Playing in the final stages of this event for the first time, Lilley’s title journey began in January when he entered the initial Q-School qualifying competition in Reading. Nine match wins and four months later, he was lifting the trophy at the sport’s most iconic venue.

The 45-year-old from Washington – who was making his competitive debut at the Crucible – had eliminated Philip Williams, Ken Doherty and Patrick Wallace to reach the title match. During his late-night quarter-final clash with Doherty the day before he produced a steely effort of 69 in a deciding frame.

Lilley settled his nerves in the final with a 74 break to claim the opener before continuing his running theme throughout the tournament of pinching close frames when crafting an impressive break of 35 to win frame two on the pink. He then chalked up the third to put himself in firm control.

Aiming for his third successive world seniors title – and fourth overall – White had done little wrong. He eventually managed to get a foothold in the tie, constructing a classy run of 85 to go into the mid-session interval on a positive note.

The Whirlwind continued to gain momentum on resumption, racking up contributions of 42, 63 and 56 in the following two frames for parity at 3-3 and to threaten another epic recovery after coming back from 4-0 down to Doherty in last year’s memorable final.

A nervy seventh frame ensued, though, with White squandering a glorious chance on the colours to take the front. Lilley leaped on his unexpected opportunity to retake the lead at 4-3 before keeping his cool with what was effectively a tournament winning break of 69 in frame eight.

Speaking to Rob Walker after his triumph, Lilley said: “I’m a bit speechless, I didn’t think I’d get this emotional. Jimmy is my hero – he’s everyone’s hero. I really don’t know what to say; I’m just so happy.”

As well as the title and trophy, Lilley banks £15,000 and is set to claim a place at the prestigious Champion of Champions later this year in Bolton.

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The duo both came through semi-final tests during an intriguing afternoon session in Sheffield.

The prospect of a third consecutive world seniors championship title is now just a win away for the evergreen White who ended the campaign of Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo.

A break of 60 helped White take the opener before a couple of small contributions allowed him to move 2-0 up.

Figueiredo – the first South American to play a competitive match at the Crucible – registered runs of 36 and 44 to get on the board, but White chalked up an important frame four and then finished with a 47 clearance in the fifth to record a 4-1 victory.

Since the championship moved here in 2019, the popular Londoner has not lost a match in it. Should he win the title match, it would be his fourth triumph in the event overall.

Lilley showed no ill effects from his dramatic late-night victory over Ken Doherty as he strung together four consecutive frames to defeat Patrick Wallace 4-1 in the other last four tie. 

It was record eight-time Northern Irish national champion Wallace who opened his account first as he emerged from a scrappy opening frame, although Lilley levelled it with the help of runs of 65 and 34. 

A pivotal moment in the contest came in the third frame. Wallace was on the cusp of retaking the lead but broke down on a break of 56. Lilley stayed in, and later pinched the frame on the final black. 

The man from Washington near Newcastle didn’t look back, constructing breaks of 89 and 69 in the next two frames to seal a 4-1 success.  

Lilley was a qualifier for this event having come through the first Q-School held in Reading at the start of the year. In total, he has won eight matches to reach the final where he will attempt to halt White, who himself is on an 11-match winning streak. 

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White stretched his undefeated run in this event at the Crucible Theatre to 10 matches after a 4-1 triumph over former winner Darren Morgan.

A rerun of the title match here in 2019, Londoner White racked up runs of 46 and 41 in taking the first frame, but Morgan lit up the stage in the next with an amazing total clearance of 134 – bettering the previous tournament high break of 112 that he crafted in round one. It is the highest break in this championship since 2015.

Welshman Morgan continued his fine scoring into the third frame although he missed on 52. He later had another chance, but it was White who finished the frame with a smile on his face as he cleared up with 36 to pinch it by a single point.

The Whirlwind would deal another big body blow to his opponent in frame four. Morgan was on the cusp of levelling the match when on a break of 49 but a miss on a difficult red allowed White to clear with 40 and win on the black ball again for 3-1.

Frame five was a scrappy affair but the defending champion held the advantage almost throughout, later claiming it to set up an intriguing last four tie with Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo.

Lilley produced a steely clearance in the deciding frame to resist a comeback from Ken Doherty and arrange a semi-final date with Patrick Wallace on Sunday afternoon.

The tone for a topsy-turvy encounter was set in frame one when Lilley cleared up with 31 to swipe it on the black. He then doubled his advantage in a low-scoring second frame.

With his opponent struggling to settle, Lilley looked like making it 3-0 when on a break of 41 and nearing the snooker’s required stage before an unexpected miss let the 1997 world professional champion in. It was an opportunity Doherty grasped, constructing a morale-boosting clearance of 63 to halve his deficit.

A potential turning point, the Irishman headed towards parity on an effort of 57 – but when he jawed a red – roles were reversed from the previous frame and the three-time English Amateur Champion mopped up with 55 to chalk up his second black ball success in the match.

Momentum would shift again, though, as Doherty bounced back with the aid of 34 to pocket frame five before forcing it all the way come the conclusion of frame six.

The six-time ranking event winner edged closer to completing the turnaround before a pink went awry on a run of 40. In what was the final swing of the pendulum, Lilley later in the frame seized this lifeline, compiling a cool break of 69 to go through in dramatic circumstances.

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In a clash of current main tour players, Brazilian Figueiredo reproduced the impressive form that saw him nearly qualify for the world professional championship here last month as he eliminated Stephen Hendry 4-1 with a string of breaks.

It was ‘King of the Crucible’ Hendry who held the upper hand early on in the contest, though, after registering a run of 76 to claim the opening frame.

However, that would be as good as it got for the Scot as the South American Crucible debutant levelled up with the help of 31 and 41 before really finding his scoring groove and taking the lead with an effort of 100 – the third century of this year’s competition so far.

Figueiredo broke down on a break of 30 in frame four but his opponent failed to capitalise and a returning contribution of 61 put him one away from victory at 3-1.

With his back against the wall, a determined Hendry looked like reducing his errors in the fifth, but he ran out of position on 62 and went in-off when attempting a tricky red. A clinical Figueiredo subsequently fashioned the perfect counter-attack, clearing up to and including the black for 68 to ice his eye-catching display.

The 43-year-old is now just one match away from his second final on the world seniors circuit having been runner-up to Ken Doherty in the 2018 UK Seniors Championship in Hull.

Twenty years on from losing a tight quarter-final at the Crucible Theatre in the world professional championship, Wallace this time finished on the correct side of a close last eight affair at the venue after ousting Barry Pinches 4-2.

The Northern Irishman took a protracted opening frame on the pink, and was set fare to extend his lead in frame two whilst on a break of 43 before missing and having to watch Pinches reply with a classy 83 clearance.

Wallace produced efforts of 55 and 59 to retake the lead with frame three, although Norwich cueman Pinches squared it again after a fragmented fourth frame.

For the third time in the match the former finalist went in front with the aid of a crucial break of 31 before getting over the line in a nervy sixth frame.

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