It’s time for our Vault 14.0 weekly review. But before diving into that, let’s take a quick lap around the UK to catch up on the other ADC darting drama lighting up the oche this week.
The headline story came from the MODUS Live Lounge, where Graham Hall edged Welshman Kurt Parry in a nail-biting last-leg decider to claim the ADC Winmau Championship title. Fans in Portsmouth – and those watching worldwide on Pluto TV – were treated to a thriller that would’ve made even the PDC blush.
There were a couple of coronations elsewhere, too. A man with one of the most iconic names in football – Jonny Barnes (sadly not the Liverpool legend) – was crowned ADC England Champion after an 8–5 win over Thomas Banks. Meanwhile, a blast from the past, former UK Open runner-up and good pal of Welsh hero Barrie Bates, Wes Newton, rolled back the years. The Warrior defeated James Welding 7–4 to scoop the ADC North West Championship, reminding everyone that class is indeed permanent.
Speaking of Wales, we cross the border to find David Davies continuing his year of dominance. The reigning Red Dragon Champion of Champions retained his Welsh title, beating Mark Patmore 7–4 with a 95 average that made the rest of the field look distinctly mortal. Safe to say, 2025 has been rather kind to the man who also won ‘most Welsh name of the year’ award last Tuesday.
Right – onto the Vault 14.0 action, where one man seems to have his own column in these reviews. Step forward Dan Nicholls, who once again cleaned up like a tungsten-fuelled Pac-Man on a rampage through Tipton. Four more titles this week, all with mid-to-high 80 averages – standard stuff for him at this point. Honestly, it’d be quicker to write about the weeks he doesn’t win. Dan, if you’re reading this, just send me your holiday schedule so I know when to save the ink.
A quick mention for a proper legend of the game – and a fellow Darts World stalwart – Colin “The Wizard” Osborne. Colin (above) conjured up a Vault title at the Tee Time Golf Centre last Monday. No word on whether he brought his clubs, but he certainly brought the darts. And the magic touch clearly hasn’t faded.
Another man enjoying a purple patch is David Pallett. Fresh off a juicy WDF major win, he added another four Vault titles to his ever-growing 2025 haul. Down in Shrewsbury, Jamie Chaplin was also causing a bit of damage – purely on the scoreboard, mind you – with a tidy trio of triumphs around the area.
Further north, Steven Johnstone continued his fine form with a hat-trick of wins in the Airdrie/Motherwell region, while David Sharp lived up to his surname with three victories in Dalkeith. Scotland clearly isn’t short of darting firepower right now.
Now, to the heavy scorers – those lighting up the averages leaderboard this week. Once again, it’s David Pallett leading the way. The 35-year-old former PDC Tour Card holder not only topped the list, but also took second place for good measure. Three others broke the 90+ mark: Marc Wilkinson, Callum Goffin, and Tyler Thorpe – but none came close to Pallett’s astonishing 97.46. There’s nothing wooden about that performance.
So, what can we expect next week? Probably the same as this week: Dan Nicholls hovering somewhere around Tipton, hoovering up trophies, and David Pallett smashing in monstrous averages. Some things in darts, it seems, are just inevitable.
—–ENDS—–
Images: ADC
