Wade keeps cool to claim final place

James Wade tonight clinched his place in the Stan James World Matchplay final in Blackpool with a clinical demolition of Adrian Lewis.

Wade hit 70% of his checkouts, including four of over 100, as Lewis failed to build on last night’s thrilling quarter-final win over Raymond van Barneveld.

Eight successive frames sealed it for Wade, who will now hope to go one better than last year when he was vanquished by Phil Taylor in the final.

“I knew I had to turn up today and I did that in style,” Wade, the world number 11, said afterwards.

“I love this event and I’ve done the hard work to get to the final, now I can enjoy it.”