After Sunday's enormous programme of darts, Monday might have been expected to be a little quieter. Not particularly!
Another 61 tournaments were added to the Q4QS database, with some outstanding performances across England and Wales.
Ryan Davies produced a remarkable 115.62 average in Pontypridd, Michael Wiles averaged 112.73 in a final at Southend, and junior Jayden Walker hit 107.36 on his way to winning at Stratford Social Club in Salisbury.
There were also seven WADC competitions, including victories for Anna Pearce in Plymouth and Eve Watson in Swansea.
And closer to home, there were interesting results from Calne, Evesham, Minehead, Paignton and Radstock.
Ryan Davies produces Monday's highest genuine average
At Duffy's in Pontypridd, Ryan Davies produced the standout average of the entire day's results.
115.62 against Owen Chant.
That is an exceptional figure at any level of competitive darts.
But Davies didn't simply produce one outstanding match and disappear.
He added averages of 96.33 against Geraint Hill, 93.94 against Geraint Winder and 91.04 against Gavin Lloyd.
He went on to win the tournament, defeating Jonathan Davies 3–1 in the final and collecting seven victories.
Jonathan Davies and Elis Snooks both recorded six wins.
It's exactly the sort of performance that deserves attention. A huge individual average is impressive, but combining it with several other strong matches and the tournament title makes it a much more complete story.
Michael Wiles hits 112.73 in the final
One of the most impressive features of Monday's results was the number of players producing their best darts when it mattered most.
At The Len Forge Centre in Southend, Michael Wiles recorded 112.73 in the final against Les Newson, winning 3–0.
Wiles finished with eight victories and also recorded 88.41 against Lennie Holmes.
Chris Galway produced 95.17 and 91.94, collecting six victories, while Graham Mills also recorded six wins.
A 112-plus average in a final is particularly noteworthy, and Wiles deserves a place among the day's leading performers.
Jayden Walker's remarkable junior performance in Salisbury
Perhaps the most exciting story of the day came from the JDC Junior Volts.
At Stratford Social Club in Salisbury, Jayden Walker won eight matches and defeated Maverick Hurkett 3–1 in the final.
His highest average?
107.36 against Beau Murton.
He also recorded 91.09 against Sophie Newman and 79.11 against Emily Purse.
Hurkett reached 88.41 and collected five victories, while Jake Bertenshaw hit 81.24 and won four matches.
I always think performances like this deserve particular attention.
We're accustomed to seeing three-figure averages in professional darts, but a 107.36 in a junior competition is a tremendous achievement.
And Walker didn't just record the big average. He backed it up with eight wins and the title.
Definitely one to keep an eye on.
Tai Anderson wins at Highbridge
Another strong junior performance came at Highbridge Social Club.
Tai Anderson defeated Cooper Cornish 3–0 in the final, collecting six victories.
Anderson recorded 88.41 against Bode Cosker, while Cornish produced 83.50, 79.11 and 77.08 during his own run.
Both players finished with six victories.
The competition produced several good averages and another useful addition to the growing Q4QS junior database.
Ralph Healing wins a high-quality junior final
At McNamara's Sports Bar and Academy, Ralph Healing defeated Ben Lundstrom 3–1 in the final.
Lundstrom actually produced the highest average of the competition, 92.41 in that final, while Healing recorded 85.98.
Archie Hazell also hit 88.41.
Both finalists collected six victories.
It was a strong event, and another reminder that the quality of junior darts extends well beyond the biggest names.
Jason Reeve takes the Evesham title
At The Bengeworth in Evesham, Jason Reeve won the Monday Vault, defeating Dave Honey 3–2 in the final.
Reeve collected six victories and recorded averages of 85.08, 81.98 and 80.52.
The highest average of the event belonged to Andy Hammond, who hit 98.02 against Lance Gregson.
Honey finished with four wins and Colin Day collected three.
What makes Reeve's victory interesting is that he had reached the final at Bretforton Sports Club on Sunday, losing to Liam George Elliott.
Twenty-four hours later, he was back in another final and this time took the title.
That's a very good couple of days in the Evesham area.
Calne: Scott Mc wins, Josh McCarthy hits 107.36
At North Star Club in Calne, Scott Mc won the Vault, defeating Rich Griffee 3–1 in the final.
Scott collected seven victories, with Griffee finishing on six.
But the headline average belonged to Josh McCarthy.
He recorded 107.36 against Robin Hardy, along with 88.41 against Michael Davies.
Callum Davey and Rich Griffee both reached 93.94, while Scott Mc produced 91.09.
With 62 matches recorded, it was a competitive evening and another strong set of figures from one of the South's established Vault venues.
Minehead: David Farmer beats Steve Boundy
At The Banckers Draught in Minehead, David Farmer defeated Steve Boundy 3–1 in the final.
Farmer collected seven victories and recorded 86.65 in the deciding match.
Boundy, who has featured regularly in recent Q4QS coverage, hit 88.41 against Robbie Hamblin and finished with five wins.
The highest average came from Stuart Milton, who recorded 93.94 against Callum Clifton.
It's another good result for Farmer and another final appearance for Boundy.
Paignton: David Dodds wins at 8 Ball Bar & Sports
At 8 Ball Bar & Sports in Paignton, David Dodds won the Vault, defeating Luke Grantham 3–0 in the final.
Dodds collected seven victories, while Grantham and Jamie Chamberlain each recorded six.
Chamberlain led the averages with 91.09 against Brandon Corley, adding 83.50 against Jayden Brent.
Grantham reached 85.89, while Finlay Cleave produced two separate 81.24 averages.
Another busy Monday tournament in Devon.
Johnny Haines continues his excellent form
After winning at Frimley Green on Sunday, Johnny Haines returned to the winners' circle at GWRSA Club in Didcot.
And his performance was exceptional.
Haines recorded:
- 101.20 against Roger Crook
- 100.20 against Ryan Cooper
- 99.53 against Steve Rideout
- 99.20 in the final against Stu Rideout
- 98.02 against Harry Brannan
He won eight matches and defeated Stu Rideout 3–1 in the final.
Five recorded averages between 98.02 and 101.20 tell a story of sustained quality rather than one outstanding match.
For me, this is one of Monday's most impressive complete tournament performances.
Dan Nicholls hits 103.66, but Elis Cross takes Bostin title
Dan Nicholls has been one of the major stories of recent days, winning twice on Sunday.
At Bostin Darts 180 Bar in Blackheath on Monday, he was once again among the leading performers.
Nicholls hit 103.66 against Lee Craig, 93.94 against Michael Powell and 91.09 against Daz Cooper.
However, this time the tournament title went to Elis Cross.
Cross defeated Michael Powell 3–1 in the final, collecting seven victories and recording 91.09 against Alfie Shipley.
Powell finished with six wins and also recorded 93.94.
It's a useful reminder that even outstanding scoring doesn't guarantee the title.
More outstanding Vault performances
Several other results deserve attention.
Jack Main – The Greyhound, Diss
Jack Main won seven matches, defeated Callum Page 3–0 in the final and recorded 107.36 and 104.86 during his run.
Neil Ward – Newark Railway Sports & Social Club
Neil Ward hit 107.36 against Nathan Stevens and went on to win the tournament, defeating Ethan Dunn 3–0.
Jamie Durrant – The Lockdown Bar and Kitchen, Runcorn
Jamie Durrant defeated Harley Lewis-Rowlands 3–0 in the final, recording eight victories. Harley hit 107.36 earlier in the competition.
Kevin Leadenham – The Rewind Sports Bar, Sleaford
Kevin Leadenham won eight matches and defeated Chris Fidler 3–1 in the final. Richard Spicer recorded a superb 111.33, while Bradley Butler reached 100.20.
Tyler Thorpe – Daventry Town Football Club
Tyler Thorpe collected seven victories and defeated Michael Feasey 3–1 in the final. He recorded 103.66, 90.18 and 88.74.
Adrian Lingard – Pendle Super Series
Adrian Lingard won nine matches, defeated Freddie Thompson 3–1 in the final and recorded 100.20 against Dave Graham.
Shane Turner – Riverside Club, Wycombe
Shane Turner defeated Stuart Dutton 3–0 in the final, with both players recording seven wins. Dutton hit 100.20 and 95.94.
Mark Stafford – Sidley Working Men's Club
Mark Stafford collected eight victories and defeated John Campbell 3–0 in the final, recording 100.20, 93.94, 90.75 and 88.41.
There was plenty of quality spread across the country.
Wales: Lee Evans, Kurt Parry and Dorian Thomas among the winners
The Welsh Vault circuit produced another strong Monday.
At Cambrian Sports Bar in Llanelli, Lee Evans defeated Liam Hughes 3–0 in the final, collecting eight victories and recording 93.94, 90.18, 88.41 and 86.71.
At Clive Arms in Cardiff, Kurt Parry defeated Edward Manley 3–1 in the final.
Parry recorded three separate 93.94 averages, as well as 91.83 in the final, finishing with eight wins.
At Cardigan Rugby Club, Dorian Thomas defeated Justin Smith 3–2. Both players recorded eight victories, while Jason Jones, Dorian Thomas, Steffan Thomas and Justin Smith all reached at least 91.09.
Other Welsh winners included Craig Devlin in Maesteg, Stephen Castle in Ystalyfera, Spencer Edwards at Broadway Social Club and Liam Cook at Cwmbran Working Men's Band Club.
The depth of competitive darts across Wales continues to stand out in the daily data.
WADC: Seven Monday competitions and some excellent performances
There were seven WADC Vault 3.0 competitions in Monday's results, including a particularly strong performance from Kim Holden.
Derby Arms, Birkenhead
Kim Holden defeated Janet Hardman 3–0 in the final.
Holden recorded 90.18 in the final, along with 83.50, 73.92 and 68.32 during the event.
That's an outstanding sequence of averages and arguably the WADC performance of the day.
Legends Lounge, Plymouth
Anna Pearce won the Plymouth competition, defeating Hayley Brant 2–0 in the final.
Pearce collected four victories and recorded the highest average of the event, 65.35 against Ruth Thomson.
Brant finished with three wins and recorded 55.67.
Loughor WMC, Swansea
Eve Watson defeated Sioned Jones 3–0 in the final, collecting five victories.
Watson produced 70.45, 66.80, 58.94 and 55.67.
Another strong tournament performance.
Bagley Sports & Social Club, Shrewsbury
Emma Tapp defeated Nessa Hall 3–0 in the final.
Tapp recorded 58.56 and 57.81, while Stacey Price led the event averages with 63.96.
Newark Railway Sports & Social Club
Kelly Stevens defeated Sienna Beck 3–0 in the final, collecting five victories.
Stevens recorded 57.81, 54.65, 52.76 and 50.10.
Pinches Cue Club, Norwich
Vikki Tasker defeated Lynsey Childs 3–1 in the final.
Both players collected four victories, while Childs recorded 54.65 and 54.33.
Red Rose Darts Hub, Preston
Andrea Holland defeated Eileen Harrison 3–1 in the final.
Holland and Celia Allen both collected six victories, while Wendy Murray recorded the event's highest average of 60.12.
Seven separate competitions on a Monday evening is encouraging.
It's particularly good to see events in Plymouth and Swansea alongside those in the Midlands, North West and East of England.
The more regular opportunities there are to compete, the stronger the foundations of women's darts become.
Junior darts deserves the headlines
The JDC Junior Volts events produced some of Monday's biggest stories.
Alongside Jayden Walker, Tai Anderson and Ralph Healing, there were other winners worth mentioning.
At Barry Town United AFC, Samuel Orpin defeated Joey-James Hill 3–0, collecting six wins. Elijah Bishop recorded the highest average of 56.72.
At The Empire Clubs in Lancing, Manny Taylor defeated Jamie Johnson 3–1 in the final. Ethan Yates recorded 77.53 and Cris Sunderland Bowe reached 75.61.
And in the Social Bull Under-18 Winter League, Riley Williams defeated George Freeman 3–0, with both players recording five wins. Freeman hit 73.65 and Williams 71.57.
It's particularly pleasing that a junior player topped the averages on the South West results graphic.
Jayden Walker's 107.36 deserves to be celebrated every bit as much as the leading adult performances.
My five standout performances
There were plenty of contenders, but these are my five leading stories from Monday.
- Ryan Davies – A 115.62 average and the tournament title at Duffy's in Pontypridd.
- Johnny Haines – Five averages above 98 and eight victories at Didcot, following Sunday's title at Frimley Green.
- Jayden Walker – A 107.36 junior average, eight wins and the Salisbury Junior Volts title.
- Michael Wiles – A 112.73 average in the final at Southend.
- Kim Holden – A 90.18 average in the WADC final at Birkenhead, backed by several other strong performances.
Jack Main, Josh McCarthy, Richard Spicer, Neil Ward and Tyler Thorpe also deserve recognition.
Another Monday, another substantial set of results
What I particularly like about Monday's results is the mixture.
We've got players producing averages above 110, a junior winner recording 107.36, established competitors maintaining excellent form, and seven WADC competitions contributing to the wider picture.
There are also some interesting stories beginning to develop from one day to the next.
Jason Reeve bounced back from Sunday's final defeat to win in Evesham. Johnny Haines won again after Sunday's Frimley Green success. And Dan Nicholls remained among the leading scorers, even though he didn't take another title.
These are exactly the patterns and performances I want Q4QS to help uncover.
All the results contribute to the growing player records, venue histories and rankings.
You can explore the latest results and player statistics at questforqschool.com.
