte, and finished with seven victories.
The two finalists were clearly among the strongest performers at the venue, although Gillet ultimately had the better evening.
With Dutton's 115.62, Gillet's 111.33 and Wright's 107.36, Friday certainly wasn't short of high-quality darts.
Robbie Roy wins in Yeovil
Robbie Roy took the title at Bullets Sports Bar in Yeovil, defeating Steven Tavener 3–1 in the final.
Roy finished with five victories and produced the highest average of the competition, 81.24 against Jacob Manley.
He also recorded 79.97 against Ben Collins, while Collins himself produced 74.35.
Tavener finished with four victories, but Roy did enough to secure another Friday night title.
Jayden Scadden wins in Taunton
At Pegasus 68 Club in Taunton, Jayden Scadden enjoyed a particularly successful evening.
Scadden won eight matches and defeated James Sewell 3–0 in the final.
He also recorded the highest average of the competition, 80.52 against Kelsey Wyatt, alongside a 75.15 against Warren Bowditch.
Bowditch and Sewell each collected five victories.
It was a convincing performance from Scadden, who combined the most victories with the best recorded average.
Martin Thomas produces a superb final in Aberystwyth
One of the most impressive performances of the evening came at Min-Y-Ddol in Aberystwyth.
Martin Thomas defeated Keenan Thomas 3–1 in the final, averaging 104.89 in the deciding match.
Keenan Thomas also played well, recording 97.00 in defeat.
Martin's other leading averages included 93.94, 90.18 and 88.41, while he finished with seven victories.
As with Joshua Russell in Cardiff on Thursday, there's something particularly impressive about producing your best darts in the final.
Martin Thomas certainly did that.
ADC National Finals: Mal Dallas and Adam Winspear take the honours
Friday also saw the ADC National Finals weekend begin, with the Emerging and Rise finals providing plenty of competitive darts.
In the Level Up Emerging Final, Mal Dallas defeated Lewis Kendall 5–2 to claim the title.
Dallas finished with eight victories, while Kendall won seven.
Jayden Moss recorded the highest average of the competition at 88.41, followed by Kendall's 85.89 and Sid Stovold's 82.18.
In the Level Up Rise Final, Adam Winspear defeated Craig Vickers 5–4 in a much closer final.
Winspear also finished with eight victories, with Vickers collecting seven.
Mat Caste produced the highest recorded average of 97.03, while William Borland recorded 93.05 and Andy Steed 92.64.
I think it's worth giving these competitions particular attention. For players who spend much of their time competing in local and regional tournaments, the opportunity to test themselves at a national final is an important part of the grassroots game.
And with both finals decided, congratulations to Mal Dallas and Adam Winspear.
WADC: Eve Watson and Kayleigh Brown take Friday's titles
Two WADC Vault 3.0 competitions were recorded on Friday, with particularly impressive darts from Eve Watson in South Wales.
At Briton Ferry Workingmen's Club, Eve Watson defeated Shelley Casley 3–0 in the final, completing a six-win evening.
Watson's averages tell their own story: 85.89, 77.08, 72.73, 70.45 and 66.80.
That is an excellent sequence of performances, with the 85.89 the highest average across Friday's WADC results.
At United Services Club in Harwich, Kayleigh Brown defeated Kimberley Self 3–0 in the final.
Brown won five matches and produced the event's best average of 62.63 against Amy Attridge. She also recorded 57.08 and 55.67.
I think it's important that these results remain part of the daily roundup rather than being treated as something separate. The WADC competitions are adding more opportunities for women to compete regularly, and performances like Watson's deserve recognition alongside those in the open events.
Junior darts: Freddie Greenwood and Reggie Woodmore win
There were two Junior Volts competitions in Friday's results.
At Aylesford Village Club, Freddie Greenwood defeated Drake Porter 3–0 in the final, winning seven matches.
Freddy Turner recorded the highest average of the competition at 88.41, while Lewis Williams produced 83.82.
At Simeon Arms in Ryde, Reggie Woodmore defeated Jenson Hunt 3–2 in the final.
Both finalists collected six victories, while Finley Reeve produced the highest average of 77.08.
Elsewhere, Charlie Lowin won the Soccer Zone Under-16 Junior League competition, defeating Codey Exall 3–1 in the final.
It's encouraging to see these junior competitions continuing to provide regular opportunities, and there were some very respectable averages among Friday's younger players.
Other Friday night winners worth mentioning
There was plenty more happening beyond the featured tournaments.
Kevin Leadenham produced a particularly impressive performance at the Black Swan in Melton Mowbray, winning eight matches and defeating Darren Tyler 3–1 in the final. His leading averages were 100.20, 100.20, 98.02 and 96.97.
Brett Claydon also won eight matches at the Boulevard in Peterborough, recording 103.66, 100.20 and 95.94 before defeating Colin Hopkins 3–0 in the final.
Andy Smith won at the New Club in Wheatley, defeating Colin Sulston 3–0. He recorded 103.66, 100.20 and 96.97.
Freddie Argyle took the title at Groves Sports & Social Club in Shotton, producing a 100.20 average during his seven-win evening.
Closer to the South West, Gary Witcombe won the opening week of the CDP Slam Series at Clandown Darts Promotions, defeating Will Hillier 3–0. Eddie Hughes produced the competition's best average of 103.66.
CJ Ayres won the Street Darts Organisation Open Series event, defeating Kieran Spurdle 3–1 and collecting nine victories.
There were also victories for Cody Hughes at Bigyn Darts Masters, Liam Corten at Newport Darts Community and Leo Howard in the Starfish Kids Camp Charity Darts Open.
Friday's highest recorded averages
| Player | Average | Tournament / venue |
|---|---|---|
| Stuart Dutton | 115.62 | Danny's Bar, Banbury |
| Mike Gillet | 111.33 | Worthies, Winchester |
| James Wright | 107.36 | Bengeworth Club, Evesham |
| Martin Thomas | 104.89 | Min-Y-Ddol, Aberystwyth |
| Eddie Hughes | 103.66 | CDP Slam Series |
| David Routledge | 103.66 | Chaukees Grand Slam |
| Jody Givens | 103.66 | Friday Night Comp Series |
| Adam Mould | 103.66 | Bradmoor Farm, Aylesbury |
| Brett Claydon | 103.66 | The Boulevard, Peterborough |
| Aaron Stevens | 103.66 | The New Club, Wheatley |
What stands out here is the number of different venues producing three-figure averages. It wasn't simply one particularly strong tournament dominating the figures.
My five standout performances
- Stuart Dutton – A 115.62 average and the Banbury title.
- James Wright – Eight wins in Evesham, with five leading averages above 88.
- Mike Gillet – A 111.33 average and eight victories in Winchester.
- Martin Thomas – A 104.89 average in the Aberystwyth final.
- Eve Watson – Six WADC victories and an 85.89 average at Briton Ferry.
Special mentions also go to Kevin Leadenham, Brett Claydon, Andy Smith and the two ADC National Finals champions, Mal Dallas and Adam Winspear.
Another 60 tournaments added to Q4QS
Friday's results offered a good reminder of how much is happening across grassroots darts.
We had two national finals, excellent local performances, junior competitions and another two WADC events.
For me, the most interesting aspect wasn't simply Stuart Dutton's 115.62, although that was clearly exceptional. It was the number of players backing up strong averages with tournament victories.
That's where the Q4QS database becomes increasingly useful. One exceptional match is worth recognising, but sustained performances across several matches and tournaments tell us much more.
Full results, rankings and player statistics are available at QuestForQSchool.
