Friday brought another 68 tournaments into the Q4QS Database, with some outstanding performances across the country.
Joshua Russell recorded the highest match average of the day, a superb 115.62 in Cardiff, while Steve Haggerty produced 109.98 in the final at Derby's Iron Ram.
There were also three players recording 107.36 at the Royal Oak in Rhyl, including eventual winner Luke Newport.
Closer to home, Henry Cooper put together an excellent evening in Taunton, Pete Hughes won in Evesham, and CJ Ayres took another Street Darts Organisation title.
There was also a WADC competition at Bradmoor Farm, while the Junior Volts programme continued with tournaments in Aylesford, Ryde and Leeds.
Henry Cooper impresses in Taunton
One of Friday's standout performances came at Pegasus 68 Club in Taunton, where Henry Cooper defeated Dave Fisher 3–0 in the final.
Cooper finished with seven victories and produced an impressive collection of averages: 93.94, 93.94, 91.09 and 88.41.
That's the sort of consistency I particularly like to see. A single high average is always worth mentioning, but producing several strong performances throughout a tournament tells us rather more.
Nick Eggbeer actually recorded the highest individual average at the venue, hitting 100.20 against Aaron Glynn.
Dave Fisher collected six victories on his way to the final, but Cooper was the player who came away with the title.
Pete Hughes wins at the Bengeworth in Evesham
At the Bengeworth Club, Pete Hughes enjoyed another successful Friday evening, defeating Richard Bambridge 3–0 in the final.
Hughes finished with eight victories, the most at the venue, and recorded averages of 88.41 and 88.12 among his best performances.
There were some impressive displays elsewhere in the competition.
Mitchell Leeming recorded the highest average of the evening at 91.09, while Jason Reeve produced 89.70.
Reeve and Bambridge each collected six victories, with Reece Pinches and Leeming finishing on five.
It was another competitive night in Evesham, with Hughes ultimately proving the most successful player.
Joshua Russell records 115.62 in Cardiff
The highest average in Friday's results came at Splott Albion Pavilion in Cardiff.
Joshua Russell produced an outstanding 115.62 against Kurt Parry, who himself was playing some excellent darts.
Parry recorded averages of 111.33, 107.36 and 105.23 during the evening, giving him three of the strongest individual performances across the entire day's results.
Yet neither player finished as tournament champion.
That honour went to Mark Hyde, who defeated Russell 3–2 in the final.
Hyde and Russell both finished with seven victories, while Parry collected six.
I think this is one of the more interesting results of the evening. Russell produced the highest average, Parry put together a remarkable series of performances, but Hyde was the player who won the tournament.
It's a good reminder that the highest average doesn't always translate into the title.
Steve Haggerty produces a superb final in Derby
At the Iron Ram in Derby, Steve Haggerty defeated Ash Weaver 3–0 in the final.
And Haggerty certainly saved some of his best darts for the deciding match.
He recorded a 109.98 average in the final, having also produced 104.86 earlier in the competition.
Weaver was no passenger, either. His leading averages included 100.20, 96.97 and 96.23, the latter coming in the final.
Both finalists finished with seven victories.
It's another example of a final where the standard of darts was particularly impressive. To average almost 110 while winning the title is an excellent achievement.
Luke Newport wins a high-quality evening in Rhyl
There was a remarkable collection of averages at the Royal Oak in Rhyl.
Three players recorded exactly 107.36 during the competition:
- Kelson Hughes, against Dave Hornby.
- Steven Morris, against Scott Millington.
- Luke Newport, against Darren Southall.
Newport went on to win the tournament, defeating Baz Tym 3–1 in the final and finishing with eight victories.
Tym collected seven victories and recorded averages of 96.97 and 91.09.
Kelson Hughes also finished with six wins.
With three different players recording averages above 107, this was certainly one of Friday's strongest individual scoring displays.
Callum Page takes the Clacton title
At Clacton Sports Bar, Callum Page defeated Kevin Edwards 3–1 in the final.
Page won seven matches and produced an excellent 100.20 average against Keith Farthing, alongside 90.55 in the final.
Edwards actually recorded the highest average of the competition, 107.36 against Aaron Reilly.
Simon Cuthbert also contributed a 91.09.
Again, we had a tournament where the highest individual average belonged to someone other than the eventual winner.
Page's seven victories were enough to secure the title.
Mark Lynn wins in Peterborough
At the Boulevard Club in Peterborough, Mark Lynn defeated Aaron Reed 3–1 in the final.
Lynn produced the highest average of the competition, 103.66 against Charles Crowson, and finished with seven victories.
Reed also won seven matches, while Colin Hopkins, Brett Claydon and Sid Stovold each collected five.
Claydon recorded 96.97 and 88.41 during the competition.
It was a strong evening for Lynn, combining the highest recorded average with the tournament victory.
CJ Ayres wins again at Street Darts Organisation
The SDO Open Series reached Week 6 on Friday, with CJ Ayres defeating Jack Western 3–1 in the final.
Ayres finished with eight victories and recorded averages of 93.94 and 91.09.
Western also produced 93.94 during the competition, while Warren Ryan recorded 91.09.
Ben Collins and Wayne Bradshaw each collected six victories.
There was also an SDO Under-50 round-robin event, where Tommy Chinnock defeated David Mitchell 3–0 in the final.
Chinnock finished with eight victories, while Theo Weston produced the event's highest average of 65.35.
It's good to see these different competition formats continuing to provide regular opportunities for players.
WADC: Sandra Page wins at Bradmoor Farm
There was one WADC Vault 3.0 competition recorded in Friday's results, at Bradmoor Farm in Haddenham.
Sandra Page defeated Cerys Skyrme-Davies 3–2 in the final, completing an impressive seven-win evening.
Page's leading averages included 61.77 and 60.12.
Skyrme-Davies produced the highest average of the competition, 62.63 against Tracey Reeve, and finished with four victories.
Reeve collected three victories.
It's important to keep recognising these competitions alongside the open events. Regular tournament opportunities are a significant part of developing the women's grassroots game, and Page's seven victories deserve recognition.
Junior darts: Freddy Turner, Reggie Woodmore and Ben Pilgrim win
There were three Junior Volts competitions in Friday's results, alongside other junior and academy events.
At Aylesford Village Club, Freddy Turner defeated Layton Hooper 3–1 in the final.
Both players collected six victories, while Jack Ingram produced the highest average of the competition at 93.94.
Harry Legg also recorded 81.50, and Drake Porter produced 81.24 and 79.11.
At Simeon Arms in Ryde, Reggie Woodmore defeated Quinn Adams 3–0 in the final.
Woodmore finished with five victories and recorded averages of 77.74, 71.57 and 69.91.
At Woodhouse Cricket Club in Leeds, Ben Pilgrim defeated Noah Mackie 3–2 in the final.
Pilgrim won eight matches and recorded the event's highest average of 91.09. Stanley Murray also impressed with two separate averages of 81.24.
Elsewhere, Jack Williams won the Champions of Champions Season 4 event at Cogan Coronation JDC Academy, while Charlie Greenslade took the Rising Stars Season 4 title.
Charlie Lowin also won the Soccer Zone Under-16 Junior League competition.
There were some very respectable performances among Friday's younger players, particularly from Jack Ingram and Ben Pilgrim.
Other Friday night winners worth mentioning
There was plenty more happening across the country.
Kaya Baysal won at Flight Night in Burnley, defeating Eric Bromley 3–1 in the final. Baysal recorded 100.20 and 96.97 during the evening.
Timothy Jones produced an excellent performance at Briton Ferry Workingmen's Club, defeating Bobby Short 3–0 in the final. Jones won eight matches and recorded averages of 100.20 and 90.18.
Jack Beasley won at the Brookside in Syston, recording 100.20 in the final against Mark Hurst and 96.97 earlier in the competition.
George Cressey won at Walderslade Club in Chatham, defeating Arron Brigden 3–2. His leading averages included 96.97, 93.94, 93.94 and 92.02.
Sean Holley won at Bradmoor Farm in Aylesbury, defeating Allan Way 3–2 and finishing with eight victories.
At the Worthies Sports and Social Club in Winchester, Barry Woodman defeated Charlie Jack 3–0 in the final.
And in Southampton, Jarred Cole defeated Keegan Brown 3–1 at Sarisbury Green Social Club. Both players finished with seven victories, while Cole produced the event's highest average of 98.02.
Across Wales, Cody Hughes won at Bigyn Darts Masters, Bryan Bennis took the Newport Darts Community title, Craig Whittaker won in Aberystwyth, and Dan Baker was successful in Carmarthen.
It's another reminder of just how much competitive darts is taking place on an ordinary Friday evening.
Friday's highest recorded averages
| Player | Average | Tournament / venue |
|---|---|---|
| Joshua Russell | 115.62 | Splott Albion Pavilion, Cardiff |
| Kurt Parry | 111.33 | Splott Albion Pavilion, Cardiff |
| Steve Haggerty | 109.98 | The Iron Ram, Derby |
| Kelson Hughes | 107.36 | Royal Oak, Rhyl |
| Steven Morris | 107.36 | Royal Oak, Rhyl |
| Luke Newport | 107.36 | Royal Oak, Rhyl |
| Kevin Edwards | 107.36 | Clacton Sports Bar |
| Liam Kelly | 103.66 | Bostin Darts 180 Bar |
| Mark Lynn | 103.66 | The Boulevard, Peterborough |
| Aaron Stevens | 103.66 | The New Club, Wheatley |
These are individual match averages rather than tournament-wide averages. Players may appear more than once among the highest individual performances.
My five standout performances
- Joshua Russell – A remarkable 115.62 average in Cardiff and seven victories on his way to the final.
- Steve Haggerty – A 109.98 average in the Derby final, backed up by 104.86 earlier in the evening.
- Henry Cooper – Seven victories in Taunton, with four leading averages between 88.41 and 93.94.
- Kurt Parry – Three averages above 105 in Cardiff, including 111.33 and 107.36.
- Luke Newport – Eight victories and a 107.36 average at the Royal Oak in Rhyl.
Special mentions go to Pete Hughes, Callum Page, Mark Lynn, Timothy Jones and WADC winner Sandra Page.
Another 68 tournaments added to Q4QS
Friday's results offered another excellent snapshot of grassroots darts.
We had high-quality performances in Cardiff, Derby and Rhyl, strong tournament victories across the South and South West, and plenty of encouraging performances in the junior game.
What particularly interested me was the contrast between the players producing the biggest averages and those actually winning tournaments.
Joshua Russell recorded 115.62 but finished runner-up. Kurt Parry produced three averages above 105 without winning the event. Meanwhile, Henry Cooper put together a series of consistent performances and came away with the Taunton title.
That's exactly why I think it's worth looking beyond one headline average when assessing a player's form.
Full results, rankings and player statistics are available at Quest For Q School.
