Darts results: Peter Wright beats Gary Anderson to reach PDC World Darts Championship final against Michael Smith

In a match which lived up to all the hype, Snakebite claimed a thrilling 6-4 victory and also threw the most 180s ever seen on this stage with 24 in 44 legs of pulsating darts as he kept alive his hopes of lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy for the second time.

The 2020 champion, who also reached the final back in 2014, averaged 104.38 but was pushed almost all the way by a vintage display from Anderson in front of a captivated Ally Pally crowd.

Wright had looked on course for a surprisingly easy night when leading 3-0 only for the Flying Scotsman to raise his game to the levels that saw him win this title twice and reach a further three finals.

Anderson, whose previous 180s record was 22 in 44 legs of the 2017 final against Michael van Gerwen, averaged 102.72, hit 15 maximums and threw four of the six 100+ checkouts in the match, but he missed a dart at a double to force a deciding set before his fellow 51-year-old sealed victory with a nerveless 116 finish in the very next leg.

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Wright made an imperious start in his bid to reach a third World Championship final as he raced through the opening set 3-1 with the help of three 180s and only allowed Anderson just one attempt at a double.

Snakebite's heavy scoring continued in the second, with back-to-back maximums paving the way for an 11-darter in leg three, but he had to hold his nerve in a decider to double his advantage.

It looked as though Wright was going to run away with it when punishing the Flying Scotsman for two missed darts at doubles in the fourth leg of set three to take it 3-1 and leave his fellow 51-year-old legend with a mountain to climb.

Anderson finally got a set on the board thanks to clinical finishes of 76 and 92 either side of Wright bringing the crowd to their feet with a brilliant 138 checkout.

The two-time champion was on a roll and despite dropping the opening leg of the fifth set, he reeled off the next two before completing the job with a 105 checkout when Wright waited to come back on eight having already spurned two darts at a double.

The 2020 champion stopped the worrying rot in the sixth set, taking it 3-1 with the help of an agonising nine-darter attempt which ended when going inside on double 12 for the second time in two days.

Both players continued to produce an incredible standard of darts that was captivating the crowd and the millions watching at home, with Anderson averaging 116 in the seventh set to take it 3-1 and cut the match deficit to 4-3.

Anderson's doubling crucially dropped off somewhat in the eighth, which started with him missing double 18 for a 156 checkout before spurning two darts at tops in the second leg. He hit back to take out 101 in the third for a break only for Snakebite to return the favour with a stunning 11-darter which included his 18th maximum.

The Flying Scotsman refused to go away, and after opening up a 2-1 lead in set nine, he produced a brilliant 11-darter featuring back-to-back maximums to pile more pressure on his countryman.

Anderson was left to rue a missed dart at tops for a 130 checkout in the opening leg of the 10th but after a fine finish from 104 in the third put him into a 2-1 lead, he'd spurn a set dart on double five as Wright capitalised before sealing a memorable victory with a 116 checkout.

Wright, who has won six titles this season including the World Matchplay and the Players Championship Finals, is now marginal 8/11 favourite to beat Michael Smith (11/10) on Monday night.

He said: "What a game of darts, it was phenomenal. That was really hard and I’m exhausted after it to be honest. To get a win against Gary Anderson, one of the greatest darts players there has ever been, is amazing. It was an amazing game to play in. Hopefully it was great for the crowd and all the viewers at home.

"Gary was coming back at me like a train, lucky enough I managed to derail him. That’s the best game I’ve ever played."

Bully Boy barges past Wade

Earlier, Michael Smith brushed aside James Wade 6-3 to reach his second World Championship final.

The 2019 runner-up, who edged thrillers with Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price in his previous two matches, showed just why he'd become tournament favourite when storming into a 5-1 lead with an average well above 100 and although the Machine clawed a couple of sets back to add a degree of respectability to the scoreline it was too little too late.

Smith ended up with an average of 100.98 compared to Wade's 95.43, threw 16 of the 21 maximums in the match and also weighed in with half of the six 100+ checkouts, including a brilliant 130 on the bullseye.

The St Helens man is not only chasing his maiden world title but also his first major having lost in all four of his previous finals, including the 2018 Premier League, 2019 World Matchplay and 2020 Masters - but on this evidence he'll take some stopping.

His third 100+ average in five matches helped keep his tournament mark comfortably above a ton (101.3) while he's also fired in a barrage of 59 180s in just 149 legs (0.39 per leg), pinned almost 48% of his doubles (88/185) and, arguably more importantly, remained so much more mentally focused than at any point in his career so far.

Smith's early nerves settled the quickest as he edged the opening set 3-2 before charging through the second 3-1 with an average of almost 120 thanks to three maximums and a 114 checkout.

Bully Boy maintained his scoring power in the third but he missed a dart at tops to take it 3-1 and then another on bullseye in the decider for what would have been a finish from 81, as Wade made him pay with a 121 checkout to get his first set on the board.

The tide continued to turn in the fourth set, with Wade moving 2-0 up after punishing Smith for spurning four clear darts at a double on his own throw but he ended up losing it 3-2 after missing the bull for a 170 in leg three and tops for a 120 in leg five.

Wade bounced back promptly after the interval with his second 121 checkout of the match to break his opponent's throw only to undo that hard work in leg three when he had 80 remaining, opting to go D20-D20 with all three darts in hand and failing to hit either, before missing a further five darts at double in the next leg as Smith swooped for a 4-1 lead.

That soon became 5-1 in a flash as the 2019 runner-up he completed stunning 12-darter with a 130 checkout on the bullseye en route to whitewashing Wade in set six.

The end of his latest quest to reach a first World Championship final was in clear sight when Smith opened up the seventh set with a 112 checkout but Bully Boy's scoring wheels wobbled out of nowhere and he didn't even earn another attempt at a double in the next three legs, with Wade sealing it with a brilliant finish from 160.

An ice cool Wade showed no sign of emotions despite his perilous position and after having his throw broken in the opening leg of the eighth set, he again took advantage of Smith's scoring dropping off to pick up the next two before holding his nerve in the eventual decider to claw the deficit back to 5-3. The Aldershot man averaged 108 in the set, with Smith only managing 95 after just 94 in the previous one.

However, Smith picked up his game again in what proved to be the final set, taking it 3-1 and advancing to Monday night's Ally Pally final against either Peter Wright or Gary Anderson.

The 31-year-old, whose only TV title came at the Shanghai Darts Masters back in 2018, said: "That was a tough game. He pushed me and it was about keeping my cool and I managed to do that. I kept my head.

"I’ve worked hard for this. You don’t get gifted things in life, I’ve earned it. I'm better mentally now and that’s made a difference. I’m looking forward to playing in the final again. I’m desperate for a chance to put things right from three years ago and now I’ve got it."

The result was good news for followers of Sporting Life's darts betting previews because Smith was backed on these pages at 25/1 each-way before the tournament began, while both daily tips for this semi-final also came up trumps: Wade to hit three or more 100+ checkouts and there to be 18+ match 180s as well as five 100+ checkouts overall. The second semi-final tip also came in, with Wright winning and hitting the most 180s.

World Darts: Sunday results and Monday schedule

Sunday January 2
Evening Session (7.30pm GMT)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

• (9) Michael Smith (100.98) 6-3 (95.43) James Wade (4)
  (Set scores: 3-2, 3-1, 2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 1-3, 2-3, 3-1)
• (2) Peter Wright (104.38) 6-4 (102.72) Gary Anderson (6)
  (Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 3-1, 1-3, 1-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-2)

Monday January 3 (8pm GMT)
Final (Best of 13 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

• Michael Smith v Peter Wright

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