Kyren Wilson v Jak Jones: World Snooker Championship 2024 final – live | World Snooker Championship

For the second year in a row, a new name will be engraved on the World Cup trophy later today. Twelve months ago, carefree Belgian potter Luca Bressel struck for continental Europe, but this time the winner will come from two of the game’s dominant powers: England and Wales. From John Spencer (1977) and Ray Riordan (1978), winners of the first two editions of the Crucible, English and Welsh players have showered us with iconic World Cup memories. Those multiple wins for Ronnie O’Sullivan, Steve Davies and Mark Selby, Jimmy White’s constant heartbreak, Reardon’s digressions on the crowd, Doug Mountjoy’s red shirts, Terry Griffiths’ revelation that “I’m in the final now, you know” before win as a qualifier…

Ah yes, a win as a qualifier. That’s what Jack Jones is also trying to achieve this week after a gutsy run to the final that took him over Zhang Anda, Xi Jiahui, Judd Trump and Stuart Bingham, the latter two former world champions. It looked as if Jones had awoken from a bad dream when England’s Kieron Wilson opened with centuries and raced to a blistering 7-0 lead on the first day. But if there’s one thing we know about Jones, it’s that he doesn’t lie down easily. From an ironic raised fist to the crowd after putting his first frame on the board, the 30-year-old from Cumbran won the second session 5-4 to cut Wilson’s overnight lead to 11-6.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Jones looked on the verge of hitting his cushion at just 10-7 when he broke 64 in the final frame of the day, leaving Wilson needing a snooker. But the Englishman found one, won a dramatic black ball exchange and ensured the gap was five.

Wilson, beaten by Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2020 final, is the hot favorite to take the title from here, but Jones is not the type to switch. Can the fight continue in today’s afternoon session? We’ll find out soon!