Snooker Shoot Out 2021 LIVE updates - Mark Selby, Mark Allen , Shaun Murphy all in action

We'll be back tomorrow lunchtime, take care out there until then. Night night.

There's high jinks in store tomorrow, with the entire third round in the afternoon session followed by the Homeric run of fourth round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in the evening. We'll be back at 12.45pm tomorrow for all the action in the afternoon, and at 6.45pm for the denouement.

After the admin of a few pots each in the final minute, it's Taylor that moves through to tomorrow's finale.

Taylor is opting for containment here, with three and a half minutes left. An attacking safety from Murphy pushes a red over the bottom left, and Taylor plays off one cushion to drop it in. He later gets a red-blue down, and Murphy has 100 seconds to save himself. He gets a red down but then misses the black with the rest. That should be that.

Lorks-a-lordy, Murphy has missed the thin contact on the red again, and it's ball in hand for Taylor once more. From it, Taylor can only get a red down but no position with it; that's such a let off for Murphy, who should be much worse off than he currently is.

Murphy's in trouble after 90 seconds here; he's missed a thin contact safety to give up four and ball in hand to Taylor. There's no hanging about form Allan, who cobbles together a quick 20 before playing a good safety back to baulk.

Shaun Murphy and Allan Taylor will complete the second round of matches shortly.

Highfield's break ends on 71, and with only two minutes left and a snooker needed Benzey concedes. That's an impressive, one-hit victory.

A nice split on the bunch by Highfield has left things looking bleak for Benzey here. Liam racks up a half ton, and Benzey might not be getting back to the table here.

Here comes Highfield, who gets in with a long red to the green pocket. He's wiped out Benzey's lead here, with just under five minutes to go, as his break hits 30 and counting.

Benzey is pumped up and going for it. Three reds are followed by three blacks, with some very aggressive shots in there, but he loses position and then has to play safe.

After a dish for the ages against Rod Lawler yesterday, what has Highfield got for an encore? It's Benzey that gets away first here, draining a superb red-black combo to take early charge of this match.

Here's Liam Highfield and Connor Benzey for the penultimate match of the night.

Akani adds another red, and then bizarrely turns down an easy pink to play safe to baulk. Astley has a yahoo at an audacious plant on the final two reds, but it doesn't drop; Akani goes through.

Astley has to rush a shot on a red, under pressure from the beeps, and he's left Akani in. After a pause by the officials to double check the scores are correct after the early fouls, Akani is away. There's so much in the open and the black goes into both corners. A blue puts him one point ahead with 40 seconds left...

Astley's cueing really nicely here, and has added 35 and counting to establish a commanding lead. He plays safe back to baulk, and it's a big ask for Akani with less than four minutes to go.

Akani leaves Astley in, who makes six but then fouls when playing safe as the white doesn't touch the top cushion. Ball in hand for Akani, who makes six but then makes the exact same mistake as Astley! Extraordinary stuff. Ball in hand for Astley now, with three minutes gone.

Sunny Akani and John Astley are required for their scene.

Barry wallops down 16 for a laugh, and the time runs out. It's another impressive showing from Zhou, who will be looking to top his performance in the 2020 Snooker Shoot Out tomorrow.

Zhou makes 49 before running out of position; Barry plays on, but with a resigned chuckle as there's less than a minute to go.

A huge shot here from Zhou, who plants two reds about eight inches apart down the left rail, and he follows that up by floating in the black. Form nowhere, he's suddenly in the balls and has a great chance. He's got 32 up in this break already with just over two minutes left.

Zhou gets another red down, but lands so awkwardly on the black he has to rush playing off a cushion and onto it, and he's gifted a chance to Hawkins. That was one of those horrible situations where there's no time to grab the extensions needed. Hawkins moves ahead as we go past the halfway point, but only gets a lead of 10 points before having to play safe.

Zhou, the runner-up in the Shoot Out last year, gets this intriguing match underway. The Hawk, who won this event in 2013, is in first with a red into the right middle. He's missed a yellow with the rest though, and Zhou jumps in to add five before playing safe back to baulk.

Zhue Yuelong and Barry Hawkins will be on the baize shortly.

Johal has a final flourish, but it's Grace that advances to finals day.

Grace adds 20 and puts the blue safe. Johal has just 90 seconds to save this, and although he bullets in a long red it's surely impossible; it certainly is now, as he misses the black straight after that.

Johal misses a great chance on a straight red to the right middle, and Grace is back in. There's a load in the open here, as the shot clock changes to 10 seconds. Grace misses a simple green though, and now Johal has a chance. He gets a red down, but flies in-off into the middle when potting the pink. That's a disaster, and that could be him out of the Shoot Out.

Johal plays a deadweight safety on a red near the bottom cushion, but slides off it and sticks it up over the bottom right. Grace jumps in to add seven, and then tucks Johal in behind the green.

Of course you can. David Grace versus Kuldesh Johal, coming up.

A superb 65 from Pinhey secures his passage through to the second round.

Unflustered by the warning beeps, Pinhey takes his sweet time and he's racked up a half ton and counting with just over a minute to go.

An excellent safety from Pinhey forces a mistake from Parsons, who leaves the white in the bottom half of the table and a red on to the left middle. Pinhey calmly chisels away at Parsons' lead, potting the black to go into the lead with two and a half minutes to go.

Parsons gets in after two and a half minutes of safety. There's a load of reds on, as well as the black and the blue; this is a great chance for a heavy visit, but he loses position on the black and his break ends on 24.

Haydon Pinhey and Riley Parsons coming your way.

Finally Day strings a break together, a 19 that runs the clock down to eight seconds. Carty concedes, and Day wins a messy frame to advance.

Another red for Day, and no more; he then gets a fifth chance, but misses the black after potting the red. Now Carty gets in by plugging a red, but misses a yahoo at a long green. This one's all over the place. Two minutes to go.

Day gets another red down but can't get on the black, though soon gets another chance from which he can only add red-green. Three looks and twelve points so far for Ryan, and we've got four minutes left.

Carty opens up with a red and green, but gives a serious chance to Day when his attacking safety booms open the reds and leaves one over the left middle. Day can only make seven though as he's forced into taking a red left-handed rather than get out the extended rest to pot a red.

Will Ryan Day and Ashley Carty throw the cue at it a bit more? Let's find out.

Pinches has a wild thrash at a red with under 40 seconds left; reds go everywhere but in the pocket. He gets one down with his next shot but it's the last of the frame, Selby has carved out a narrow win in a safety-dominated frame.

Another great safety from Selby forces another error from Pinches, and he's in again with a red to right middle. A black and a red follow, and Pinches has 75 seconds to recue this.

Pinches is forced into a deadweight containing safety, disrupting the matrix, and Selby gets on the board from it with a red into the left middle. He makes seven points from it, but it's a precarious lead with less than three minutes to go.

All of the reds are on the bototm right of the table, with both players glancing off them to come off four cushions and land back in baulk. Four and a half minutes to go.

Pinches gets the first red down, the only notable moment in a safety-driven opening stanza. We've got six minutes left, and it's one-nil to the Pinches.

We've got a fascinating one up next, as three-time world champion Mark Selby takes on Barry Pinches, who so dramatically defeated Joshua Thomond yesterday.

Hancorn adds little clusters of points to what he has leaving Nasir very little to go at and all from distance. Nasir gets a chance with under 30 seconds to go, with red-black-red-black needed to force a tie, but he can't add the first black of the combination and it's over. Hancorn marches on.

Hancorn gets another red down, but decides against a pot on the blue and plays safe to protect his lead. It's a good call; Nasir misses a long red and he's left Hancorn in.

A nice run here for Nasir, who cuts in a long red and trusts to luck to land on the black, which works out. Nasir makes nine but then overcuts a black, though he hasn't left anything. It's tight, and we've got four minutes left.

A lovely shot from Hancorn, rolling a red gently into the yellow pocket to stay on the black, and he's away. He racks up 22 in total to establish a useful early lead.

Next up it's Ben Hancorn versus Saqib Nasir.

Craigie gets back in with 33 seconds left, but the white travels for an age and he can only land on the green. That goes too, but with time almost done and four pots minimum needed, Craigie waves it off and Slessor wins.

Chance for Craigie! With three minutes left, Slessor leaves a red hanging in the jaws of the bottom right. Craigie can only add a pink to it though as he runs the white into the bunch and lands on nothing. With two minutes to go, it's Slessor playing containing safety shots while Craigie needs to attack.

Slessor gets back in with a long red, gliding it in just as the announcement of the 10 second shot clock booms over the tannoy. He adds another eight points and lays a snooker, which forces an error from Craigie. Slessor comes to the table straight on a red after Craigie's escape, and he's off again.

A quarter of the frame goes by before a ball is potted, with Slessor jabbing a short red into the right middle. He adds a blue and a red before playing safe. With the remaining pack barely budged as yet, this is a tight frame.

Elliot Slessor and Sam Craigie will be serving up the entrtainment now.

Brown clubs in a long red with 23 seconds left. It's a glimmer, but he then misses a cut on a black to bottom left and concedes immediately. Lyu goes on the the final day.

Brown gets in with a superb long red, but can only add a green to it before badly missing a red to the bottom right. We've got less than two minutes left.

Lyu makes 14 before having to play safe. We're into the 10 second shot clock, and Lyu gets back in with another fluke, this time a red into the yellow pocket. He sheepishly apologises, but he presses on to add nine more before missing the blue. He's not left anything though, and he's really getting the urn of it here.

Brown gets a solitary red down in a cuatious opening few minutes. Lyu then flukes a plant, and lands on the blue, giving him the first serious chance of the match.

It's time for Lyu Haotian versus Jordan Brown.

A break of 25 runs down the clock and secures the win for Gilbert. Will Devlin have a few rhymes for the Eurosport studio about what he's learned here?

Gilbert and Devlin both miss reds that might sort this one, before Gilbert drops in a red over the yellow pocket. He draws level with a minute to go, and a pink to right middle puts him ahead. There are only 40 seconds to go...

Devlin adds a red-green, cobbling points together in increments. Gilbert hasn't had a sniff yet, but has plenty of time to claw this back.

After four solid minutes Devlin cracks in a superb long red into the bottom left. He can't add to it, but gets in for real after Gilbert coughs a red over the bottom right. That goes, along with a blue, and he's got a small lead with just over four minutes to go.

We'll have David Gilbert against Peter Devlin in a tick.

With less than a minute left Perry plugs the final red, and we're done here. He clears up to the blue on the colours to secure an emphatic victory in a real high quality match.

What an effort this is from Wakelin! He's got 34 back already and he's got two reds left to play on...but he's missed one to the left middle. Perry booms the loose ball into the yellow pocket, and lays a snooker; Wakelin can't get out of it, and it's ball in hand to Perry.

Wakelin gets to the table but has quite the mountain here; he's 60 behind with just over five minutes left. A brilliant long red and a superb long blue have given him a whiff of a chance.

On 36, Perry misses a red to the bottom left. Wakelin lines up the same ball to the same pocket, but he can't drain it either, and Perry is making hay with reds and blacks again.

Perry glides in a superb long red to get started here. He goes into the bunch off the black, spreading them nicely, and he's on a black that's available into both pockets. He's on 30 already with less than two minutes gone.

That was a dramatic frame. What can Chris Wakelin and Joe Perry serve up to follow?

Oh my! Steadman adds 20, but goes in-off again when playing safe! Ball in hand for Wilson...but he misses the red he'd set up for himself! Steadman adds four, and then leaves Wilson a thin snick on the yellow, and it's in! He pots the green too, but then accidentally feathers the white when lining up the brown. Another nightmare for the young man, and with hardly any time left he concedes. After an error-strewn frame, Steadman advances.

Oof, a shocker here for Steadman as his break abruptly ends on 13 as he pots the blue, smashes the white into the brown and knocks it into the yellow pocket. Wilson adds nine, but then has a shocker of his own on the black as he misses it to the bottom left. Steadman, again, is in.

A big miss on a colour for Wilson now, as he rolls a pink out of the knuckles of the right middle on 15. There are reds on everywhere, and it's Steadman's chance to score heavily now.

Craig's away first with a three-ball plant into the bottom right. On 12 though he misses a black to the bottom right, and he's left Wilson a glorious chance.

Young Jamie Wilson, who was seriously impressive yesterday, faces Craig Steadman.

A composed break of 58 from Gould runs the clock right down to zero, and he's through to Sunday. He won this tournament in 2013, and is looking good to go deep again.

Gould hits the front with a blue to left middle to take his break to 24, which included a superb recovery pot on a red to the yellow pocket. The table is set perfectly, it's hard to see McManus getting another shot with only 80 seconds left.

McManus turns down a red to the bottom right that would take him into the bunch and misses his alternative, a red to left middle. That's end of break on 23. Gould then gets in with a red to right middle with three minutes left.

Cagey stuff here, from two crafty old professionals. 'It's like watching two grand masters play chess,' says Fouldsy in co-comms. After four whole minutes of tactical back and forth, McManus drains a long red into the bottom right and he's away. He's on 16 and counting as the 10 second shot clock begins.

Alan McManus takes on Martin Gould in our next match.

Frame ball goes down, the the third to last red, and it's going to be another comfortable win for Allen. Another 44 goes on to his score, and Emery concedes.

Emery gets 14 back before having to play safe. As the shot clock changes to 10 seconds, he gets another red down, but Allen is back in next and he's added 19 and counting already. There are only three minutes left, and this one looks over.

Allen makes 34 before missing a red to the bottom left. Emery is a load behind, but he's got over six minutes to make it up and he's in here.

A disasterous start for Emery, as he tries to rest softly on the pack off one cushion and it pulls up short. It's four points and ball in hand for Allen. It's three reds and three blacks so far in his break.

This should be a a belter. Allen made a 142 in his first round match, the highest break in Shoot Out history, while Dylan Emery beat Luke Pinches.

Mark Allen and Dylan Emery will get us going shortly.

Here’s your line-up for tonight:

Welcome back to live coverage of the Snooker Shoot Out from Milton Keynes. Our evening session will see the conclusion of round 2, with 32 players in action tonight.

That concludes our afternoon coverage. Join us again at 6.45pm for the evening session and the conclusion of the second round of the Snooker Shoot Out.

It's on, but Holt leaves a black in the jaws of the bottom right and it's surely gone now. Stevens adds nine, and with just over a minute to go Holt calls it off. Stevens has taken out the defending champion, and he's through!

'Such a classy player all round,' Angles McManus notes of Stevens. I'll say. Yet just as it looks to be curtains for Holt, the break abruptly ends on 43 as Stevens rolls a red out off the knuckles of the left middle. There are under three minutes left, can the defending champion pull this out of the fire?

A chance for Stevens, as Holt misses a long red to the bottom left and doesn't get back to baulk. Stevens drops a red into the left middle, and he's off. Holt's lead has disappeared, and Stevens still has a lot to go at here with four minutes to go.

An extraordinary break from Stevens, who manages to leave a red in baulk for Holt to cut in to the green pocket. This table really is an ice rink. Holt can't add to it, but is soon back in with a red to the bottom left. His break is up to 19 already, with two and a half minutes gone, and he plays safe to baulk.

For our final match of the afternoon, the defending champion and 2019 Shoot Out finalist Michael Holt takes on Matthew Stevens.

Round one? All done. Here's a recap of yesterday's matches.

Join us from 12.45pm for live updates from all the exciting action at the Snooker Shoot Out.

Former world champions John Higgins, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams are all in action, while Eurosport's very own Jimmy White also takes to the table.

The 2021 Snooker Shoot Out is live and exclusive on Eurosport, eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app.

You can watch every moment live.

There’s a fifty grand prize on offer for the winner, who will be required to do a maximum of seventy minutes work to land the title. As someone who’s done several jobs paid by the hour, I’m here to tell you that’s a good whack. It's a ranking event too, so results here translate into points.

This isn’t one hour of attrition that goes down to a re-spotted black at the Crucible. We’ll be shifting quickly here, and there’s a handy guide to the format below for you:

Each frame is 10 minutes

Shot clock stops players wasting time

First five minutes = 15 seconds per shot

Second five minutes = 10 seconds per shot

Five-point penalty (or value of ball of pink or black if attempted) for failing to play shot within allocated time

Players must hit cushion with any ball or pot a ball with every shot

All fouls give opponent ball in hand

Players lag for break-off like in pool with the white played from the baulk line off the top cushion.

Nearest to the baulk cushion wins the lag

Blue ball shoot-out settles tied matches with players aiming to pot blue off its spot from within the D