Wednesday brought another 93 tournaments into the Q4QS Database, and once again there were some outstanding performances across the country.
Carl Batchelor produced the highest average of the day with 118.66, while Johnny Haines wasn't far behind with 117.08.
Closer to home, Ashton Brown won at the Sartan Club in Bristol, Danny Lauby took the title at Bengeworth Club in Evesham, and Jamie Kay won in Bodmin.
There were also victories for Kieran Smith in Stonehouse, Darren Herbert in Chard and Danny Humphries in Salisbury.
There were nine WADC competitions and another busy evening of junior darts, including a particularly impressive performance from Joshua Russell.
Carl Batchelor produces a remarkable 118.66 in the final
At the Pioneer Bar in Stoke, Carl Batchelor produced what was, for me, one of the most impressive performances of Wednesday's results.
Batchelor defeated Matt Carr 3–0 in the final, averaging an extraordinary 118.66 in the deciding match.
Carr himself averaged 97.50, which makes Batchelor's performance even more impressive.
Batchelor finished with eight victories and also recorded 90.18 against Riley Emery.
There's always something particularly impressive about producing your best darts in a final. It's one thing to throw a huge average during a group match, but quite another to do it when the title is on the line.
And 118.66 is an exceptional average at any level.
Johnny Haines produces four three-figure averages in Didcot
If Batchelor produced the best individual performance, Johnny Haines probably deserves the award for the most consistently impressive scoring of the evening.
At GWRSA Club in Didcot, Haines won eight matches and defeated Jayden Jones 3–1 in the final.
His leading averages were remarkable:
- 117.08 against Roger Crook
- 111.33 against James Sanders
- 107.36 against Simon Ward
- 100.76 in the final against Jayden Jones
That's four averages above 100 in one tournament.
Roger Crook also contributed an excellent 102.87 in his match against Haines.
For me, this is exactly the sort of performance that deserves recognition. One exceptional average can happen in a short match, but producing four three-figure averages across an evening suggests something considerably more substantial.
Haines had also produced some excellent darts on Tuesday, so he's certainly a player worth watching for current form.
Ashton Brown wins at the Sartan Club in Bristol
At the Sartan Club in Bishopsworth, Ashton Brown defeated Adrian Wood 3–0 in the final.
Brown's standout performance was a 104.86 average in the final, the highest recorded at the venue.
He also produced averages of 96.97 against Kyle Matthews and 95.94 against Ellis Radford.
Brown completed eight victories, while Wood finished with six.
It's another good result from one of Bristol's regular grassroots competitions. The Sartan Club continues to provide a strong local competitive environment, and performances like Brown's show the quality that can emerge from these weekly tournaments.
Danny Lauby wins at Bengeworth Club
It was another competitive evening at Bengeworth Club in Evesham, where Danny Lauby defeated Pete Hughes 3–2 in the final.
Lauby finished with seven victories, while Hughes collected six.
Interestingly, the highest average of the evening came from Vince Tipple, who recorded 103.66 against Alfie Gamage.
Jason Reeve also impressed with 93.94 against Lewis Clements, while Lauby recorded 92.02 against Reeve.
Hughes produced 91.09 in his own match against Reeve.
It's been an interesting few days at Bengeworth. Tipple has been producing some excellent performances, Hughes won at Bretforton on Tuesday, and now Lauby has taken the Wednesday title.
That's exactly the sort of sequence of results that makes following players' form across different tournaments worthwhile.
Jamie Kay takes the Bodmin title
At Bodmin Band & Social Club in Cornwall, Jamie Kay defeated James Chudleigh 3–2 in the final.
Kay completed eight victories and produced a particularly consistent series of averages.
His leading performances included 91.09, 88.84, 88.41 and 86.32.
James Wallace also impressed with 91.04, while Leo Strick and Chudleigh each collected six victories.
Kay's performance is a good example of how consistency can be just as important as producing one exceptional average.
Four performances above 86 and eight victories represent an excellent evening's darts.
Kieran Smith wins in Stonehouse
At Magpies Social Club in Stonehouse, Kieran Smith defeated Alex Cantillion 3–1 in the final.
Smith won seven matches and produced the competition's highest average of 90.18 against Andy Hammond.
He also recorded 79.11 and 78.89.
Cameron Oram and Josh Lewis each collected six victories, while Cantillion finished with five.
Another competitive evening at a regular Gloucestershire venue.
Darren Herbert wins in Chard
At the Choughs Hotel in Chard, Darren Herbert defeated Paul Gardiner 3–1 in the final.
Herbert completed eight victories, with Gardiner finishing on seven.
Herbert's highest average was 87.53 in the final, and he also produced 81.98 against Warren Bowditch.
Gardiner recorded 81.24 against Jordan Baker, while Kieran Spurdle contributed 84.41.
It was a particularly good final performance from Herbert, who saved his highest average for the match that mattered most.
Danny Humphries wins in Salisbury
At Stratford Social Club, Danny Humphries defeated Liam Glister 3–2 in the final.
Humphries won six matches, recording averages of 86.71, 85.08 and 84.44 among his leading performances.
Glister produced the highest average of the competition, 88.41 against Joe Blundell.
Ben Small and Glister each collected five victories.
This was another good example of a player combining consistent scoring with enough match wins to take the title.
Junior darts: Joshua Russell hits 107.36
Wednesday's junior results included some particularly impressive performances.
At the Junior Volts event at Pilcs Sports & Social Club in Pontypool, Joshua Russell recorded a remarkable 107.36 average against Ethan Smith.
Russell also produced 89.73, 88.41 and 84.76 during the competition.
The tournament was won by Archie Bourne, who defeated Evan Haines 3–0 in the final and completed seven victories.
Russell's 107.36 was one of the ten highest individual averages across Wednesday's entire report, not simply among the junior events.
That's a performance well worth highlighting.
Elsewhere, Harvey Stringer won at the Bull Room in Stowmarket, defeating Remy Stapleton 3–2. Stringer finished with nine victories and recorded averages of 88.41, 83.50 and 79.11.
Hayden Dunlavey won at Bostin Darts 180 Bar in Blackheath, defeating George Hobbs 3–1, while Liam Taylor recorded the highest average there at 91.09.
At the Kings Pub in Exeter, Oliver Hutchings defeated Lewis Woods 3–1, completing six victories.
And at the National Junior Darts Association Elite event, Harry Childs produced a 98.02 average and finished with eight victories.
It's encouraging to see so many junior competitions taking place regularly, particularly when youngsters are producing averages that compare favourably with those recorded in senior events.
WADC: Nine competitions across Wednesday
There were nine WADC Vault 3.0 competitions in Wednesday's results.
The highest recorded WADC average came from Anna Pearce at MK Cocktail Lounge & Sports Bar in Bodmin.
Pearce produced 73.92 against Tracey Hancock, along with 66.80 against Claire Canham.
However, it was Courtney Hancock who took the title, defeating Pearce 3–2 in the final.
At BRWCA in Hampshire, Milly Milligan defeated Pennie Lewis 3–2, although Lewis recorded the competition's highest average of 73.32.
At Stratford Social Club in Salisbury, Kelsey Haigh defeated Natalie Baxter 3–2, while Elsie-Mai Tarrant produced the event's best average of 62.63.
Wednesday's WADC winners were:
| Winner | Venue | Final |
|---|---|---|
| Grace Holman | Arrows, Resolven | Beat Kayliegh Webster 3–2 |
| Milly Milligan | BRWCA, Hampshire | Beat Pennie Lewis 3–2 |
| Geraldine Fielding | Beechwood Club, Blackburn | Beat Celia Allen 3–2 |
| Nicky Denham | Bradmoor Farm, Aylesbury | Beat Cerys Skyrme-Davies 3–1 |
| Jackie Nicholl | Challow British Legion | Beat Hannah Eynstone 3–0 |
| Courtney Hancock | MK Lounge, Bodmin | Beat Anna Pearce 3–2 |
| Kelsey Haigh | Stratford Social Club, Salisbury | Beat Natalie Baxter 3–2 |
| Juliet Findley | Men of March | Beat Millie Jolley 3–1 |
| Sonia Lewis | Monty Club, Newtown | Beat Louise Davies 3–2 |
It's good to see nine WADC events contributing to the daily results, particularly with competitions in Cornwall, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Wales among them.
These results deserve to be included alongside the open events, and the regular competition is helping build a much clearer picture of women's grassroots darts performances.
Other Wednesday winners worth mentioning
There were plenty of other performances worth highlighting beyond the featured tournaments.
At the Sandpiper in Christchurch, Ricky King defeated Jayden Walker 3–2 in the final. King recorded averages of 103.66, 102.89 and 100.20, while Walker produced an excellent 113.21 in the final.
At Caerau Athletic in Maesteg, Mike Huntley won eight matches and defeated Chris James 3–0 in the final. Huntley recorded 107.36, while Gavin Sterio produced three separate averages of 100.20.
Kaya Baysal was particularly impressive in the Pendle Super Series, winning nine matches and recording averages of 107.36, 93.94, 88.41 and 85.46 before defeating Michael Pearson in the final.
At Shooters Bar in Leominster, Alec McCready defeated Kane Price 3–1, while Chris Hurds recorded the venue's highest average of 103.66.
And at the Monty Club in Newtown, Martin Thomas defeated Wayne Meredith 3–2, recording averages of 97.14, 95.94 and 93.94.
Another consistent performance from a player who has been producing some very good darts recently.
Wednesday's highest recorded averages
| Player | Average | Tournament / venue |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Batchelor | 118.66 | Pioneer Bar, Stoke |
| Johnny Haines | 117.08 | GWRSA Club, Didcot |
| Jayden Walker | 113.21 | Sandpiper, Christchurch |
| George Cressey | 111.33 | 6 and 1 Club, Tonbridge |
| Addison Hefferon | 111.33 | Sports Bar & Lounge, Milton Keynes |
| Jake B-Smith | 111.33 | Bagley Sports & Social Club, Shrewsbury |
| Joshua Russell | 107.36 | Junior Volts, Pontypool |
| Kaya Baysal | 107.36 | Pendle Super Series |
| Mike Huntley | 107.36 | Caerau Athletic, Maesteg |
| Brett Claydon | 107.36 | Men of March |
These are individual match averages, not tournament-wide averages. Johnny Haines also recorded another 111.33 during his evening in Didcot.
What stands out is the number of different venues represented. These weren't exceptional averages concentrated in one tournament; they were being produced across the country.
My five standout performances
- Johnny Haines – Four averages above 100, including 117.08, and eight victories in Didcot.
- Carl Batchelor – A remarkable 118.66 average in the final at Stoke.
- Ashton Brown – Eight victories at the Sartan Club, including a 104.86 average in the final and further averages of 96.97 and 95.94.
- Kaya Baysal – Nine victories in the Pendle Super Series, including a 107.36 average.
- Joshua Russell – A 107.36 average in the Junior Volts competition at Pontypool.
Special mentions go to Ricky King, Jayden Walker, Martin Thomas, Danny Lauby and Jamie Kay.
Another 93 tournaments added to Q4QS
Wednesday was another reminder of just how much competitive darts is taking place every week.
There were excellent performances in the South West, Wales and across the rest of the country. The WADC programme continued with nine competitions, while the junior events produced some averages that would stand out in almost any tournament.
For me, the most interesting performance was probably Johnny Haines. Carl Batchelor's 118.66 was the highest average, but four three-figure averages from Haines in one evening is something quite special.
It's also why I'm increasingly interested in looking beyond individual results and following players' form over their last 20 matches, compared with the 20 before that.
A big average is always worth celebrating, but repeated strong performances tell us much more.
Full results, rankings and player statistics are available at Quest For Q School.
