PDC Stats Analyst takes a look at some key record statistics for best-of-five set World Championship matches...
The number of 180s hit or three figure checkouts hit in a World Championship match are well known, but in the tournament's early stages they are nearly unbeatable simply by virtue of their having been recorded in very long matches.
Realistically, no match played to best-of-five sets is going to see 25 180s or ten high checkouts from one player as the round of 96 and 64 matches cannot be any longer than 25 and 31 legs, respectively.
For that reason it's worth looking into which matches hold the record for the best-of-five sets format so that a great performance like Jonny Clayton and Keane Barry's high-finish extravaganza on Sunday night is put into its proper context, in comparison with:
Highest average (individual) - Michael van Gerwen vs Ryan Murray, 108.98, 2021
Highest average (combined) - Rob Cross vs Jeffrey de Zwaan, 104.50, 2019
Lists of high averages usually involve performances that are highly impressive from one player but not so much from the other, leading to a blowout win by a highly favoured player.
And while Michael van Gerwen stole the show with his near-109 average in his first match of last year's World Championship, he was forced to work hard to close out his opponent, Ryan Murray, who won six legs overall and forced two deciding legs of sets all while MvG was playing at his best.
Murray won nearly every leg that he could, but missed two darts to extend the last two sets and Van Gerwen, who failed to check out within 15 darts in only two legs, skilfully closed out his Scottish opponent.
There is often a 100+ average in the early rounds of the World Championship, but far more rarely are there two.
The most highly-anticipated round of 64 matchup of 2019, between defending champion Rob Cross and Jeffrey de Zwaan, perhaps the most difficult opponent he could have faced for his first match, delivered on its promise as De Zwaan fired off a 106 average, only to lose 3-1 in sets, making him the seventh consecutive victim of Cross' Alexandra Palace miracle run.
Only a timely 121 checkout prevented Cross from facing a deciding leg in the third set and turned the tide the match - it is one of only seven best-of-five sets matches with a combined 100+ average; most seeds can be glad they do not face so difficult a test so early in their World Championship run.
Most 171-180s scored (individual) - Simon Whitlock vs Darius Labanauskas, 13, 2021
Most 171-180s scored per leg (individual) - Gary Anderson vs Jeff Smith, 0.82, 2018
Most 171-180s scored (combined) - Richie Burnett vs Mark Webster, 22, 2012
Most 171-180s scored per leg (combined) - Raymond van Barneveld vs Michael Smith, 1.10, 2013
Even 11 years after his World Championship final appearance, Simon Whitlock is still breaking records; last year he amassed 10ten180s, two 177s and a 171 in a best-of-five sets match with Darius Labanauskas, just one month after throwing 20 180s in a Grand Slam deciding-leg defeat of Van Gerwen.
Nearly that amount again would have been required from Labanauskas to break the combined match record of 22, one of the oldest unbroken records in the World Championship, from a 2012 clash between two Lakeside champions.
But naturally a best-of-five sets match is going to have more 180s than a best-of-three sets match in which a seeded player demolishes an opponent: for that we look to Gary Anderson's 2018 dismantling of Jeff Smith (which contained one of only three sets ever played to a 130+ average) in which Anderson produced nine three-treble visits in the space of only 11 legs, and Raymond van Barneveld's 2013 matchup with Michael Smith, which is still the only match in World Championship history to have witnessed more 180s (11) than legs played (10).
Highest winning doubles percentage - Mark Webster vs Joe Murnan 2017, 81.8% (9/11)
Highest combined doubles percentage - Brendan Dolan vs Nitin Kumar 2020, 68.4% (13/19)
100% accuracy on finishing doubles is one of the most difficult accomplishments in darts, and while it happens occasionally in best-of-11 legs on the Pro Tour, at longer distances it is extremely rare - to this date only losing players have ever contested a World Championship match without missing a double.
Even one missed double has been out of reach for the top professionals; the fewest missed in a best-of-five sets match is two.
After losing the first leg of his match, Mark Webster never again allowed Joe Murnan to return to the board while attempting any finish under 100; this finishing resulted in Webster shutting out his opponent in sets despite his winning four legs.
A surprising player makes an appearance in the combined match record - Indian qualifier Nitin Kumar, who contributed admirably to the current record by hitting 4/6 doubles, in concert with Brendan Dolan's 9/13.
The match resulted in the expected 3-0 scoreline, but the majority of finishes in the match were completed in the fewest possible darts.
Most 99/101+ checkouts (individual) - Phil Taylor vs Mick Manning 2000, 5
Most 99/101+ checkouts (combined) - Jonny Clayton vs Keane Barry 2021, 8
Most 99/101+ checkouts as a percentage of legs won (individual) - Phil Taylor vs Mick Manning 2000, 56%
Most 99/101+ checkouts as a percentage of legs won (combined) - Phil Taylor vs Mick Manning 2000, 56%
On Sunday night an 11-year record was broken as the teenaged Keane Barry and the reigning Premier League champion combined to complete eight checkouts of 101+ (100 is excluded here as it bears no statistical resemblance to the other 'ton plus checkouts'). Before Sunday night, no match had witnessed more than seven.
The Barry v Clayton match deserves especial attention for the rate at which the two men completed their checkouts; the two only needed 23 attempts to break the record (making it the best high finish match ever in terms of accuracy for its length), while two of the matches that had previously recorded seven required over 40 attempts.
Three matches tie the record of high finishes by an individual with five, but Taylor's 3-0, 9-0 (in legs) defeat of Mick Manning is the most impressive due to the extremely short length of the match - it is still the only match in which a player won the match while winning the majority of his legs with a 101+ finish, as Taylor checked out 102, 113, 116, 144 and 155, only missing the bullseye for a 170 finish and a sixth ton-plus checkout of the match.
Before last night, only two matches of 20 legs or less had ever contained 6 or more 99/101+ finishes - so while the Clayton/Barry record may be beaten in an extremely long match (possibly requiring a deciding leg) and falls short of the % record, it may be many years before a match of 20 or fewer legs ever again dazzles an audience with so many high finishes.
Follow Christopher on Twitter @ochepedia.