World Snooker Championship 2021 LIVE – Mark Selby one frame away in tense clash with Stuart Bingham

That brings to a close another dramatic semi-final day from the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. It wasn't quite the epic day we had in the semi's last year - and how mind-blowing will it be if that is ever topped - but it was memorable and historic in its own unique ways. That's the beauty of this sport; when you think you've seen it all, it swings back the curtain to reveal more.

We'll be back to guide you through every shot of the final from 12.45pm tomorrow. Take care out there until then, night night.

It's Mark Selby, the world champion of 2014, 2016 and 2017 against Shaun Murphy, the winner here in 2005. It's best of 35 frames over Sunday and the Bank Holiday Monday for the destination of the title. Here's your running order:

1:00pm (afternoon session) and 7.00pm (evening session)

1:00pm (afternoon session) and 7.00pm (evening session)

What a day it's been, and we were millimetres there from going to a decider. Selby played those colours superbly though, finding a vicious snooker to draw fouls and eventually a mistake from Bingham that finally tipped this titanic struggle in his favour. He simply does not do moribund, straightforward semi-finals at the Crucible. That was rough on Bingham, who was sensational last night but couldn't replicate that same form today. Selby forced the issue though, dragging himself through an incredibly demanding match, and will contest his fifth World Championship final tomorrow.

He can! Selby calmly clears up to the pink, thumps the table in delight and then punches the air for good measure.

Another excellent snooker from Selby draws sixteen points from misses by Bingham. The green is on the top cushion, all other remaining colours are on their spots and the white is down near the black with no seemingly no obvious direct path to the green off one cushion. Bingham is trying to drop on it deadweight off two cushions. Another miss from Bingham puts Selby in the lead, but even worse slides by the green and leaves it on! Can Selby clear up to the blue to win?

Selby escapes and knocks the yellow safe, somehow; both players are leaving a lot to chance in this frame. Selby lands an excellent snooker soon after, and Bingham's escape catches it thin and leaves it on to the right middle. Selby clips it in, but lands in a horrible position on the green. He takes it on to the green pocket and rattles it, but covers the line to it with the brown! What a touch he's had there. Bingham escapes, and keeps it safe; we go on. He needs green and brown to stay in it, Selby needs the lot to get to the final.

Bingham loses position slightly, and in stunning a red into the bottom left he almost sends the pink in-off into the left middle. My word, this is on edge! Bingham then gets a handy canon after taking the pink over said pocket, and he's perfect on his next red. The half-century is sorted, and he drops in behind the final red over on the right rail. It needs the cue extension and the rest, and he drops it in...but there's not enough pace on the shot to land on the black! A reprieve for Selby as we move on to the colours, but he's tucked right in behind the black and snookered when he comes back to the table.

Bingham picks out a plant now - or at least I think he does - but doesn't get position on a baulk colour. Instead he traps Selby right in behind the brow; the four cushion escape misses, and leaves Bingham on a red along the bottom cushion. It's a nerve-jangler but Bingham rolls it in, and he's on the black. The reds are nice, with one near the right rail but close to the bottom right and one touching the pink the only potential issues. What a chance.

It's an intricate break early on, and Selby does well to bridge over the pack to guide a red into the bottom right. In getting to 41 though Selby comes off the bottom cushion after potting the black, and misses his intended canon into the pack. That's end of break, and Bingham is still in it.

What a Golden Ticket this is for the evening session fans; a worldie of a performance form Shaun Murphy followed by a World Championship first of an extra-session for a semi-final. Selby gets away first with a three ball plant to the bottom right, and then fortuitously lands on the yellow. He's in, and quickly buzzing around the black spot in this break. Could this be done in one hit?

Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham are back, with two frames to go in their elongated semi-final. We could be here for one frame, we could be here for two; let's take a deep breath and see what happens...

What a session that was from Murphy; five frames in a row, four secured with a one visit break and a crucial 58 that tipped the balance in the final frame of the night. He did unto Wilson what Wilson did unto Neil Robertson; from a losing position, he fair steamrollered his opponent. Murphy trailed 11-6 this morning, but from there went on an 11-1 run to take the match. Within that was one crucial black ball frame that Murphy nicked to cut Wilson's lead to 11-9. It's not like Wilson played badly either, he just ran into an incredible talent operating at its optimum. Wilson, who has been in the last eight here for six years in a row, will come again. It's congratulations to Murphy, who advances to his fourth World Championship final. The way he's playing, he could well be punching the air here again on Monday night.

Wilson plays on, but when Murphy doubles another red Kyren is out of his chair straight away to concede the match.

BLAM! Murphy gets a look at a long red to the bottom right, and hurls it in with a thud that deserves its own sound graphic like that Batman TV series in the Sixties. Barring snookers, he's in the final.

Murphy secures another half-century by drilling the pink into the bottom right with the rest. He's only a few balls away now. That red goes, but he's too straight on the pink to force position on one of the six remaining, tied up reds. He takes the six points, and plays safe back to baulk. By his fingertips, Wilson remains in this.

Wilson goes in-off, and still we haven't had a ball potted. Murphy finally breaks the deadlock with a long one into the bottom left, and he's on green to left middle. That goes too, followed by another red, and then the pink which is advantageously relocated to the black spot. This is a great chance to earn a place in the final.

We're underway again, and once more Murphy leaves a long red on from his break off shot. This time though Wilson can't convert it; it ricochets out of the bottom right and then the green pocket, before drifting near to the yellow pocket but not over it. the first extended safety exchange of the night follows, during which Murphy catches the pink and Wilson later canons into the black twice for an exchange of high value fouls.

It's a break of 77 in total from Murphy; as we head to the mid-session interval he is just one frame away from the final.

We turned up to this thinking it would likely be an evening in Shredsville; Murphy is strolling through this like it's a sunny evening jaunt down Las Ramblas. Breaks of 78, 91, 117 and 77 have floored Wilson, who got in first in all of those frames but didn't stay there. He's lost seven on the spin, and if he is to return to the final he'll need to win five in a row. We'll be back in 15 to see how it all shakes down.

Frame ball red goes, as does a black straight after it. It's taken around an hour for Murphy to absolutely crush this mini-session.

It's yet another half-century for Murphy as he jabs the pink into the left middle, developing another red as he does so. This is simply brilliant stuff and another frame looks certain to go his way here.

The equation is simple here for Wilson; get in first and convert. He needs to keep Murphy off the table and nick this frame, otherwise it looks an impossible task to win from our down after the interval given Murphy's momentum. His long game is really working, and he nails another long red into the bottom left after Murphy's break. He needs a cathartic big score here, but after dropping in the yellow he misses a long red to the bottom right, rattling it out of the jaws. Murphy's in again, and he's not hanging about; he's taken three reds and blacks so far and developed a few reds from the pack. A nice recovery pot on a red to left middle keeps his break rolling; he looks unstoppable tonight.

Mesmeric stuff from the Magician as he banks a 117 to move three frames ahead.

Murphy really is coasting here. He's fully wired in, looks confident and has such a relaxed rhythm around the table. Frame ball red goes into the bottom left, and an insurance pink to follow means it will be six frames on the bike and 11 of the last 13 that he's won.

Trouble here for Kyren, as Murphy wallops in a red, opens the rest of the pack as he does so and lands nicely on the green. That could be a frame-winning shot.

Wilson's long game is still popping, and he drills in a long red to the bottom left to come back up for the brown. Just as it looks like a promising chance might develop though, he leaves a black hanging in the jaws of the bottom right and it's end of break on six. Murphy could punish this heavily, and what a telling blow it could be. The break in return from Murphy is at 21 and running.

A 91 from Murphy, inclusive of an outrageous fluke on the pink, puts him two ahead. He's won five frames in a row now, and 10 of the last 12. Wilson needs a response, quick smart.

After finishing low on the black Murphy stuns up to the upper left rail to nudge a stray red into a better position. He's soon banked another half-century and there's only one red left on the table, which goes to the bottom left. The frame looks straightforward from here...

A nightmare here for Wilson, as he pots a tough red into the bottom right but clips off the pack with the cue ball, which chases the red down the same hole. Murphy, with ball in hand, then launches a red into the bottom left and lands on the blue. He's chipping away quickly at Wilson's lead and looks really on it tonight.

Crikey, this is some pot from Wilson; he thunders a long, straight red into the bottom left to come back up for the blue. He rides his luck to land on the pink a few shots later, but is settling into his break now.

A break of 78 takes the frame for Murphy, who leads for the first time since he took the opening frame of the match.

Murphy is tuned in straight away tonight. A red to bottom right takes him to his half-ton, followed by the pink. Off that he splits a cluster of two reds and the black, leaving a frame ball red to the bottom right which is quickly dispatched. He was 10-4 down yesterday, and he's about to hit the front.

Wilson comes out firing, kabooming in a long red to open the evening session and landing on the green. He can't make any more than four though, before missing another red to the bottom left. Murphy later gets in with a long red over the bottom left, but can't force position on a colour. He's in now though as a misjudged safety leaves an easy red to the bottom left. Murphy quickly gets the pink respotted after it had drifted into baulk, and has some points on here.

Rob Walker has baized the players. For the second time today, Disco Inferno and Sandstorm blare around the Crucible, and we've got another hyped up crowd in attendance. How the game has missed this, and how joyous it is to hear. Best if nine it is then, let's get into it.

Wilson took the first session 6-2, while Murphy left the Crucible yesterday punching the air after fighting back to split the second 4-4. This morning - which now feels like three weeks ago - Murphy spun it around to take the session 6-2, and it's level. Here we are now; entertain us.

I hope you enjoyed the recess. We thought we'd have one finalist confirmed by now, but we don't - it's been that kind of day. There's barely time to take in the enormity of the two frame shootout we've got in the post for later on tonight, because right now we've got a best of nine for the other place in the final. Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy are locked at 12-12 in their semi; what will this day serve up next?

We'll be back from 6.50pm to see Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy settle accounts in their semi-final. If you're not aware, that's locked at 12-12 and could go right the way as well.

This game, eh? You can't not love it.

For the first ever, we'll have a fifth session for a Crucible semi-final. The current session has timed out as they need to swap the crowds over ahead of the conclusion of Kyren Wilson vs. Shaun Murphy from 7pm onwards. So, whenever that resolves itself, Mark and Stuart will return for a potential two frame shootout later tonight. What unprecedented drama, and with plenty of time for the players to reset, refocus and recharge, what a supper we've got in store. The semi-finals last year were jaw-dropping spectacles that we'll never forget; are we on the cusp of another legendary day of semi-final conclusions at the Crucible?

The green wobbles, and the Crucible acknowledges the drama, but Bingham steels himself to empty the table for a 95 and we've still got a live one.

There's plenty of moxie in Bingham. He calmly wipes out Selby's lead, secures his half-century and goes up for the colours. They're all on their spots, and he just needs the baulk varieties.

The break gets to 44 as Selby pots the green, but his attempt to send the white into the pack off one cushion only glances the target, and he's not on a red. A reprieve for Bingham, who then rolls in a superb long red after Selby's safety to land on the black. Can he muster a contribution here to keep the argument going?

Selby needs one, Bingham needs three; off we go in the 31st frame. Bingham has two goes at different reds to the left middle; the second attempt sits up over the pocket and it's on for Selby. That goes, and soon after he negotiates a difficult, close quarters jab at a red into the bottom left. This could be the gateway to the final, and he's on 27 and counting so far.

It's another century for Selby, a superb 132 that puts him within a frame of tomorrow's final.

There goes frame ball red, and the blue follows. This gear shift by Selby is so impressive, he's a three-time champion over the long haul for a reason.

Selby affects a near perfect split on the reds after potting the black to reach 38, and the half-century soon follows. He's really gathered momentum in this session, and it looks a formality to bank another frame here.

Bingham drains a long red, but he can't shift the black into position from it and he's on nothing. He then picks up four from a miss by Selby, which leaves him a red to the bottom right; in a sign of the times though, it jaws out and Selby's on a red to the same pocket. Selby drops it in, followed by a deadweight black into the bottom left that seems to take an aeon to drop in. It's a good chance now, and with his opponent not firing Selby is going for this.

He never looked like missing; Selby empties the table, and he's edged in front.

Bingham blinks first in the safety exchange, leaving a red on to the green pocket. Selby tidies up the final two reds, the latter with the blue to get it back on its spot. He needs up to and including the pink for the frame.

Bingham has composed himself to take these very nicely. The black completes his half century, but in potting the third to last red he opts to move the remaining two off the left rail and doesn't land on pink or black. That's end of break, and there's a huge battle incoming over these last two reds and the colours.

This might swing Bingham's fortunes; Selby misses a long red, rattling it furiously out of the bottom right, and he's left Bingham a tap-in to the left middle. The full steal might be a tough ask given the state of the table, but he can get right back into it at this visit and sets about doing so.

Five reds are followed by five blacks, but Selby then runs behind a red that blocks his path to his intended one, and it's end of break. Bingham misses another long pong pot by a long way; worrying signs, but he's not left anything.

Right then, here we go. Mark Selby has been in five semi-finals here; two went to deciders and three finished at 17-15, while Bingham edged Judd Trump in a decider to reach the final in 2015. Given that, it's no real surprise we are where we are. Bingham misses a red by a long way at the start of frame 29, and there are a few signs that his game is fraying a little in this session. It leaves Selby a tough red to the right middle. That goes, as does a cut back on a black to bottom left soon after. He's away, and this is a decent chance.

Selby creams the penultimate red into the yellow pocket, and we're done here. He adds a yellow and the final red, and after the interval in 15 minutes time we'll have a best of five for a spot in the final!

Selby's escape leaves a red on for Bingham. He rolls it in, but then misses a pink to the left middle; that should be curtains in this one, as he's left Selby on a red. That goes in, and Bingham now needs four snookers to win.

Jitters here, as both players miss chances at reds. Selby does drain one as a shot to nothing, but has no inviting colour to go at afterwards. Bingham then gets a look at a tight red into the bottom right but misses it horribly; he's been a bit lucky with the fallout from such shots so far but not here, as a red sits up over the bottom left. Selby can only add a yellow to it though, before losing position again and playing safe. There's still 67 left on, which becomes 59 when Bingham drops a red in as a shot to nothing before tucking Selby in behind the yellow.

It's 20 more for Selby, who plays safe after only glancing the pack after potting the black and having no reds to go at. A safety exchange follows, in which Selby lashes in stunning, solitary red into the bottom right, and on we go. There's still 83 left on the table so plenty left in this.

Selby's attempt to develop reds only leaves a difficult cut on one to the right middle. It's close, but he's missed it, and his break ends on 28. Safety ensues, until Bingham wildly misses contact on a thin red to the yellow pocket. It's four away and, more problematically for Bingham, he's left Selby plum on an easy starter.

They're all important at this juncture, of course they are, but this frame before the interval has additional heft. If Bingham can take it, what a rush of confidence he'll have for the denouement; all bets are off at 14 each. Bingham gets a chance as Selby misses a long red to the yellow pocket, but Bingham can't convert the same red into the same pocket from short range. That's a big miss in the circumstances, and he's left it on. Selby starts racking points up; there's not a lot in the open, so he'll have to develop more reds shortly.

It's there! A round 100 from Bingham is the 101st of the Championship, a new tournament record. It's been a slow burner this afternoon, but this semi-final is popping now.

Frame ball black goes, and another red. This one's done, and we've got a good chance at another ton here.

You sense Bingham needed these points. A black to the bottom left takes him to a half-century, and two more reds and colours should sort the frame. There are two in the open that can be negotiated with simple stun shots, so he's looking good.

Selby misses a chance at a red to the bottom right at the start of frame 27, and he's served it up to the right middle. Bingham wobbles it in, his first pot for nearly half an hour, and he's on the blue. He plays a positive shot again, opening more reds off the blue, and he's on one to the right middle. Now he's in business.

This is a brilliant effort from Selby, whose 125 rings in the 100th century of the 2021 World Snooker Championship. That equals the tournament record, set last year.

There goes frame ball red, and the black soon follows after it. We're heading for a best of seven.

Selby just about drops a pink into the left middle to reach 47, freeing up a cluster of four reds as he does so. That's an excellent shot and could sort the frame.

Once more, with feeling. Both players are cold here in terms of rhythm, and Selby misses an easy one over the bottom right that takes a scenic tour around the table before returning to the pocket and dropping in. Selby does a mock faint in astonishment, to the amusement of the crowd but not Bingham. I wonder if that little skit was a callback to Bingham's chuckles at his own good fortune last night? Either way, Selby's not conveniently on the black and rolls up to it, so this low-scoring war of attrition continues.Now, though, Selby gets in for real with a long red and he's perfect on the pink.

After over half an hour reduces the frame to tap and nudge near the bottom cushion, both players mercifully call time on this saga and agree another re-rack.

Bingham misses a big opportunity on a mid-range red to the bottom left after a foul by Selby, putting it wide by a huge way, and later missing another red as a thin cut to the bottom right. That hangs in the jaws, and it's a chance for Selby. He makes eight, but turns down a difficult cut on a red to the left middle to keep going. More safety follows, and another poor one from Selby leaves Bingham a cut back to the bottom left. Bingham pots red-yellow, but misses a difficult cut on a red to the bottom left thereafter. He's not left anything though; we've been going nearly half an hour in this one, all told, and there are still 12 reds out there.

After a swift re-rack following a stalemate situation, a tense bout of safety opens this 26th frame. Bingham is being drawn into Selby's game here, but isn't getting frustrated or doing anything rash. Eventually it's Selby that makes a mistake, catching the black off a safety as he tries to get the white back up the table. That leaves Bingham a cut on a red to the right middle, which he makes, but he can't land on a colour. We've got the scoreboard moving though, if only by a point.

The last two reds go, with colours, and it's the baulk colours off their spots for the frame. Selby drains them, and the blue, before missing the pink in the jaws of the bottom right. That 68 takes this opening frame of the session.

What a pot from Selby! With only one red to hit, at a narrow potting angle to the bottom right, he absolutely drains it and screws back into baulk. That was so smooth that it looked effortless. Selby then plugs the green into the left middle, and he's turning this into a serious chance all of a sudden. A quick 40 brings the scores level in the frame, and the remaining two reds are wide in the open.

It wasn't a good safety from Bingham; he left a red on to the bottom right and Selby launches it in. Just as a counter looks on, Selby then misses a virtually straight black to the bottom right! Oh my. Bingham only replies with red-black though as his position lets him down again; that's three bites he's had so far.

Selby catches a safety far too thin, and leaves a mid-range red on to the bottom left. Bingham mops it up, and cobbles together 13 before a split on the pack off the blue doesn't go as planned and leaves him on nothing. He's in a positive mood today, as he's been all tournament in fairness, and a booming long red to the bottom left gets him back in. The black goes to both corners and a good recovery cut on a red gets him on the blue, but another split on the reds off the blue goes awry again, and he sends the white back to baulk.

The crowd sound right up for this; what a glorious racket. Rob Walker brings out the players as Shut Up by Stormzy and Club Foot by Kasabian ring around the arena. It's a maximum of nine frames this afternoon then for a place in the final. Eyes down, let's have it...

They split the first session 4-4, Selby nicked the second 5-3 and then Bingham played a blinder in a near-midnight finish to take the session last night 6-2. You add all that up, and you've got a 13-11 lead for Ball Run.

Who wants more then? Kyren and Shaun have set up a potential evening in Shredsville later, but what a support act we've got on before then. It's Stuart Bingham versus Mark Selby, coming right at you shortly.

So, that's one semi-final parked at 12-12; the next cab off the rank is the conclusion of Stuart Bingham versus Mark Selby, with Bingham holding a 13-11 lead. Join us again from 2.15pm for that one; this is shaping up to be some day.

What a session that was for the 2005 champion. Murphy lost the opening frame of the morning, but fought back superbly thereafter and in the midst of that 6-1 run that followed he pinched a crucial frame with a brilliant long black. This semi-final is anyone's now, they'll be back at 7pm tonight for a best of nine for a place in the World Championship final.

A break of 76 seals a superb session from Murphy, who is clenching his fist in the air again.

He's levelled it! The half-century comes up, and then the black takes Murphy to 62 points with 59 remaining. There's more coming too; what a session we've got in store tonight.

Wilson can't convert a difficult red across the table and into the bottom right, and surely Murphy will capitalise now. He's quickly up to 27 and there's the chance to take the frame in this visit if he can open up four reds below the pink spot.

More break off strife, this time for Wilson, as he leaves a long red that Murphy launches into the bottom left. He runs just past the brown though, and has to play a snooker instead. It's an easy escape, but Wilson misjudges a later safety shot and he's left an easy red over the bottom right for Murphy. It goes, but Murphy can't get on a colour. He's playing the better of the two though and when he gets a third red down, long and straight into the bottom right, he screws back to land on the yellow. That necessitates the cue extension and the extended rest coming out...and he's missed it. Chance for Wilson.

A 43 for Murphy banks the frame. We've got a huge one coming up.

Murphy takes his break to 37 with a red to the right middle, and that was frame ball. Murphy is now guaranteed to win the session, and now has the chance to go into the evening all square.

Wilson picks out a plant to the bottom left. He forces the white through the cluster, gambling on position, but is only left with a wafer thin cut on the black to the bottom left. Wilson goes all out for it, but doesn't get it even in the jaws; he may well have served up the frame for Murphy here.

In reply Murphy can only make 12 before overrunning position on his next red and landing on nothing. Both players seem a bit edgy in this one, these are two huge frames before they depart. A huge slice of luck turns it for Murphy; Wilson leaves him a mid-range red to the bottom left, which Murphy jaws out and flukes into the bottom right. From it though he makes just 20, as his attempted split on the pack after potting the black goes awry and again he lands on nish.

Two day down, one to go! Here's how the final day of semi-final action will unfold featuring Stuart Bingham, Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy.

10:00

Kyren Wilson v Shaun Murphy

14:30

Stuart Bingham v Mark Selby

19:00

Kyren Wilson v Shaun Murphy

- - -

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