Six Finals, Five Winners: What Vault 17 and 18 Tell Us Ahead of Vault 19

 

With Vault 19 approaching, I wanted to look back at the recent MODUS Super Series regional finals covered by the Q4QS database.

This first review concentrates on three regions: South West, South Wales, and South East & London. Across Vault 17 and Vault 18, each region staged two finals offering winners the opportunity to appear in the MODUS Super Series.

Six finals produced five different champions.

Henry Cooper was the only player to win twice, completing back-to-back South West successes. Connor Hopkins and Louis Melville claimed the two South Wales places, while George Cressey and Roger Crook emerged from South East & London.

However, the winners were only part of the story.

Several players came within one match of earning a MODUS opportunity. Others produced some of the best averages of the six events but failed to reach the final. There were also players who challenged strongly in both series without managing to secure the ultimate prize.

Those are the names who may be particularly interesting when Vault 19 begins.

Henry Cooper Rules the South West

The clearest story from the six regional finals belongs to Henry Cooper.

Cooper won the South West MODUS qualifier in both Vault 17 and Vault 18, becoming the only player across these three regions to successfully retain the regional title.

His first victory came at Shaftesbury Football Club during Vault 17.

Cooper defeated Andy Steed 6–4 in the final with a 91.06 average. Before that, he had averaged 86.95 in his semi-final victory over Pierce Speechley-Price and 89.86 against Jamie Kay in the quarter-finals.

He returned for the Vault 18 final at St Breward AFC & Social Club and produced an even more commanding finish.

After beating Lee Andrews 6–2 in the quarter-finals, Cooper whitewashed Jamie Kay 6–0 with a 92.02 semi-final average. He then defeated Ricky King 6–2 in the final, averaging 90.28.

Across the latter stages of the two finals, Cooper repeatedly found his best darts when the MODUS place moved within sight.

That is perhaps the most impressive part of the double. Regional finals bring together players who have already performed consistently throughout the Vault campaign. Cooper did not merely qualify for both events—he navigated two strong knockout draws and delivered 90-plus averages in both finals.

The obvious Vault 19 question is whether anybody in the South West can stop him from reaching a third successive MODUS opportunity.

The Players Who Came Closest to Cooper

Andy Steed and Ricky King were the two players left one match short.

Steed’s Vault 17 run included a 6–5 victory over Kev Dunstan and a 6–4 semi-final win against Gareth Griffiths. He then stayed close to Cooper in the final before losing 6–4.

King followed a similar path during Vault 18. He defeated Steed 6–3 in the quarter-finals before surviving a deciding leg against Neil Meneer in the semi-final. Cooper proved too strong in the final, but King had come through two of the most dangerous players in the draw to get there.

Both have therefore demonstrated the ability to reach the last match of a regional final.

There are also players whose numbers suggest they were closer than their eventual finishing position might imply.

Gareth Griffiths produced one of the most intriguing runs of Vault 17. He opened with a 99.51 average against Nick Eggbeer and then averaged 84.78 in beating Finlay Cleave. Griffiths produced another strong performance in the semi-final, averaging 88.91, but lost 6–4 to Steed, who averaged 80.94.

It was a perfect example of why averages alone do not decide knockout darts.

Jamie Kay also threatened in both South West finals.

In Vault 17, Kay opened with an 89.43 average and then averaged 81.93 in the next round. Kay produced an 88.36 average against Cooper in the quarter-finals but was beaten 6–3.

During Vault 18, Kay averaged 90.99 in a 6–5 victory over Griffiths before running into Cooper again. This time, Cooper delivered a 92.02 average and a 6–0 victory.

Kay has now reached a South West quarter-final and semi-final across the two series, with Cooper ending both runs. If Cooper is the regional standard, Kay has repeatedly put himself within range of challenging it.

Neil Meneer is another who came extremely close. The Vault 18 semi-final against King went to a deciding leg before King edged through 6–5.

Steed, King, Griffiths, Kay and Meneer have all shown enough to enter Vault 19 as serious South West contenders.

Hopkins Sets the South Wales Standard

Connor Hopkins produced arguably the most complete individual regional-final performance across the six tournaments.

Hopkins won the Vault 17 South Wales final at Duffy’s in Pontypridd, defeating Sion Thomas 6–2 with a 92.98 average.

That followed a 92.85 semi-final performance against Mike Huntley and an outstanding 98.02 average in a 6–0 quarter-final victory over Timothy Jones.

From the quarter-finals onwards, Hopkins won 18 legs and conceded only four. His average exceeded 92 in all three matches.

Where Cooper’s achievement was built on winning two separate regional finals, Hopkins produced one afternoon of sustained control. There was no narrow escape or obvious drop in standard during the closing stages.

It was exactly the kind of performance that makes a player stand out as a future threat beyond the Vault system.

Melville Survives the Vault 18 Tests

The South Wales Vault 18 final produced a very different type of champion.

Louis Melville did not dominate every match statistically. Instead, Melville repeatedly found a way to win close contests.

After beating Llew Bevan in the Last 16, Melville edged past Corey Milward 6–5 in the quarter-finals. A strong 87.35 average then helped secure a 6–4 semi-final win over Stephen Cake.

The final against Dean Reynolds also went to a deciding leg.

Reynolds recorded the higher average, 86.48 to Melville’s 80.71, but Melville took the match 6–5 and secured the MODUS place.

It was a run built on resilience. Melville survived two deciding legs and defeated two opponents who produced higher averages during the knockout stages.

Hopkins had swept through the closing rounds of Vault 17. Melville had to scrap through the decisive moments of Vault 18. Both routes led to the same reward.

Stephen Cake Keeps Knocking on the Door

If there is one South Wales player who can consider themselves particularly unfortunate not to have claimed a place, it may be Stephen Cake.

Cake reached the semi-finals in both regional finals.

In Vault 17, Cake beat Jonathan Davies and Liam Cook before losing 6–4 to Sion Thomas. Cake actually recorded the higher semi-final average, 80.23 to 78.60, but Thomas secured the crucial legs.

Cake returned in Vault 18 and began with the best individual average of that entire regional final—a 93.94 performance in a 6–0 win over Geraint Cuddihy.

A 6–5 quarter-final victory over Ryan Davies followed before Melville stopped the run in the semi-finals.

Two series, two semi-finals and no MODUS place.

That combination makes Cake one of the most obvious players to watch in Vault 19. There is no question about the ability to reach the business end of a regional final. The remaining task is to convert one of those opportunities.

Dean Reynolds also has a strong case for being among the leading South Wales contenders. Reynolds averaged 90.80 in the Last 16 of Vault 18, reached the final and then produced the higher average in a deciding-leg defeat.

Mike Huntley’s Vault 17 run is also worth remembering. Huntley averaged 91.33 in beating Gavin Sterio before running into Hopkins’ outstanding semi-final display.

South Wales has produced two different winners, but several challengers have already shown that the margin between qualification and elimination can be extremely small.

Cressey Peaks at the Right Time

George Cressey won the South East & London Vault 17 final at the Phoenix Railway Social Club in Dover.

Cressey began steadily but raised the level considerably as the tournament progressed.

A 95.71 quarter-final average against John Power was followed by a 94.16 performance in the semi-final against Colin Sulston. Cressey then defeated Adam Mould 6–4 in the final.

Interestingly, Mould recorded the higher final average—88.88 compared with Cressey’s 83.83—but Cressey secured the legs that mattered.

It followed the pattern seen in several of these regional finals. The best average did not always belong to the winner, particularly when matches became close.

Stuart Dutton looked capable of challenging Cressey after averaging 90.55 in a 6–1 quarter-final victory over Jake Eichen. However, that level fell away in the semi-final, where Dutton averaged 76.10 and lost 6–4 to Mould.

It was one of the clearest examples of a player looking extremely dangerous in one round before being unable to reproduce the same standard in the next.

Crook Comes Through the Deciders

Roger Crook’s South East & London Vault 18 victory had similarities to Melville’s South Wales success.

Crook had to survive pressure repeatedly.

He beat Stuart Dutton 6–5 in the Last 16 before producing the standout winning performance of the tournament—an average of 95.39 in a 6–2 quarter-final victory over Dai Lewis.

A 6–4 semi-final win against Jack Seymour took Crook into the final, where Connor Levett provided another severe test.

Levett averaged 87.54 to Crook’s 86.74, but Crook edged the deciding leg to win 6–5.

Three of Crook’s four matches were decided by either one or two legs. Rather than cruising through the draw, Crook continually responded when the result remained in doubt.

That ability to survive may be just as important in a regional final as producing one spectacular average.

Levett Leads the Chasing Group

Connor Levett may have lost the Vault 18 final, but the run contained plenty to suggest another opportunity could arrive.

Levett came through the draw from the No.21 position. He defeated Jack Harvey 6–5 with an 85.36 average before producing 89.63 in a commanding 6–2 win over Ian Hobbs.

After beating Mat Caste in the quarter-finals, Levett defeated John Power 6–1 to reach the final.

He then produced his second-best average of the event but lost 6–5.

Levett was therefore one leg away from the MODUS place despite beginning outside the leading seeds. That makes the run one of the strongest breakthrough stories across the six finals.

There was another striking performance much earlier in the draw.

Andy Smith averaged 92.87 against John Power in the Last 16 but lost 6–5. Power averaged 87.34, yet took the deciding leg and subsequently reached the semi-finals.

Smith recorded one of the highest averages of the entire event and was eliminated in the opening round. It was another reminder that regional-final darts can punish even a very strong performance.

Jack Seymour also progressed to the semi-finals, while Cressey’s attempt to win consecutive South East & London finals ended in the first round against Reggie Woodmore.

Unlike Cooper in the South West, Cressey could not successfully defend the regional title.

Six Finals, Several Different Ways to Win

Looking across the six events, no single formula guaranteed success.

Cooper combined consistency, scoring and the ability to peak during the closing rounds.

Hopkins dominated his regional final statistically, producing three consecutive averages above 92 from the quarter-finals onwards.

Cressey found two outstanding performances at exactly the right stage of the competition.

Melville and Crook survived close matches and deciding legs, sometimes defeating opponents who recorded higher averages.

The results also highlight why several players who failed to qualify should remain prominent in the Vault 19 conversation.

Steed, King, Reynolds and Levett were each one match away. Cake reached two semi-finals. Kay made the latter stages in both South West events. Griffiths, Huntley, Dutton and Smith all produced performances suggesting that they could challenge again.

Not everyone will return through exactly the same qualifying route, and the regional fields may change for Vault 19. However, recent history gives us a strong starting point.

Who Can Take the Next Step in Vault 19?

Henry Cooper is the obvious benchmark after winning both South West finals.

Behind Cooper, Jamie Kay’s repeated progress and strong averages suggest a player capable of going further. Gareth Griffiths has already shown the highest individual level in the region, while Ricky King, Andy Steed and Neil Meneer have all moved within one match of the prize.

In South Wales, Stephen Cake’s consecutive semi-finals make the case particularly compelling. Dean Reynolds was one leg away in Vault 18 and Mike Huntley produced 90-plus darts before meeting an inspired Hopkins.

Connor Levett heads the South East & London list after coming through from outside the leading seeds and losing the Vault 18 final by a single leg. Stuart Dutton and Andy Smith also produced peaks that would make them dangerous if sustained across an entire regional final.

Vault 17 and Vault 18 produced five winners from six events, with Cooper alone managing to repeat the achievement.

That tells us how difficult these regional finals are to predict—and how hard they are to win.

The next part of the Q4QS Vault 19 coverage will look more closely at the qualifying venues themselves. Using the developing Venue Hub, I will examine which locations regularly attract the strongest fields and where the route to the next regional final may be particularly demanding.

For now, the recent finals have already provided plenty of names to remember.

Some have secured their MODUS opportunity. Others missed by one leg, one match or one outstanding performance from an opponent.

Vault 19 gives them the chance to begin all over again.

MODUS Super Series Week 6 Preview: Can Anyone Stop Derek Coulson?

 

The MODUS Super Series returns for Week 6 of Series 15, and there is one very obvious place to start.

Derek Coulson is back.

Coulson has become one of the standout MODUS stories of recent times, finally converting years of deep runs into Champions Week success earlier this year. Now he returns to Portsmouth as the clear man to beat in a 12-player field containing a fascinating mixture of established names, former MODUS winners, emerging players and experienced campaigners.

And the Q4QS numbers reinforce just how formidable Coulson currently looks.

He sits 12th in the Q4QS rankings with a 728.3 rating and 91.69 average, and his recent results have been exceptional. Coulson won Challenge Tour 16 unbeaten with a 93.77 tournament average and subsequently reached the final of Challenge Tour 20, averaging 95.15 across that run. Even his recent Players Championship appearances have seen him operating around the 90-plus mark.

The question this week is whether anybody in this field can prevent another Coulson run.

Van den Herik brings another winning pedigree

One of the strongest candidates is Jamai van den Herik.

The Dutch youngster already knows how to win a MODUS week, having done so during Series 13, and his recent results elsewhere show why he could be one of Coulson's biggest threats.

Van den Herik won Development Tour 18 with an 86.48 tournament average, going 8–0, and his notable recent victories include Owen Bates and Dominik Gruellich. He is ranked 109th by Q4QS with an 84.54 average.

Coulson and Van den Herik are together in Group A, but that section has considerably more depth than just its two headline names.

Hubbard could be one of the week's dangers

James Hubbard arrives with one of the strongest recent form profiles in the field.

The former PDC World Youth Champion has reached the semi-finals of both the England Open and UKDA National Finals in his recent recorded events. The England Open run came with an 85.89 tournament average, while his latest National Finals campaign produced an 84.16 average.

He is also 8–2 across his last ten recorded matches.

That consistency makes Hubbard particularly interesting in the MODUS format, where producing your level repeatedly across multiple sessions can be every bit as important as one spectacular performance.

Mawson arrives as a recent champion

There is also plenty of international interest.

Canada's Gary Mawson comes into Week 6 after winning Championship Darts Circuit Main Event 8, going through the tournament unbeaten with an 81.21 average. He has since reached another quarter-final and also carries an 8–2 last-ten record.

David Munyua returns to the Super Series following the Kenyan's memorable appearance at Alexandra Palace, while Patrick Dekker completes what looks a genuinely intriguing opening group.

Dekker's recent results include an 84.59 match average on the Challenge Tour and a victory over Steve Lennon.

Three Kevins – and three very different threats

One of the more unusual features of Week 6 is a group containing Kevin Edwards, Kevin Lane and Kevin Painter.

Beyond the shared first name, there are three very different darting stories.

Edwards has been producing some excellent numbers on the ADC circuit. His recent results include tournament averages of 87.92, 85.78 and 85.71, with a peak match average of 96.27. He is 7–3 across his last ten recorded matches.

Lane has also been competing strongly. He reached the quarter-finals of ADC Championship South Event 11 with an 83.64 tournament average, beating Lewis Cook with an 89.02 average along the way. More recently he has continued to average in the mid-80s on the Challenge Tour.

Then there is Kevin Painter.

The former World Championship finalist needs little introduction, and while his recent results are less consistent than some of the field, the scoring ability remains. Painter recently reached a Vault quarter-final averaging 80.92 and produced a 91.09 match average during the event.

Killington could be dangerous

Another name I particularly like this week is George Killington.

Killington comes in immediately after reaching a Vault final at Waterlooville, averaging 82.54 across the tournament. His individual performances included a 93.94, and he is 8–2 across his latest ten recorded matches.

The former Tour Card holder has enough experience to make a sustained MODUS run, and his recent numbers suggest he arrives in good shape.

John O'Shea and Ram Guevara Jr complete the 12-player field. The Q4QS database is currently much thinner on Guevara, while O'Shea's recorded recent results include an 87.44 match average on the Challenge Tour and a 5–1 victory over Jelle Klaasen.

Six Players to Watch

Derek Coulson

The obvious benchmark. Challenge Tour champion, Challenge Tour finalist and consistently producing 90-plus tournament numbers. If Coulson brings his recent level to Portsmouth, somebody is going to have to play extremely well to stop him.

Jamai van den Herik

Already a MODUS weekly winner and a Development Tour champion this season. He has both the scoring level and experience of this particular format to challenge again.

Kevin Edwards

Possibly the most interesting player outside the headline names. Recent ADC numbers have been excellent, including a 96.27 match average, and this week provides a chance to translate that form onto the MODUS stage.

James Hubbard

Two recent major amateur semi-finals and an 8–2 last ten. Hubbard's consistency makes him a serious candidate to outperform expectations.

George Killington

Arrives straight from a final and has been producing plenty of 80-plus darts, with the ability to push considerably higher. A dangerous player if momentum carries over.

Kevin Lane

Recent Challenge Tour averages in the mid-80s follow an impressive ADC quarter-final. His current scoring suggests he can cause problems throughout the week.

A favourite – but not necessarily a straightforward week

Coulson deserves to begin as the standout name. The combination of MODUS experience, current form and a Q4QS average above 91 separates him from the field on paper.

But MODUS weeks rarely play out entirely on paper.

Van den Herik has already demonstrated that he can win in this environment. Hubbard is making deep runs. Mawson has recently won on the CDC. Killington arrives from a final. Edwards and Lane are producing numbers capable of beating very good players.

And with players such as Painter, Dekker, O'Shea, Munyua and Guevara completing the field, there should be plenty of opportunities for the week's expected order to be disrupted.

Coulson starts as the man to beat. Finding out who can get closest to him – or perhaps knock him off the top altogether – should make Week 6 well worth following.

MODUS Super Series Week 5 Preview: Klose Leads Another Fascinating 12-Player Field

The MODUS Super Series returns for Week 5 with another intriguing 12-player line-up, bringing together PDC experience, proven MODUS performers, international talent and several players arriving in particularly strong form.

On the numbers available to Q4QS, Daniel Klose is the obvious starting point.

The German comes into the week ranked 18th in the Q4QS database with a 90.53 average, and his recent results have been outstanding. Klose reached the quarter-finals of Challenge Tour 17, the final of Event 18 and then went unbeaten to win Challenge Tour 20, averaging 93.75 across the tournament. He subsequently stepped onto the Players Championship circuit and still averaged 97.68 and 95.43 in his two appearances there.

That makes him the statistical standout, but this is far from a one-player week.

Neil Duff brings experience and consistency

Former WDF World Champion Neil Duff is another player who should command plenty of respect.

Duff's Q4QS average sits at 84.18, and his recent results include a Vault victory at Waterlooville as well as a semi-final at an ADC Winmau Championship South event. His scoring remains highly competitive, with individual performances including a 103.66 against Leo Howard.

Duff has plenty of experience in longer-format competitive environments, and that can be particularly valuable in the unusual week-long MODUS format.

Jordan Brooks arrives from a World Masters semi-final

One of the more interesting names this week is Jordan Brooks, who comes into MODUS following an excellent run at the 2026 WDF World Masters.

Brooks reached the semi-finals there, winning six matches and averaging 84.12 across the event. His wins included Ron Meulenkamp, Stefan Schroder, David Flowers and Luka Matković, with several individual match averages in the high 80s. He is also 7-3 across his last ten matches in the Q4QS database.

That sort of tournament run suggests Brooks could be particularly dangerous if he settles quickly in Portsmouth.

Rogov's form deserves attention

Dmitrii Rogov may not have the same profile with UK viewers, but his recent record makes him difficult to ignore.

Rogov is 9-1 across his last ten, reached the final of the Cyprus International Darts Open and has subsequently made three semi-finals at Eastern European Darts Challenge events. His recorded match averages include a 95.37, while his overall Q4QS average stands at 80.85.

He looks like exactly the sort of player capable of outperforming expectations during a MODUS week.

Justin Smith comes in with winning form

There is plenty to like about Justin Smith's recent numbers too.

Smith is 8-2 across his last ten and recently went unbeaten to win a Vault event at Cardigan with an 85.51 tournament average. He followed that with a quarter-final at the Towy Sports Bar Open, averaging 80.04 across nine matches.

His notable performances include a 95.94 average in a 3-0 win over Jamie Evans.

With fewer qualifying events in the database than some of the field, his overall Q4QS average isn't yet displayed, but the performances we do have suggest plenty of ability.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven brings a high ceiling

Noa-Lynn van Leuven is another capable of producing numbers well beyond her overall average.

She reached a PDC Women's Series semi-final with an 86.10 event average and subsequently averaged 91.44 during a quarter-final run at the Swiss Open. Her notable recent performances include a 99.89 average in a 5-1 victory over Leanne Topper.

Recent Swedish Open results were less eye-catching, but the ceiling is clearly there.

Hamilton remains a threat

The most experienced name in the field is Andy Hamilton.

His recent Challenge Tour performances are probably more useful than some of the smaller local events in the database when assessing his chances this week. Hamilton reached the last 32 of Challenge Tour 16 averaging 88.42 and most recently averaged 86.42 in reaching the last 64 of Challenge Tour 20.

He has been around the highest level of the sport for years, and MODUS has repeatedly shown that experience can count for plenty when players have to negotiate multiple sessions across the week.

Six to Follow

Daniel Klose – The standout on recent numbers. A Challenge Tour winner, finalist and quarter-finalist in his last few outings, with a 90.53 Q4QS average.

Neil Duff – Experienced, consistent and still capable of producing very strong scoring bursts.

Jordan Brooks – Comes in fresh from a WDF World Masters semi-final and looks particularly well suited to the format.

Dmitrii Rogov – Perhaps the most intriguing player in the field. He is 9-1 recently and has been consistently reaching finals and semi-finals.

Justin Smith – 8-2 in his last ten with an 85.51 tournament average during a recent unbeaten title run.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven – Has the scoring ceiling to trouble anyone in the field and has produced several excellent tournament performances this season.

There are plenty of alternatives to those six.

Danny Goddard has been competing regularly on the Challenge Tour and has produced a 95.54 match average recently. Mark Layton has won two recent Vault events at Llandeilo and also reached a final and semi-final during a strong sequence of results.

Ziggy Schenk is harder to assess with only three qualifying events currently in the Q4QS database, but his Q-School results included a 90.12 event performance and an 84.96 match average.

The two players I currently have least Q4QS data for are Richard McKee and Martyn Turner, who were not matched to profiles in this export, so I wouldn't manufacture form lines for either of them.

A strong favourite – but an open week behind him

Klose deserves to begin the week as the player to beat on the available evidence. Very few players arrive at MODUS immediately after the sort of Challenge Tour sequence he has put together.

Behind him, though, it becomes much harder to separate the field.

Duff has the experience, Rogov and Brooks have excellent recent tournament form, Smith is winning events, Van Leuven has a very high scoring ceiling, and Hamilton remains capable of producing the numbers required at this level.

That should make MODUS Super Series Week 5 another fascinating week — and one where the battle to reach Saturday could prove every bit as interesting as the eventual title race.

Q4QS Weekly Spotlight: Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week

 

Another seven days of grassroots darts produced plenty of candidates for the Weekly Spotlight, but this week’s final three stood out for very different reasons.

Louis Melville combined one of the week’s most important victories with another two tournament wins and a further final. Shaun Vernall continued an extraordinary run of consistency, winning three events and finishing the week by taking the £800 Gloucester Open. And Cody Sheppard produced an excellent sequence of results at Out Out Bar, culminating in a convincing Premier League Qualification victory.

As always, this isn’t simply about picking the three highest averages or the biggest names. It’s about the players whose performances, consistency or individual stories caught my eye over the previous seven days.

Louis Melville

Player Profile

Louis Melville has put together an outstanding record in the Q4QS database.

Across 243 recorded matches, Melville has won 215, giving him an excellent 88.5% win rate. From only 38 recorded events, he has already collected 22 tournament victories, alongside three runner-up finishes, four semi-finals and five quarter-finals.

His overall match average stands at 77.96, but his peak numbers show considerably more. His best recorded average is 111.33, with further performances of 107.36 and three separate 103.66 averages among his top five.

There is also plenty of quality in the opposition he has beaten. His best-rated recorded win is now against Dean Reynolds, while his record also includes several victories over Timothy Jones and a win over Creed Jenkins.

This Week

Melville began the week by winning the MODUS Super Series South Wales Regional Qualifier at Wattsville National Club, defeating Dean Reynolds 6–5 in the final.

That victory now also appears as the highest-rated win in his player profile, with Melville averaging 80.71 in the deciding match against Reynolds.

He followed it with another title at Olivers Sports Bar, winning the Vault 19 Open Warm Up. Melville produced two 91.09 averages during that tournament before beating Richie Limbert 3–1 in the final.

Then came another victory at the same venue in Friday’s ADC Open Ranking event.

This was arguably his best scoring performance of the week. Melville recorded 96.97, 92.02, 91.09 and 90.18 averages and completed the title with a 3–0 final victory over Liam Hughes.

Even then, the week wasn’t over. On Saturday he reached another final, defeating Ieuan Evans and Harry Morris in the knockout stages before losing 3–1 to Finley Bennett.

Three titles, including a MODUS regional qualifier, plus another final made Melville impossible to leave out this week.

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Shaun Vernall

Player Profile

Shaun Vernall continues to build one of the most impressive grassroots records in the database.

He has played 762 recorded matches, winning 636 of them for an 83.5% win rate across 117 events. Those appearances have produced 39 tournament victories, 22 runner-up finishes and another 43 quarter-final or semi-final appearances.

His overall match average stands at 76.92, while his last ten currently average 84.22. His ceiling is enormous: Vernall’s best recorded average is 128.71, with further peaks of 120.24, 112.63 and two 107.36 performances.

His list of significant victories includes Josh McCarthy, Neil Wild and Joe Quiney — with one win over Wild accompanied by a 98.40 average.

This Week

Vernall started his winning run at Widden Rugby Club, where he took the title after eight victories and produced a 93.94 average during the event.

He then added another tournament victory at Faringdon, once again defeating Rich Griffee in the final.

But the biggest performance was saved until Saturday.

The Gloucester Open featured 288 recorded matches, and Vernall came through the event with 20 victories recorded across the day before defeating Declan Cox 5–1 in the final.

His player profile gives an even clearer picture of the knockout run. Vernall beat James Mann and Archie McChristie with consecutive 96.97 averages, defeated Joe Bagguley 4–1 in the semi-final and then completed the title with a 5–1 victory over Cox.

It also left his latest recorded form at a perfect 10 wins from 10.

Vernall has featured before, but this series isn't about avoiding repeat names for the sake of it. Three titles in a week, capped by the Gloucester Open, demanded another appearance.

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Cody Sheppard

Player Profile

Cody Sheppard brings a completely different story to this week’s three.

His profile already contains a substantial 605 recorded matches, with 367 victories and a 60.7% win rate across 132 events. He has recorded 10 tournament victories, alongside 25 runner-up finishes, 15 semi-finals and 33 quarter-finals.

His overall match average is 55.48, but that number hides some very eye-catching peaks.

Sheppard’s best recorded average is a remarkable 112.78, while he has also produced a 100.20 and two 88.41 performances.

His record also contains wins against much higher-rated opposition, headed by Alec Small and Alfie O’Brien.

This Week

Sheppard’s week was built around a series of events at Out Out Bar.

He first won the NDC Open, beating Charlie Morgan 4–2 in the final.

There were then two further Premier League Qualification runs. On Wednesday he reached the final after beating Mason White and Archie Bourne, before Cody Vodden edged him 3–2.

Two days later, Sheppard turned that result around emphatically.

He beat Kenzie Thomas 5–3 in the semi-final and then defeated Vodden 6–1 in the final, averaging 67.75 to complete the tournament victory.

That was particularly notable after several close battles between the pair during the week, and it gave Sheppard a second tournament victory from a run that also contained multiple finals.

For a player still developing, that sort of repeated exposure to latter-stage matches can be every bit as interesting as one isolated big average.

Two tournament victories, multiple finals and a 6–1 win to finish the week earns Cody Sheppard his place in the Weekly Spotlight.

MODUS Super Series Week 4 Preview: Experience, Form and Familiar Faces Collide

 

The MODUS Super Series returns for Week 4, and the latest field brings together some of the most recognisable names on the non-Tour Card circuit alongside players arriving with excellent recent form.

One of the great strengths of the Super Series is the variety of routes players take to reach Portsmouth. Former major champions, ex-PDC professionals, Challenge Tour regulars and players progressing through the grassroots game can suddenly find themselves competing on the same stage.

Week 4 looks a particularly good example.

Steve Beaton and John Henderson need little introduction, while Ted Evetts, Matthew Dennant, Paul Hogan and James Richardson all have substantial experience behind them. There are also potentially dangerous players further through the field, including Adam Hunt, Colin Osborne and Danny van Trijp.

And while reputation inevitably attracts attention, the Q4QS database suggests that some of the players arriving in the best form aren't necessarily the biggest names.

Can Beaton Roll Back the Years?

There will inevitably be plenty of attention on Steve Beaton.

The former Lakeside World Champion's career spans generations, and his appearance in the MODUS Super Series gives Week 4 another fascinating storyline.

The recent Q4QS data shows that Beaton can still produce the level required to trouble strong opposition.

His best Challenge Tour run in the database came at Event 3, where he reached the quarter-finals with an 86.33 event average, while his notable performances include an 89.81 in victory over Daniel Klose.

His more recent results have been mixed – he's 6-4 across his last ten recorded matches – but the quality remains.

And the Super Series environment can be very different from a huge Challenge Tour floor. With repeated matches, a settled board and opportunities to build momentum across the week, it will be fascinating to see what Beaton produces.

Henderson Has Been Going Deep on the Challenge Tour

John Henderson arrives with considerably stronger recent results.

The Scot is 8-2 across his last ten recorded matches, and there is an impressive consistency to his recent Challenge Tour record.

He reached the last 32 of Event 16 before producing consecutive quarter-final appearances at Events 17 and 18. His Event 17 run came with an 87.24 tournament average, including performances of 94.42 and 93.94.

That is particularly relevant here.

Henderson isn't simply a famous name from the past entering the Super Series. The recent evidence says he's still winning matches against strong opposition.

If he brings that Challenge Tour level to Portsmouth, he should be extremely competitive.

Dennant Arrives in Outstanding Form

One of the strongest statistical profiles in the entire Week 4 field belongs to Matthew Dennant.

Dennant is 9-1 across his last ten recorded matches, but even that doesn't fully describe his recent run.

His last five events in the Q4QS database include four tournament victories.

He won twice at The Beacon Way in Walsall, added another title at Tipton Sports Academy and then won at The Beacon Way again before reaching the last 64 of the UKDA National Finals.

His Tipton victory was particularly impressive: an unbeaten 8-0 tournament with an 89.62 event average.

The database also has a best recorded performance of 120.24 for Dennant.

This is exactly the sort of player the Super Series can reward. Dennant may not carry the mainstream recognition of Beaton or Henderson, but anyone following the wider darts circuit will know how dangerous he can be.

On current form, he has to be considered one of the major contenders.

Hogan Just Keeps Winning

Then there is Paul Hogan.

If recent winning form is the criterion, it is difficult to make a stronger case for anyone.

Hogan is 10-0 across his last ten matches in the database.

More significantly, his last five recorded tournaments contain four victories and a semi-final.

He has won at The Academy in Basingstoke twice, The Wolversdene Club in Andover and Burghfield Community Sports Association, with his Andover success coming via an 87.02 event average.

Hogan's longevity sometimes disguises just how competitive he remains.

He isn't appearing in Week 4 simply because of what he has achieved previously. He's arriving while winning tournament after tournament.

That makes him one of my strongest picks for the week.

Evetts Looking to Convert Scoring Into a Run

Ted Evetts brings another combination of experience and recent success.

The former PDC Tour Card holder and World Youth Champion has been active on the Challenge Tour, but one of his standout recent performances came in Vault 18.

Evetts went 8-0 at The Crow Pie in Rugby, winning the tournament with an excellent 92.50 average.

That run included a 100.20 performance against Harvey Lucas-Carter and a 95.42 against Jacob Crinigan.

His subsequent Challenge Tour results haven't produced the same sustained run, although his tournament averages of 90.20 at Event 16 and 91.08 at Event 20 demonstrate that his scoring remains strong.

If Evetts converts that scoring into results, he could quickly become one of the week's leading players.

Richardson Quietly Building an Excellent Record

My final selection is James Richardson, whose recent numbers are difficult to overlook.

Richardson is 9-1 across his last ten recorded matches and has been accumulating titles.

His recent sequence includes victories at Earls Barton Silver Band Club and two different Vault events at Windmill Club in Rushden, including an unbeaten 7-0 performance with an 82.92 tournament average.

There's a 94.48 individual performance among the recent data as well.

Like Hogan, Richardson has vast experience, but his selection isn't based on reputation.

He's here because he's currently winning.

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🎯 Q4QS Six to Follow

1. Steve Beaton
The former world champion still possesses the scoring level to trouble anyone, with a 98.88 best recorded average in the Q4QS data.

2. John Henderson
Back-to-back Challenge Tour quarter-finals and an 8-2 recent record make Henderson one of the strongest form players among the established names.

3. Matthew Dennant
Four wins from his last five recorded events, 9-1 in his last ten and a huge scoring ceiling make Dennant a serious contender.

4. Paul Hogan
A perfect 10-0 across his last ten and four tournament wins from his last five appearances – Hogan arrives in exceptional form.

5. Ted Evetts
An unbeaten Vault victory with a 92.50 tournament average shows just how dangerous Evetts can be when everything clicks.

6. James Richardson
Nine wins from his last ten recorded matches and multiple recent titles make Richardson another player whose current form demands attention.

Beyond the Six

There are plenty of reasons not to restrict the conversation to those six.

Adam Hunt has a Q4QS overall average of 85.88 and has demonstrated a very high ceiling, including a 103.73 performance against Matthew Dennant at Q School.

Former Players Championship winner Colin Osborne adds another hugely experienced name. His recent results have been inconsistent, but he reached the last 64 of Challenge Tour 20 and produced an 84.69 during that event.

Dutchman Jurgen Nuijten is 7-3 across his last ten recorded matches, while Danny van Trijp is another player with experience of competing at a high level.

That's what makes this field so interesting. There are players with huge amounts of stage experience, others currently dominating grassroots tournaments and several capable of producing averages well into the 90s and beyond.

A Week Where Reputation Might Not Be Enough

It's tempting to look at Week 4 and immediately focus on Beaton and Henderson.

They are the two names most casual darts followers are likely to recognise.

But the data tells a more interesting story.

Hogan is 10-0.

Dennant is 9-1 and has won four of his last five recorded tournaments.

Richardson is 9-1.

Henderson is 8-2 and has recently made consecutive Challenge Tour quarter-finals.

Evetts has produced a 92.50 tournament-winning average.

That creates exactly the sort of field I enjoy watching in the MODUS Super Series.

We know what some of these players have achieved.

Week 4 is about discovering what they can do now.

And with experience, current form and some serious scoring power colliding in Portsmouth, there should be plenty to follow throughout the week.

Q4QS Weekly Spotlight: Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week (weekending 23rd August 2026)

Another week of grassroots darts, and again the difficult part wasn't finding three players worth talking about — it was narrowing the list down.

This week's final three have arrived here in very different ways.

Mat Caste simply kept winning, collecting three titles during the week and producing one of the best averages anywhere in the results. Henry Cooper delivered when the stakes were considerably higher, winning the South West MODUS Super Series regional qualifier. And Logun Godbeer finished the week in outstanding fashion, winning two events on consecutive days and extending his latest run to ten straight victories.

As always, this feature isn't intended to be a simple list of the highest averages or biggest names. These are three performances and stories that caught my eye over the last seven days.

Mat Caste

Player Profile

Mat Caste has built an enormous body of work during 2026.

His Q4QS database now contains 712 matches, of which he has won 591, giving him an excellent 83% win rate across 112 recorded events. Those appearances have produced 32 tournament victories, along with 23 runner-up finishes and 21 semi-finals.

His overall match average of 77.34 perhaps doesn't immediately reveal how high his ceiling can be. Caste has a best recorded average of 120.24, while his top five also contain four separate performances of 103 or better.

He's also shown that level against strong opposition. His recorded victories include Dylan Dowling and Nunjo Dewaele on the Challenge Tour, while he has beaten Danny Lauby on several occasions, including a 3–0 victory accompanied by a 100.20 average.

This Week

This was a week when Caste seemed to be permanently around the business end of tournaments.

It began at The Carlton House Club in Olney, where he collected the title after eight victories. His best performances during the event included averages of 93.94, 88.41 and 86.94.

Two days later came the week's headline performance.

At Windmill Hill Golf Centre, Caste produced a huge 112.69 average, followed later by 100.63 in his semi-final against Mark Boardman. He then defeated Adam King 3–0 in the final to take another title.

Thursday brought another victory at Hotshots Sports Bar in Bletchley. Caste beat Bailey Martin and Charlie Collins before overcoming Addison Hefferon 3–1 in the final with an 85.85 average.

And even after three tournament victories, his week wasn't finished.

Caste reached the quarter-finals of the MODUS Super Series South East & London Regional Qualifier, beating Stuart Woodmore and Gary Stafford before narrowly losing 6–5 to eventual finalist Connor Levett.

Three titles plus a MODUS regional quarter-final would be an exceptional week by any measure. Add a 112.69 average into the equation and Caste was impossible to overlook.

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Henry Cooper

Player Profile

Henry Cooper's numbers are extraordinary.

Across 377 recorded matches, Cooper has won 341, producing a 90.5% career win rate within the Q4QS database. From 55 events he has already recorded 33 tournament victories, meaning he has won well over half of all the events in which he has appeared.

The scoring figures are equally impressive.

Cooper's overall match average stands at 84.49, while his last ten matches average a remarkable 94.25. His best recorded performance is 115.62, with further peaks of 111.33 and two separate 109.98 averages.

He also arrived at the end of this week's data with a perfect 10 wins from his last ten recorded matches.

This Week

Cooper only needed one tournament to earn his place in this week's feature.

And it was an important one.

At St Breward AFC & Social Club, Cooper won the ADC South West Series 18 MODUS Super Series Qualifier.

He produced a 92.02 average in a 6–0 victory over Jamie Kay, before defeating Ricky King 6–2 in the final with a 90.28 average. Cooper finished the event with four victories and the two highest averages recorded by any player in the tournament.

It also continued a remarkable period of form. Cooper's profile shows a last-five average of 97.53 and last-ten figure of 94.25, numbers which underline just how strongly he has been playing recently.

Some selections in this series come from winning several events in a week.

This one comes from winning the event that mattered.

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Logun Godbeer

Player Profile

Logun Godbeer's database tells a slightly different story from the other two.

He has already accumulated a remarkable 815 recorded matches, winning 573 of them for a 70.3% win rate across 132 events. Those tournaments have yielded 22 victories, 15 runner-up finishes and 36 semi-finals.

His overall average is 63.50, but there are plenty of indications of a significantly higher ceiling. Godbeer has produced three recorded 93.94 averages, while he also hit 91.09 earlier this week at Portishead.

Perhaps most interestingly, his record already includes wins over considerably higher-rated opposition, including Jimmy Bristow, Robbie Long, Luke Harding and Rich Griffee.

This Week

Godbeer saved his best results for the end of the week.

On Friday at Portishead Workmens Darts, he came through the open tournament with eight victories.

The knockout stages included a 3–0 win over Luke Adams with an 80.52 average, followed by a 3–1 semi-final victory over Steve Boundy. Godbeer then defeated Ellie Harwood 4–1 in the final to take the title.

Less than 24 hours later, he did it again.

This time it was the JDC Volts at Highbridge Social Club.

Godbeer defeated Alfie Coles, George Miller, Ben Miller and Woody Littlewood before another win over Miller in the semi-final. A 3–1 victory over Tai Anderson completed his second tournament triumph in two days.

Those results also mean his current recorded form reads a perfect 10 wins from his last ten matches.

Two different events. Two consecutive days. Two titles.

That's a pretty good way to finish a week — and a very good reason for Logun Godbeer to make his first appearance in the Weekly Spotlight.

One Place on the MODUS Stage – South West Vault 18 Regional Final Preview

 

The road through Vault 18 reaches its conclusion in the South West on Saturday 22 August, when 20 of the region’s leading players battle it out for one of the biggest prizes available on the grassroots circuit.

A place on the MODUS Super Series stage awaits the winner.

For the last seven weeks, players across the South West have been competing in Vault events, collecting points and trying to position themselves high enough in the regional standings to reach this final day.

Now, the points race is over.

There are no more calculations to make and no more weeks to recover from a bad result.

For these 20 players, it comes down to one tournament.

Win it, and the reward is a televised MODUS Super Series opportunity.

That pathway has already shown just how significant these regional qualifiers can be. In Vault 17, Henry Cooper won the South West MODUS qualifier at Shaftesbury Football Club, defeating Andy Steed 6-4 in the final and averaging 85.51 across the event.

Now Cooper is back trying to do it all again.

Cooper Bids for Back-to-Back Qualification

There could hardly be a better starting point.

Henry Cooper enters the Vault 18 Regional Final as the defending South West qualifier champion — and his current form suggests another run is entirely possible.

Cooper is 10-0 across his last ten recorded matches in the Q4QS database and comes into Saturday after winning at The Kings Arms in Wallisdown with an exceptional 93.95 tournament average.

His recent sequence is formidable.

Three wins from his last five recorded events, another final, and tournament averages of 83.91, 84.02, 92.33 and 93.95 underline just how consistently well he has been playing.

He also has individual recorded performances of 109.98 and 104.86 among his recent results.

Repeating a regional qualifier victory is a difficult ask, but Cooper appears to be arriving at exactly the right level.

Gareth Griffiths Might Be the Man to Beat

If Cooper has the previous regional title, Gareth Griffiths may have the strongest current case.

Griffiths is ranked 83rd in the Q4QS database, with an overall average of 87.07, and he is also 10-0 across his last ten matches.

His latest appearance was spectacular.

Griffiths went 8-0 to win at Indian Queens WMC with a 93.35 tournament average, having already recorded victories over Kevin Mitchell, Neil Meneer and Logan Symons Jr during his recent run.

There is also unfinished business here.

Griffiths reached the semi-finals of the previous South West MODUS qualifier, averaging 90.08, before his run was ended by Andy Steed.

This time, he'll be looking to go two rounds further.

Spurdle Has Been Consistently in Contention

Kieran Spurdle is another player whose recent record makes a strong case.

He comes into Saturday 8-2 across his last ten, having won Vault 18 events at both The Choughs in Chard and Pegasus 68 in Taunton.

His recent five-event sequence contains two wins, two finals and a semi-final, making him one of the most consistently successful players in this field.

Spurdle's best recent winning average was 77.44, while individual performances have climbed as high as 88.41.

He might not carry the same headline scoring numbers as Griffiths or Cooper, but tournament darts is about repeatedly getting through matches — and Spurdle has been doing exactly that.

Cleave Comes in With Winning Form

Finlay Cleave is another who has been accumulating deep runs.

Cleave is also 8-2 in his last ten, and his recent results include victory at 8 Ball Bar & Sports in Paignton, where he went a perfect 8-0 with a 76.78 tournament average.

He followed that with semi-finals in Taunton and at Galaxy Sports Bar, while his recent wins include an 89.24 performance against Andy Steed and an 88.41 against Charlie Wiles.

Again, that gives him precisely the sort of profile that can work well in a one-day knockout.

Andrews Has Already Been Winning Around Bristol

Lee Andrews comes into Saturday with slightly less impressive immediate win-loss numbers than some of the favourites, but his recent record contains plenty of evidence that he belongs in the conversation.

Andrews recently won a Vault at Bessellscotts in Bristol, while his other recent results include semi-finals at North Star Club and Saintbridge Sports Club.

He has also shown a ceiling well above his overall 70.86 database average, with the preview data recording a best performance of 100.20.

In a shorter field where only a handful of wins separate somebody from the MODUS stage, that makes him a genuine threat.

Guilfoyle Provides the Unknown Element

My sixth player to follow is rather different.

Dan Guilfoyle doesn't have anywhere near the amount of Q4QS data behind him that the other leading names do.

He has only one qualifying event in the current database sample, but that appearance produced a 5-2 record and a quarter-final at St Breward, including several wins in the mid-to-high 50s.

So rather than presenting him as one of the statistical favourites, I'd see Guilfoyle as the intriguing unknown among my six.

Sometimes these regional finals throw up players whose broader level hasn't yet been fully captured by the database.

Saturday gives us a chance to find out more.

⭐ Q4QS Six to Follow

🎯 Gareth Griffiths
The highest-ranked player among my six, 10-0 recently and coming off an 8-0 title-winning performance with a 93.35 average.

🎯 Henry Cooper
The defending South West MODUS qualifier champion, also 10-0 recently and producing some outstanding 90+ tournament numbers.

🎯 Kieran Spurdle
Two wins, two finals and a semi-final among his latest five events make him one of the most consistent players in the field.

🎯 Finlay Cleave
Another 8-2 player who has already shown he can put together an unbeaten Vault-winning run.

🎯 Lee Andrews
A recent Bristol Vault winner with several other deep runs and enough scoring power to threaten anyone in the draw.

🎯 Dan Guilfoyle
The least exposed of the six in the Q4QS database, but his 5-2 Vault appearance makes him an interesting player to keep an eye on.

Plenty of Threats Beyond the Six

As with the South East & London qualifier, selecting six does not mean the rest can be ignored.

Danny Humphries comes into Saturday 9-1 across his last ten, has recently won a Vault at Matson Rugby Club with an 81.34 tournament average and has been gaining valuable Challenge Tour experience as well.

Callum Harrison is 7-3 and recently reached a Sturminster final, while Trevor Pengelly has the same 7-3 recent record and has reached semi-finals during both Vault 17 and Vault 18.

Then there are several significant names for whom the uploaded preview pack doesn't contain enough current detail to analyse in the same way — including Jamie Kay, Ricky King, Neil Meneer, C-Jay Pipe, Robbie Roy, Andy Steed, Sean Taylor, Martin Walker and Barry Wylds.

And Andy Steed in particular hardly needs explaining as a danger: he reached the final of the Vault 17 South West MODUS qualifier before losing to Cooper.

A Smaller Field – But Not an Easier One

The South West qualifier has an interesting difference to the South East & London event.

There are 20 players rather than 32 after the final field was confirmed, with Zach Quinn, Brooklyn Anthony and Josh McCarthy no longer taking part.

On the surface, that means fewer matches and fewer players standing between somebody and MODUS.

But it doesn't necessarily make the tournament easier.

With Cooper and Griffiths both arriving 10-0, Spurdle and Cleave at 8-2, Humphries at 9-1 and several proven regional performers elsewhere in the field, there is quality throughout the entry list.

And with only one prize that really matters, eventually somebody has to beat those players.

One More Opportunity

This is what seven weeks of Vault 18 have been building towards.

The weekly wins, ranking points and long evenings at venues across Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Gloucestershire have created the field.

On Saturday, all of that disappears.

Whether somebody qualified first or twentieth doesn't matter once the darts begin.

Twenty players.

One South West Regional Final.

One MODUS Super Series place.

Henry Cooper has already travelled this road successfully once.

On Saturday we'll discover whether he can do it again — or whether somebody else takes the South West's latest opportunity to step out of the Vault and onto the televised MODUS stage.

One Win From the MODUS Stage – South East & London Vault 18 Regional Final Preview

 

Seven weeks of Vault competition. Hundreds of matches. Dozens of venues and countless legs of darts.

On Saturday, it all comes down to one day.

The ADC Vault 18 South East & London Regional Final takes place on Saturday 22 August, bringing together 32 of the leading performers from one of the strongest and deepest regions in the Vault system.

And this time the prize is about considerably more than winning another darts tournament.

The winner earns a place on the MODUS Super Series, taking them from the grassroots Vault circuit onto the televised MODUS stage and giving them an opportunity to take another significant step in their darting career.

That pathway is precisely what makes the Vault concept so fascinating.

For seven weeks, players have competed in regular round-robin tournaments across the region, accumulating points towards the regional standings. The leading players then earn their shot at the Regional Final, where everything effectively resets.

Thirty-two players.

One knockout tournament.

One MODUS opportunity.

The Vault regulations describe the prize as a live MODUS Super Series place, guaranteeing either a five-day appearance or two separate two-day appearances.

For players accustomed to competing in clubs, pubs and social venues around the country, that is an enormous opportunity.

And the South East & London field looks particularly difficult to predict.

Cressey Looking to Do It Again

There is an obvious place to begin.

George Cressey knows exactly what it takes to win one of these.

Cressey won the Vault 17 South East & London Regional Final, earning his previous MODUS opportunity, and returns for Vault 18 attempting the difficult feat of qualifying again.

His wider form suggests that previous success was certainly no one-off.

The Q4QS database has Cressey averaging 85.17, while his recent results include victory at the Once Twitten Early Bird tournament where he averaged an outstanding 93.58 across the event. He has also produced a recorded match average of 120.40.

There is another interesting element to Cressey's story.

He has already shown that when the prize becomes bigger, his game can rise with it. That previous experience of navigating a regional final could prove extremely valuable on Saturday.

But this is far from a one-man tournament.

Dutton Brings Serious Form

If we're looking for one of the strongest statistical cases in the field, Stuart Dutton is difficult to ignore.

Dutton comes into the Regional Final with an 83.03 database average and an 8-2 record across his last ten matches.

His recent tournament record is even more impressive.

There are wins at Riverside Club and Sports Bar & Lounge in Milton Keynes, semi-finals at Bradmoor Farm and Charville Community Centre, and a semi-final at the Winmau CDC Classic where he averaged 84.50.

That's exactly the sort of consistency required in a 32-player knockout.

There won't be much room for a slow start on Saturday.

Crook Has Already Shown His Quality

Roger Crook is another player arriving with winning form behind him.

Crook won ADC Winmau Championship South Event 12, going through that tournament 8-0 and averaging 82.60. More recently, he reached another final at the GWRSA Club while averaging 88.19 across the event.

His last-ten record stands at 8-2.

Perhaps more importantly, those performances have come in substantial fields and against strong opposition. There should be very little about the pressure of Saturday's Regional Final that intimidates him.

Levett's Consistency Makes Him Dangerous

Connor Levett may be one of the most interesting players in the draw.

An 81.15 database average is backed up by an 8-2 recent record, while Levett has already won Vault 18 tournaments at TMG Social Club and Southwick Sports & Social Club.

He followed those victories by reaching another final at The Bear Free House, averaging 81.06.

That is a very solid body of Vault form.

And in an event made up predominantly of players who have earned their place through this exact competition, being consistently successful within the Vault format itself could be particularly significant.

Holley Knows How to Win

Then there's Sean Holley.

Holley has multiple recent Vault successes in the database, including an unbeaten 8-0 victory at Chinnor Community Pavilion and another tournament win at Bradmoor Farm where he averaged 85.80.

His best individual performances suggest there is another gear available as well, with the preview data recording a best average of 117.72.

If that higher level appears at the right moment, Holley becomes extremely dangerous.

Caste Might Be the Form Player

If recent wins are the deciding factor, however, Mat Caste demands attention.

Caste is 9-1 across his last ten recorded matches.

His recent run contains a semi-final at Hotshots, another semi-final at Bradmoor Farm and then three tournament victories – at the Carlton House Club, Windmill Hill Golf Centre and Hotshots Sports Bar.

At Windmill Hill he averaged 85.66 across the tournament.

There may be players with higher long-term numbers in this field, but very few appear to be arriving with greater momentum.

Six to Follow

My six for Saturday are therefore:

George Cressey – the defending Vault regional qualifier winner and already proven in exactly this situation.

Roger Crook – recent ADC Winmau Championship winner with another final immediately among his recent results.

Connor Levett – consistently producing around the 80-plus level and already a multiple Vault winner.

Stuart Dutton – arguably the strongest all-round statistical profile among the leading contenders.

Sean Holley – plenty of winning experience and capable of producing significantly bigger numbers when everything clicks.

Mat Caste – 9-1 across his last ten and coming into the tournament on a superb sequence of deep runs and victories.

Those are also the six highlighted by the Q4QS preview data.

But Don't Ignore the Rest

Perhaps the biggest danger when assessing this tournament is concentrating too heavily on the obvious six.

There are some remarkable runs elsewhere in the field.

Nathan Beckett, for example, is listed at 10-0 across his last ten and has recently won at The Empire Club, Plough & Horse and The Earl of Abingdon.

George Whyte is also 10-0, his latest appearance producing victory at the IDL Super GP Ruislip.

Remarkably, James Smith is another player carrying a 10-0 record, with victories at Saintbridge Sports Club and South Croydon Conservative Club among his latest results.

And Clayton Ford makes it four players in the wider field whose database form reads 10-0, having most recently won the Chinnor Pavilion Vault Break.

That illustrates the quality of this Regional Final better than almost anything else.

There are players outside an obvious six-to-follow shortlist arriving having barely lost a match.

The Beauty of the Regional Final

What I particularly like about these events is what they represent.

The MODUS Super Series has become an important bridge between grassroots and professional darts. Players don't necessarily need a PDC Tour Card or a major management deal to suddenly find themselves playing televised darts.

They can earn the opportunity on the board.

For the Vault players, Saturday is the culmination of weeks of travelling, entering events, accumulating ranking points and trying to finish high enough in their region to reach this stage.

Now none of those points matter.

The objective becomes beautifully simple.

Win your matches and reach MODUS.

Cressey has already done it.

Dutton, Crook, Levett, Holley and Caste have compelling cases.

Several others arrive on extraordinary winning runs.

And somewhere among this 32-player field is someone who will finish Saturday having transformed a successful Vault campaign into an opportunity to showcase their darts on the MODUS Super Series stage.

That's quite a prize to play for.