Saturday, 1st Round, Evening Snooker: World Championship

They come off the M1 and go down the Parkway. It is special. It is an

annual pilgrimage to the home of snooker. Wherever you walk there is

always a bit of history. There are always pictures of previous finals.

The playing arena is incredible. It is probably the greatest snooker and

we can fix lacks the currently now we played on, it has a great

atmosphere and a special feeling about it. It can be the best two

weeks of your life when you're playing for the world title and if

you manage to win it there is nothing like the feeling. The crowd

getting involved, everything rolled into one. It makes it magical. That

is where some of the most iconic moments of a day took place. You

walk into that arena, that is where those matches happened. That is

where Dennis won in 1985. That is where Cliff made the 147. It all

happened there. Some wonderful memories. It is that time of year

again. Good evening and welcome to the Crucible in Sheffield. The first

Saturday evening session of the 2016 back Fred World Snooker

Championship. The question is who will win one of the greatest prizes

in snooker. Yesterday they gathered for a photo shoot. The job is made

on Thursday and Ronnie O'Sullivan is the favourite to win the trophy.

Every champion from the century is looking to win the Champion again.

Stuart Bingham is up against Ali Carter and got under way this

morning. Welcome to the Crucible Theatre. 1-0 to the defending

champion. He needs to get this. We thought that it was going to be

close and it is. That was a super shot. He goes into

the lead. A good solid plot. Engels the pink. Ali Carter does not look

happy with the table. He goes for all clear. I tell you

what, he has made a good fist of this. It is now 5-3. A good shot.

Stuart Bingham will be over the moon. We have a match on. We are in

for a cracking evening of the car at the Crucible. Good evening to you.

When Stuart Bingham won the title last year he said it was a blur. No

doubt he was feeling dizzy today. He did not play very well and Ali

Carter did not have to do anything special but there was a pivotal

moment. Ali Carter, when he was 5-1 up, played the green with a little

bit of drag to hope for the yellow make clearance. If this goes on for

6-1, who knows what the score could have been. But from that their

Stuart Bingham showed why he is the world champion and he played two

brilliant final frames. Stewart managed to get himself back into

this one but why was useful to start? May be a little bit of

anxiety coming in. He does not have a good record against Ali Carter,

Ali Carter has won every match. He has got going now and that is what

is important. I saw him about an hour ago in the practice room.

Stewart will be delighted he is only 5-4 behind. Ali Carty will be

kicking themselves but a missed opportunity. -- Ali Carter. He knows

the cameras watching. He will be fine, he is experience. Good

evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight the Crucible dream come to

an end for two of the very best players in the world, while the

winners will take one step closer to the sport's ultimate prize. The

stakes are so high tonight. Here at the Betfred World Snooker

Championship. This Sheffield crowd are in tremendous voice once again.

APPLAUSE Please welcome a player who is still

hungry for success after a quarter of this century in the sport, three

times the finalist here, his crowning moment came in 2002 when he

lifted the trophy. He is up against that that has never stopped him in

the past. He over 26 frame deficit in the qualifiers this week. But

your hands together for Peter Ebdon. -- put your hands.

APPLAUSE And his opponent, a brilliant

ambassador for the sport, both here and in the Far East. A sign a final

if you need decade ago and bidding for a seventh appearance. A two-time

ranking when and who shall discuss winning in Gibraltar this season.

From Hong Kong, he is Fu. APPLAUSE

The two-time Crucible finalist making his 14th consecutive

appearance at the World Championships. Winner of the ranking

event titles. There is no player on tour with more determination and

courage. Bidding for a 11th appearance in the second round, Ali

Carter. APPLAUSE

His opponent, he had to dig deep this morning from 5-1 down. Here he

is back in touch. He has said yes to every demand on his time over the

last 12 months, proving himself a worthy winner and a great advert for

the sport. Here he comes, the defending world champion, Stuart

Bingham. APPLAUSE

We have your Saturday night snooker is sorted. If you want to watch Fu

take on Peter Ebdon that is available on the red button and on

the BBC sport app. Here live on BBC Two, it is sure they versus Ali

Carter. -- Stuart Bingham versus Ali Carter. Both players got a

tremendous reception there. Stuart Bingham to break. We could be in for

a classic, Stephen. It looks like Ali Carter should run away with it

when he should have gone 6-1 in front. Stewart then won the next

three frames with breaks of 96 and 90. He is starting to show a glimpse

of the form he showed last year. I will be very surprised if someone

wins this 10-5, 10-6. I think this could go all the way.

APPLAUSE There is no doubt who would be

happier in the session interval. This is interesting. Ali Carter has

a plot to the left corner, maybe he thinks he cannot avoid a kiss on the

blacks and he has decided to play safe. A little bit low for Stuart

Bingham, but the last couple of frames he was getting it together.

Stuart Bingham, it took him until frame eight to make a break over 50

and he made that break of 96 in the final frame with the morning session

and the break of 90. Then Ali Carter miss the boat.

APPLAUSE Aid to rhetoric pot. He is on the

yellow. -- atrophic pot. I was surprised that Ali Carter didn't

take that redeye while he was at the table. He was not near the cushion,

his hand was on the table. He does go into that defensive mode

sometimes, Ali Carter, which is strange because the way that he cues

I fancy him getting a long red eight, nine, pounds ten. Why not

play the positive shock? Maybe he has negative thoughts on his mind.

He is taking the pace of the cue ball. Still has this red.

APPLAUSE Another good pot. Just kept on the

wrong side of the blue. It is going to need to be a good shot. I did the

nine frames this morning and if I had one criticism of Ali Carter, he

did get a little bit negative at times. When he had frame balls he

decided to play safe or to a safe colour. It looked to be going nicely

at 5-1 in front. That shows you how quick these tables are. I did not

think that was going to get there. Is he on the red? Not quite. Is

there a plant? These two reds could be made into a planned. -- plant.

They wire. -- they were. I think he was playing for one of the loose

threads. Considering it is quite a comfortable plant, he should have a

better angle on the blue than this. It is the wrong side of the blue

line. But so far a good start from Stuart Bingham.

Now down to 23. It was 26 at one stage. It was never a slow match. It

had some drawn frames because Ali Carter was missing his opportunities

when Stuart Bingham needed to or three sneakers. It made the frame

ran ten or 15 minutes longer than it should have done. -- he needed two

or three snookers. Maybe it is not straightforward here.

21. APPLAUSE

22. This time just got the angle

required. There is a blue line. Just the right

angle. He is in the middle of the cluster that will plot. -- pot.

Could play for the red. -- black. He would love the black on its spot. If

he plays for the black he has to make sure he finishes street because

any angle taken the cue ball at the table is going to end the break. He

has a choice of red 's. -- reds. He has just over done it slightly. Can

he dropped it in? This is awkward. I suppose the only saving grace is

that he's straight on the blacks and he needs to concentrate on the pot.

I wonder whether he can get there with the ordinary spider. Does he

not need the extended spider? Foul. And another one. I did not think he

was high enough there. He should have used the extended spider. He

definitely caught the red. He nudged the pink as well. Seven points

because he was playing for the black. A chance missed.

He has a little bit more angle on this pink. It is going to be further

away from the red in the corner. APPLAUSE

Could be as integers for Ali Carter is the pink doesn't go in its spot.

He can play for the pink on the black spot.

Eight. Just about got the angle on the pink. It is one of those that

you need to screw into. The problem is with screwing into them is that

you come away from the reds. He has read to the middle, but more to the

left-hand side of that little bunch would've been for a ball. He has got

a read. I always feel the shots are easier if you can just roll it in

and beyond colour next three pot. It makes it easier. -- and be on colour

to pot. He did not have to do anything with the cue ball, just

concentrate on the pot. This is a good chance.

That makes the point all square. It is not a straightforward run to the

line. 22. He does have an angle to go into

these three reds, but he is not guaranteed. That has come out well.

There is a long way to the finish line. He played the cannon as you

say. He played it with the amount of pace. He released the reds nicely.

After the disappointment of all the leading by one frame after the first

session, this will give him a nice boost of confidence. If he can win

it this evening. APPLAUSE

I presume he was playing for the red closest to the cue ball, it should

be OK. It is a difficult little shot to get on the right side of the

blue. He has played it with more pace from one of the block colours.

From being perfect, now he needs a decent positional shot.

It has caught him out slightly. A couple of reds and he is choosing

the one to the corner. It is possible to miss this. 19 points to

the lead. With all the colours on the spots, a bit of pressure on

this. Is straight forward shot would be to stun the cue ball over to the

black but the rednecks to the pink is spoiling that shot. -- the red

next to the pink. He made contact with the red there. He should be

over the moon with the result. The danger was catching that red. The

cue ball could finish tied on the top cushion. That mistake from

Stuart Bingham when he committed a foul could still cost and this

frame. We thought he needed a bit more elevation and he just rocked

the red. He did more than rock the pink, but the final was already

committed. -- the foul. Just about on this red to the

middle. He needs the two remaining reds. Just one of them with the

colour. Ali Carter, 48. Did not see that one

coming. So Stuart Bingham Ham has got a reprieve. That was all caused

by when he split the three events. He played one careless positional

shot and never got the perfect position back.

APPLAUSE This is a huge frame now and that

was an excellent shot. He has the frame at his mercy, but hand he'd

take it and levelled the match? -- can he take it.

APPLAUSE 13 points behind, he will need the

black and the six remaining colours. He played that nicely. It was not

perfect on the yellow, but he made it look easy. When he plots the pink

he will go seven points in front, but there are still seven left the

four remaining colours are required. He just overtook that slightly. He

will not be as close to the pink as he would've liked. If he had a

slight angle he could have been closer to the pink. Ali Carter is

ruing the missed red to the middle. APPLAUSE

He played the pink nicely. Seven points in the lead. Black to level

the match. And it goes then. We have had some friends that could have

gone either way and that was a big one from Stuart Bingham, the world

champion, who is back in it now. A-levels at 5-5. -- key levels. This

is the first round draw. The reigning champion is up against Ali

Carter. Ricky Walden has reached the last two ranking event finals and he

takes on Robbie Williams. The four times world champion John Higgins

plays Ryan Day. Judd Trump takes on Liang Wenbo. There are two former

champions meeting in this game. Neil Robinson takes on Michael Holt.

Shaun Murphy leads against Anthony McGill. Marco Fu is taking on Peter

Ebdon at this moment. Barry Hawkins is playing Jang and love. Ronnie

O'Sullivan Dixon David Gilbert. Mark Allen plays Mitchell Mann, the only

debutant. Joe Perry will play Kyren Wilson. Michael White against Sam

Baird. Mark Selby is up against Robert Milkins. Ali Carter to break.

Not a bad break shot there from Ali Carter but you wonder what is going

through his head at the moment. 5-1 in front, looked like it was going

to be 6-1, but now he is levelled at 5-5. He will be frustrated at losing

that last frame. That is not the best safety shot from Stuart

Bingham. It only just got past the blue spot. I was watching Ali Carter

in his chair when the balls were being set between the frames and he

looked furious in his chair. You need to focus on the next frame.

APPLAUSE Just struggling in and a few cases

have left them on the colour. Yes, losing your cool at this game

isn't a good income is it? You've got to keep yourself disciplined,

keep your emotions under control. Easier said than done. But you don't

want to send out the wrong messages to your opponent. Yeah, we've all

been there, we've all been furious at the snooker table with ourselves.

Especially long matches. You have to put it out of your mind and get on

with the next frame or channel that anger in a good way. Yeah, as I say,

easier said than done. He's been around long enough, Ali, should be

able to cope with the disappointment. I think he may just

be straight enough on this red, where he can roll it in, bring the

cue ball off the top. And play the black in the opposite corner. If he

can't come he might have to stun a cross for the black in the same

pocket but he'd rather play the run-through. And he could do it

nicely. He cued that nicely. If you don't cue them to welcoming you

widen the angle. He may just decide not to play too hard but just go

into the reds. Still one in the open. Try and loosened a few more

red. -- loosen a few more reds. Couldn't

have played it much better. That was certainly where he intended to hit.

He's brought a couple of reds into play. Touching ball but it doesn't

matter as long as the red he's touching doesn't move.

He's OK. I'm looking at his body language, as you are, he's come a

little bit too strict on this red. Having to screw back for the black

in the same pocket. -- two straight. Another frustration, though. That

was no problem, where he landed on the red, at all, especially for some

body who cues like Ali. You've seen frustration on his face. He's still

under it out there. Slight movement in the cue ball. That's why he's got

it cleaned. Still looks pretty composed but you get the feeling any

little thing that goes wrong is going to affect him. It's just

simmering under the surface, you can feel it.

Decided to go into them. Thought it was the worst way. I'm not sure he's

on that but the red he's closest to is possible. The frame is there for

the taking. A little wry smile. He felt that cue

ball came off percussion a little bit quick. To be fair to him we've

seen that quite a few times today. -- came off that cushion. We saw it

this afternoon in the match, the cue ball coming off the cushion quicker

than it went on. If he's playing the cannon on the pinky, he wants to hit

on the right-hand side as we look at it. -- on the pink here. He didn't

play the cannon. In the end it's a pretty good shot. Yeah, could not

have played it any better. That wasn't his best strike. Was it

a little bit of contact with the black? Maybe slightly came off the

back of the table, but still OK. Looks like the brown will pass the

red should he want to play that. He's looking at blue. But blue... It

is quite thin. Looks like you are playing cannon here. He could go

wrong. He didn't. Or he was able to avoid the cannon. Still in good

position. So basically now he's looking at a couple of rates, couple

of high value colours to clinch this frame. That's a bonus. A plant. An

unmissable plant. Once again, though, just come a

little bit too straight on the black. A deep screw. Touch of

left-hand side to widen the angle with the cue ball. -- deep cue. He's

just overrun it. Once again the cue looking at the side cushion. I don't

think there was any problem with that, he just didn't want to be

short and he's overhit it slightly. 63 point the lead, 75 remaining. Red

and a colour needed. That should be the frame-winner,

he's played it well, is now on the blue and this blue will put in 69

points in front with just 67 remaining. He's stopped the rot.

It should be enough. 69 points in front. 67 remaining. One snooker. It

wouldn't be the first time we've seen it done. If he makes certain of

that read, no way back to the table for sure. -- certain of that red.

That confirms it. One snooker needed.

Stewart has to play this red. Near the right corner. He can't afford to

leave it there for Ali. He's got to catch it very thin and he did. Good

shot. -- Stuart That kiss on the yellow is not good

for Ali. I know it looks a lot, XT nine points behind. -- 69 points. If

Stuart cannot this red in and get blacks with three words just below

it. -- can knock this in. Then there's a chance here. He needed

that one in. It looks like this red will pass the

pink and that'll be Stuart's last opportunity in this frame, you would

have thought. OK, he needed two chances in this

frame, looks to be cueing well now. Maybe he's challenging that energy.

Doesn't matter about the red, the frame was well done. Stuart

Bingham's four frames to level at 5-5 has been stopped in its tracks,

both players now playing well. We have a match on again, Ali Carter

leads 6-5. STUDIO: The frame of the shaken head, when Ali Carter had a

break of 69 he sat in the corner educated thinking maybe I've missed

my chance. We saw Stuart Bingham shaking his head, he's up against

it, isn't he? There is always a swing in matches here. At 5-1 Ali

Carter looked like the only possible winner and all of a sudden Stuart

Bingham has come back to fight. All credit to Ali Carter, he was under

pressure to go ahead. Who's Matt is this? Not sure at the moment. John

says Ali Carter is cueing well, he looks focused and in the groove. He

does. Massive frame for him, when you have led 5-1. You see the

scoreboard changed to six. He's been sitting there all afternoon. Hasn't

changed this evening session. The frame for him. We don't want to go

on about the Crucible close but no doubt Stuart Bingham must be sitting

there, it must be in the back of his mind. You'll have been thinking

about it before he came, but not now. It'll have been in the press.

At the moment he will just be trying to win the next frame. Back to John

and Stephen. Frame 12, Stuart Bingham to break.

COMMENTATOR: The defending champion gets frame 12 under way. He won the

first frame of this match but since then he's been playing catch-up. He

caught up, now he one behind again. -- he's one behind.

If this bounces it could finish up behind the yellow. He may have

snookered Stuart on all balls there. Accusingly looking at the cushion. I

thought that bounced a bit more than it should have done. He's OK, he can

just get past the yellow. Now he'll be hoping for a bigger bounce. Not

quite gone but it did bounce. A bit more than I thought, of fat bald

Goshen -- off that ball cushion. It was never going to be a good

safety shot, if you catch a ball interface. Maybe hasn't left a pot

on but it's a nice target for Stuart to aim for, try to get the cue ball

in behind the yellow. In the end, just caught the red a little bit too

thick. As did Ali. Neither player in this

tactical exchange has played any decent safety.

He's had a look at these reds, I can't see any red he can play up

popped on play it as a shot for nothing. -- play a pot on. It's too

risky to go all for the pot, surely. Just looking to see if he could play

off the left-hand side red commander left-hand side of the table, and

leave the cue ball near the top cushion. Containing safety, I think

that's going to be his choice. Don't argue with that one. OK, possible

red to the middle. But that would be some shot to take on.

He's giving this plenty of thought. If the red to the left of the

blue... You would think it would be the obvious red to play safe. But he

can't send it up and down off that. Another red to play.

That's not bad. That's not bad at all. He's got a couple of reds on

the right-hand side near the cushion that our blockers if he attempts to

come down the right-hand side of the table. Ali may play the red that is

to the left of the blue. Costs double on it. He has to be careful,

if you can't see it's too thin you can always get the double-kiss. He's

played it well. He could have done without the bump in the middle, I

was going to say, but as it happened, that bump has given the

perfect cue ball. Happy with that. Is asking a question now of Ali to

get this safe. There are parts back to the ball, but you've got to be

very precise with the cue ball. -- thereof

-- there are paths back to the ball but you've got to be very precise

with the cue ball. Wade decided it was too risky to

play back to ball, so trying to play the containing safety.

Years and put Stuart under any pressure to play a better safety

shot than that, of course. He could flick off the red he's closest to

and get safe. Thinks he can cut this one in.

It's really turned out to be a scrappy frame, this. The ninth

minute, not a ball potted. There have been a couple of good safety

shot the last few occasions, but in the main nothing that is really

going to put your opponent... Look at the cue ball valves of the

cushion, that was incredible. I could hear the bounce. -- bounce off

the cushion. Ali was saying after the first session how the bad -- how

bad he thought the table was in terms of bouncing. Pretty poor in

the first round of World Championship, it has to be said, if

the table is not playing perfect. Couldn't avoid contact on the second

red. It was impossible to miss the kiss on the second red, therefore no

position. It just makes you wonder. We've got the table heaters. They

were to alleviate the kicks on bad contacts. But I'm just wondering...

Is that what is causing the bounces? Yes, the table kept at a constant

temperature. I find in these arenas with TV lights, do we really need

table heaters? I don't know. Capacity crowd as usual. Yeah...

It's something they've brought in. By the way that is 50 Celsius. I

said to the guy, 50 degrees, you couldn't put your hand on the table.

But by the time it gets through the slate, it's normal room temperature.

How straight is this pot to the left corner? It's going to need to power

to screw the cue ball back. -- it's going to need cue power. It was a

good pot. I thought it was too straight but he just managed to

pinch a little bit. Being so tight to the cushion... A good shot to put

the green and gets nicely on the next red. The green is the only ball

he can play if he's playing the pot. That's the name of the game.

Snooker. Though not on every red. On enough to make it difficult for Ali

here. He's not guaranteed to get this safe.

He's looking to see if he can't leave the cue ball near this top

cushion as a containing safety, but you've got to be very wary of the

double-kiss here. Couple of red just above the black that are available.

That was the problem, the double-kiss. Could be costly.

When you play a reds like that... Always a chance you can double-kiss

the red. Stuart, little grimace there. He

will want a slight angle on this black and move this red away from

the black spot. He's finished the wrong angle.

For some reason Stuart smiled. He's just got to get the right angle on

the blue, really. And he's not done. Little bit careless.

Well... Did that go in the back of the pocket and jump back out?

It did, but it was bouncing when it was going to the back of the pocket,

that's why it jumped. STUDIO: That blue has jumped out of

the pocket, it's time for us to jump to the red button. Our time is up

here on BBC Two but live coverage is available now on the red button. On

the other table Marco Fu looks like he's about to go 9-2 up against

Peter Ebdon. That match available on the connected televisions, the BBC

sport app and lots of other waste to keep in touch. We are back at

11:10pm. Goodbye for now.