I’ll take a break too. In the meantime, a shout out for two of my favourite snooker podcasts: the Snooker Scene podcast by Dave Hendon and Talking Snooker featuring Nick Metcalfe and Phil Haigh. Available at the usual places and a cracking weekly listen.

Secret BBC cameras show Wilson eating some sort of healthy snack in his dressing room as brother Taylor gives him a pep talk. Jak Jones was reported to be on his own backstage earlier in the tournament which is some nice cockney rhyming slang-based nominative determinism.

Wilson 13-8 Jones Wilson perhaps doesn’t yet have the swagger of that opening session but there’s definitely more of a positive spring in his stride and stroke. On 55, he pauses (with a smile) to ask a spectator to remain still and then knocks a red into the middle bag. All this has come from Jones hitting the blue full in the face from his break-off. A black goes in and that’ll be the frame. There’s no century this time as he misses a red on 83 but the gap is back to five and Jones’ mini-comback has been repelled. The session is shared 2-2 and that was probably what Wilson had in mind. Jones remains at arm’s length. Frame score: 83 (83)-0.

Wilson 12-8 Jones (33-0) Jones winning the opening two frames today means we’re guaranteed a final session although how long it lasts remains to be seen. And Jones’ hopes aren’t helped by a terrible break-off – perhaps not aided by a spectator wandering back in and catching his eye – which leaves Wilson with a fairly easy opener. Kyren takes it and he’s now starting to punch his shots into the back of the pocket with more authority. The sound is different. On 20, he opts to pot the black and swerve into the pack. It’s not a perfect split but he has one on and the break continues.

Wilson 12-8 Jones Wilson builds his lead to 67-7, knocking the final red into play to give himself hope of a total clearance. But he misses a cut on the yellow and the break ends at 50. No matter, the frame is won and he edges a frame closer to the finishing line. Six more and he will be world champion. Frame score: 67-7 (50)

Wilson 11-8 Jones (55-7) Wilson goes 41-7 in front and plays for the black which he left on the top cushion a few minutes earlier. It’s not without risk but he knocks it in and everything is on now with the black back on its spot. A chance here to knock in a sizeable break and get that margin back to four.

Wilson 11-8 Jones (34-7) Jones lays a good safety behind the brown and with Wilson’s attempt to escape a little heavy, the white hasn’t nestled in the pack. Jones can cut a red in here with some help from the rest and he does so. He trickles in the blue but then rather butchers a red and Wilson is in position to cash in. A punched blue into the top-left baulk pocket is a real nerve-settler and there’s plenty of low-hanging fruit here if Kyren keeps his focus.

Wilson 11-8 Jones (17-0) Some BBC graphics show Wilson ahead on pot success and positional success but Jones leading the safety stats. Average shot time: Wilson 22 seconds, Jones 25. All fairly guessable really if you’ve been tuned in over the last fornight. Wilson is the far more accomplished break builder but Neil Robertson said earlier this week that he ranked Jones as one of the top five or six safety players in the game. Some claim. Back at the table, Wilson plays a blue into middle with a ton of running left-hand side to move 17-0 but can’t land one of the five or six loose-ish reds. He plays safe again but, surprisingly, knocks the black onto the top cushion as he does so. Surely it’s in his interests to keep the table open.

Wilson 11-8 Jones (5-0) Wilson wanders out of the arena, perhaps to splash some water on his face and look in the mirror. He’s still in the box seat but a three-frame lead is into the realms of making him feel vulnerable. But he makes the first move in frame 20, attaching a mini-cue extension and knocking in a longish red. The brown brings him back towards a fairly tight pack and, with nothing on, he has to play safe.

Wilson 11-8 Jones (0-48) It’s not exactly a masterclass of break-building with the odd ball wobbling in and position often leaving plenty to be desired. On 53, Jones so nearly goes in-off into the middle which would have been totally unncessary. But he battles on, knocks in a red with a rest to go 67-0 ahead and that break of 59 is enough to seal the frame. 11-8!
Frame score: 0-67 (59)

Wilson 11-7 Jones (0-41) Tight against the top cushion, Jones knocks a do-or-die red into left middle. Great courage. He can now reap the rewards with so many reds out in the open. Perhaps it’s not as straightforward as it seems with the four reds around the pink covering each other but he plays a lovely little cannon into the cluster and everything is on now. Jones is bang in the balls and takes his break to 33 and counting. A BBC graphic shows he’s had 69% of the table time so far. Wilson looks pensive in his chair. The gap could be down to three very soon.

Wilson 11-7 Jones (0-8) Referee Paul Collier racks up the balls again and announces “19th frame”. Not the greatest break-off from Jones and he leaves a thin one into left-middle but Wilson undercuts it and the white runs into the loose-running red as it journeys back down the table. It leaves Jones in with the first chance of the frame. He pots an opening red before Collier has to clear a bug from the table. Ken Doherty makes a joke about it coming from Dennis Taylor’s rarely-opened wallet and the crowd, all with earpieces in listening to the BBC commentary, lap that old classic up. Jones isn’t laughing shortly after though as, on 8, he misses an easy red. But no opening emerges and we’re into cat-and-mouse tapping into the pack territory with four reds in baulk and another two out in the open. Kyren finally whacks them open but screws back to the top cushion. One mistake here and their opponent is in.

Wilson 11-7 Jones Jones adds the yellow to leave Wilson needing three four-point snookers but the Englishman plays on. Wilson takes green and blue but any attempts to to put Jones in trouble fall short and the Welshman knocks in a blue from distance to close the frame out. Job done. A break of 64, some confident pots and the gap is down to four. Frame score: 39-72 (64)

Wilson 11-6 Jones (32-65) Jones has the white under control and just needs the final red fairly close to the left-side cushion to leave Wilson leading snookers. With full concentration, he rather wobbles it in although forgets about position and a missed length-of-the-table pink leaves his advantage at 33 with just 27 left. Memories of last night maybe when Wilson won the closing frame from this kind of position. Jones’ 64 break is certainly a settler and he’s in prime position to cut the gap to four.

Wilson 11-6 Jones (32-43) One obvious difference between these two is scoring when in the balls. Wilson has knocked in four centuries in the final so far but Jones hasn’t managed a single ton. The Welshman has only reached triple figures twice all tournament which backs up the idea that a century looks good, elicits much applause but only wins you a single frame. Jones isn’t exactly in full control but he’s ahead in this opener and still going with his break now on 42.

Wilson 11-6 Jones (32-2) Wilson takes the easy red over the middle pocket and screws back for black. Four reds and blacks follow but, on 32, he falls out of position when trying to nudge the pack open and has to take his medicine and play safe. It’s rather careless, rolling into the yellow, and leaves Jones a thin red which he knocks in. He’s on a baulk colour too.

Wilson 11-6 Jones Wilson’s break off has left one sticking out down the right and Jones punches it home with aplomb. Great start. But it leaves him with a mid-length blue to the top-right baulk pocket and it wobbles in and out. Kyren is in and has some loose reds to work with.

A surprise from Kyren Wilson as he comes out to Completely and Utterly by The Chesterfields. Not really. According to the walk-on music thread I’ve found, it’s Chase & Status.

Rob Walker is suited and booted too. No doubt he’s run a 10k this morning. Here comes Jak Jones to the strains of The Stereophonics.

We’re close. Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis – 13 world titles between them and looking rather smart – give their thoughts to Hazel Irvine. Rob Walker will be working the room shortly and bringing on the players.

Can you win having been 7-0 down in a world championship final? John Parrott burst into a 7-0 lead over Jimmy White in 1991 and prevailed 18-11 which suggests no. And yet we all know what happened in 1985. Dennis Taylor was actually 8-0 behind against Steve Davis before Ted Lowe’s “nooo” on The Nugget’s cut-back black in that famous decider which allowed Dennis and his giant spectacles to erupt in stamping, finger-wagging euphoria.

The clock ticks down for this third session of four. Well, hopefully four if you want some green baize entertainment this evening. At 11-6 up, Wilson can be crowned world champion this afternoon if he wins seven of the eight frames. Unlikely, although he did just that yesterday afternoon.

Preamble