Mark Selby beats Shaun Murphy in World Snooker Championship final – as it happened

2.44pm EDT 14:44

Selby 15-11 Murphy (44-16)

If Mark wins tonight, he joins the great John Higgins on four world titles and, as I mentioned earlier, surely enshrines him as the final member of the all-time top five, along with Higgins, Davis, Hendry and O’Sullivan. He’ll be well aware of that, and a poor shot on the black shows the weight of things … but a terrific redeemer with the rest keeps the break going – though again, the ball does not look in, cracking the far knuckle before deciding to join its mates. But you can only chase for so long, and a further tricky red refuses to force its way down, so here comes Shaun for the biggest visit of this year’s competition. He starts it nicely…

2.39pm EDT 14:39

Selby 15-11 Murphy (27-0)

With the white up in baulk, pretty central, Mark clips a red from close to the blue spot into the middle! I’m not sure that was deliberate and the friendly peck he’s handed by the brown certainly wasn’t. But when it’s going for you it’s going for you, and in no time at all he’s into the pack and in the balls; this is a great chance, but as the winning post draws nearer, so does the pressure.

2.34pm EDT 14:34

Selby 15-11 Murphy

Shaun’s running out of time now, and he’ll be raging over that pink he missed – especially given the red he sank. If Mark wins another in this mini-sesh, it’ll be the early night that none of us wanted.

2.32pm EDT 14:32

Selby 14-11 Murphy (70-28)

OK, Mark sees a chance to sink the difficult red early … can he roll it down the rail … yes he can … no he can’t … yes he can! It wipes its feet, has a wobble, sits down, and then finally drops. This game!

2.31pm EDT 14:31

Selby 14-11 Murphy (47-28)

That nervousness is still there – Mark overruns but sinks the red anyway, then gets low on the blue and still gets position on the next ball. He’s warming up here, but there’s a red in the middle of black cush so Shaun still has a hope – although assuming Mark leaves it till last, it’ll be frame ball, so no need for him to do anything other than sink it.

2.27pm EDT 14:27

Selby 14-11 Murphy (18-28)

“That video is genuinely, almost inexplicably emotional,” sympathises Matt Dony. “It doesn’t matter whether you like snooker or not, it doesn’t matter whether you care about the outcome or not; it feels big. It feels like something is happening. Sport is simultaneously nothing more than glorified playground squabbles, and at the same time ludicrously important to huge swathes of society. It means something. It engages the heart and the head. I don’t have a strong opinion on Selby or Murphy, but I am SO EXCITED to see that crowd. Chapeau, everyone involved in making it happen.”

Yes, agree with all of that, and LISTEN TO THAT! Shaun takes on a red that’s in mid-table with the white close to the bottom cushion, fairly spanking it to left corner. The black goes next, then another red, and though he’s a shot or two from prime position, this is as good a chance as he could’ve hoped for. Anyway, back to Matt, everything is meaningless until or unless we invest it with meaning, and we’ve done that to sport – ultimately, it’s an expression of love, freedom and being alive, and we’ve never needed it more. Meantime, Shaun misses a pink to middle and that’s the match right there: a lack of consistency and concentration undermining the blazing pots, and Mark will fancy himself to do something here.

Updated at 2.30pm EDT

2.22pm EDT 14:22

Selby 14-11 Murphy (4-11)

Now then. Shaun nails a brutal long red, then makes his way back up the table and splatters the pack … only to go in-off draining the yellow. There’s nothing loose from inside the D, though, so off we go again with some safety; very quickly, the black moves over right corner, so Shaun has to be careful with this next shot; he plays it well, landing on a lonely one on black cush, and Mark eschews a pot for a return to baulk. What a sequel that’d be – and imagine the feeling of delight during the original, when the black and white balls turned to glorious technicolour.

“Watch the paint dry more is exciting once Selby has the table,” says Len Ross, but I can’t be having that. Just a few days ago, he smashed up the great Mark Williams playing beautiful snooker and can pot balls with the best of them, it’s just that the rest of them can’t play tactically with him.

2.14pm EDT 14:14

Selby 14-11 Murphy (0-0)

Eesh, bad sign for Shaun who takes on a long red that’s easier than plenty he’s nailed of late and jawses it. But have a look! Mark, who was visibly edgy at the start of this afternoon’s go-around, misses an easier one, then Shaun can’t find the green pocket and we’re back playing safety. While the exchange takes shape, let me point you in the direction of Talking Snooker, now available on iPlayer, which they showed when we finished the previous session early – it’s mainly about Davis and Hendry but also features bare Bazza Hearn and Ian Doyle – and is replete with sensational archive.

2.09pm EDT 14:09

I confessed to this earlier, but my eyeballs were in something of a sweat when Rob Walker baized the boyz earlier – he absolutely had it, and so did the CAPACITY CROWD. It was a joyous, beautiful explosion. Burn baby burn – here comes Shaun, bowing then waving, followed by Mark! Come on!

2.06pm EDT 14:06

Email! “I was never a fan of Murphy before,” says Gregory Phillips. “I couldn’t forgive him for beating Matthew Stevens in the 2005 final . But his swashbuckling this year has really won me over. That said, Selby simply doesn’t surrender leads in major finals and I fear he will choke the life out of this final session.”

He might, but if tonight is anything like this afternoon, he’s not in good enough nick. And I agree on Murphy, who’s played beautifully this last fortnight. But he too will need to improve if he’s to claw this back – some one-visit frames, rather than falling down and allowing Selbz to clear.

2.01pm EDT 14:01

Right then, this is it. I’d say it’s been a brilliant tournament, which it has, but that’s no different to simply saying that’s happened, because it’s always brilliant. This term, though, it’s been special, partly because we’ve had a crowd in, but partly because the matches have been so close and surprising. So, though the temptation is to assume that Selbz has this covered, Shaun has more than enough to get things flip-turned upside down. I guess if the worst comes to the worst and it ends earlier than we’d like, they can always get Ballrun Bingham back to play a decider. Play the music!

12.00pm EDT 12:00

Selby holds onto three-frame lead

Mark Selby moved four frames away from winning his fourth world snooker title after preserving his three-frame lead over Shaun Murphy at the end of the penultimate session of their Crucible final.

Selby repelled a flashy Murphy fightback to clinch the crucial final frame of the session and go 14-11 in front ahead of the conclusion of their best-of-35 battle on Monday evening.

Each player summoned a century but neither displayed their best form in a session in which Selby’s fighting spirit cancelled out Murphy’s flamboyant if somewhat erratic break-building bids.

Resuming 10-7 behind, Murphy had drawn first blood with a promising break of 77 and looked to have won the next, only to leave the black dangling over the middle pocket. A nerveless century break put Selby 12-9 up at the interval, and moved four ahead following a rash missed red from Murphy.

The 2005 champion fought back, a superb 100 bringing him back to 13-10 and a brilliant long red helping him over the line in the next. With the chance to close the gap to a single frame, Murphy played a poor break-off shot and Selby pounced with a 62 to stay in control. PA

11.30am EDT 11:30

End of afternoon session: Selby 14-11 Murphy

A run of 69 secures the frame for Mark, who’s a big favourite to take it from here. Shaun’s plenty good enough to stop him if he can put it together, but it’s asking a ludicrous amount to produce your best form in the final session of the final. Either way, though, we’ve got one hell of a buzz in front of us – join me again at seven if you value anything that’s good in this world.

11.25am EDT 11:25

Selby 13-11 Murphy (83-0)

Mark holds it down to despatch a long one and he’s going to leave the afternoon as he entered it, three frames in front.

11.23am EDT 11:23

Selby 13-11 Murphy (62-0)

“I see you’re blogging in black and white,” emails Andrew Benton. “Can you blog in colour (wasn’t snooker chosen for the first colour broadcast on telly back in the 60s)?”

It was Wimbledon, I think, but no doubt colour telly helped grow the game – the colours are so vivid – though I remember watching some of the 1985 final on a black and white one after being sent to bed. Anyhow, with a red and colour needed to settle the frame, Mark runs out of position and leaves a long, hard one that needs clipping diagonally; Shaun’s pretty good at these, but he can’t force it home, and we’re back playing safety with 75 left on the table.

11.18am EDT 11:18

Selby 13-11 Murphy (48-0)

Mark is one of the most intense competitors in all sport, so it’s no surprise to see him forget the last two frames and start remorselessly compiling. On 40, he drops the white a little short, but a prod with the rest and he’s back on track.

Mark Selby at the table. Photograph: Getty Images

Updated at 12.00pm EDT

11.12am EDT 11:12

Selby 13-11 Murphy (14-0)

I didn’t see this, but when Shaun made his ton the frame before last, he paused to thank the crowd for their appreciation. Now, though, he’s sat in his seat because he’s left a red off the break that Mark canes to left corner, and this is a chance because after a sojourn in the baulk he returns to the business end with the black available; down it goes, pack splattered in the process.

Updated at 11.13am EDT

11.07am EDT 11:07

Selby 13-11 Murphy

So that’s the bare minimum for Shaun, a split session at worst. Even if he loses it, we’ve got an absolutely savage evening in prospect, but if he can win it…!

11.05am EDT 11:05

Selby 13-10 Murphy (0-59)

A sensational screw-back yanks Shaun back into prime position but he’s soon faced with a nasty little pink … seen away via rest. But he can’t find another colour to follow the next red, so the blue goes safe with a snooker behind the brown just missed. Still, it leaves Mark with a difficult shot and all he can do is offer a tempter, caressed from middle to left corner. That’s an absolute jazzer, and it surely means the frame. We’re rolling!

10.58am EDT 10:58

Selby 13-10 Murphy (0-35)

Now then. Mark misses his first go at clipping a red and because he lands behind the brown – it’s on the baulk line, close to the side cushion – snookering Shaun, Shaun has a free ball. He has a think about the pot but it’s difficult and if it misses it might mean the frame, so sensibly invites Mark to play from there. With few options, he winds up splitting a cluster under the pink, and when Shaun drains a gorgeous opener, he’s set to win a second straight.

Updated at 11.08am EDT

10.54am EDT 10:54

Selby 13-10 Murphy (0-18)

Granted, I’m an emotionally incontinent type, but the sound and sight of a full crowd – never mind one this “knowledgeable” – is extremely moving. What I’m saying, I guess, is that live sport is the greatest thing in the world, an expression of love and joy, of which there’s yet more when Shaun monsters in a starter. He can’t parlay it into more, but another of similar beauty hauls him back in … until he overruns, missing a gap between two reds that would’ve put him on the pink. As such, Mark is not contemplating life from tight to the baulk cushion.

Updated at 10.57am EDT

10.47am EDT 10:47

Selby 13-10 Murphy

The crowd go wild when Shaun rams home a pink to complete his first ton of the match, and here we go again! Can Shaun finally close the gap?

10.44am EDT 10:44

Selby 13-9 Murphy (1-74)

This is excellent from Shaun. The balls are nice but the pressure is barbaric, and he eliminates both beautifully.

10.39am EDT 10:39

Selby 13-9 Murphy (1-12)

Oh dear, oh dear. Shaun breaks and leaves a red near the blue – down it goes – but then Mark misses green to middle, and Shaun, who necessarily goes into the pack off his opener, is away! If ever he needed a one-visit win, he needs it the now.

10.37am EDT 10:37

Selby 13-9 Murphy

A second half-century gives Mark the frame, and Shaun will feel this slipping away. He might revise his strategy of going for absolutely everything and just go for everything, because that long red he missed just now was a bit much. He can afford a 2-2 in the mini-sesh, just, but anything more and it’s five to over.

Mark Selby eyes up a shot. Photograph: Getty Images

Updated at 10.43am EDT

10.33am EDT 10:33

Selby 12-9 Murphy (62-14)

A terrific safety from Shaun elicits an error from Mark, but rather than play another telling shot back to baulk, he tries a long pot to the green pocket and misses by fortnight. The ball in question pulls up nicely for the middle, Mark drains it, and this is going to be 13-9.

10.29am EDT 10:29

Selby 12-9 Murphy (54-14)

This is a lower-key affair than any of the previous four frames we’ve seen today, but it’s an important one. Mark rides a kick on 41, still good for position on the blue … except he runs out of position shortly afterwards, taking more than two minutes – punctuated by some punitive banging of head with palm – to play a gentle prod. On which point, Shaun’s been punished plenty for failing to close out frames – after doing similar Wilson in the semi – and it’s imperative he make Mark suffer having been given the chance.