Steve Davis called for action at the end of Mark Allen’s Friday afternoon session with Wu Yize due to an agonisingly slow frame of snooker

Steve Davis labelled the 100-minute and 21-second frame between Mark Allen and Wu Yize at the World Snooker Championship an “embarrassment” to the sport. The snooker legend also called on the referees’ and players’ associations to take action to prevent a repeat of such an incident.

The pair became embroiled in a historically lengthy 14th frame at the Crucible on Friday evening, with both players adopting a cautious approach as all the reds remained clustered around the black near the far pocket. Allen, who held a 43-13 lead at the time, was intent on kissing the reds with the cue ball and sending it rolling to the opposite end of the table.

Yize, meanwhile, was content to gently roll it back towards the pack, ensuring contact was made without disturbing or displacing the black. The audience grew understandably restless as the frame dragged on, resorting to sarcastic applause and cheering after each shot, as BBC coverage displayed a graphic revealing that no ball had been potted for approximately 40 minutes.

At one point, a spectator was heard shouting: “Can we have a rerack?” to which referee Marcel Eckhardt responded: “Thanks for the advice but we can do it without you.”

The official was also forced to appeal to audience members to rein in their slow clapping and jeering on several occasions as tensions reached boiling point inside the Crucible Theatre. Eckhardt eventually took charge of the match following a word from a superior, informing both Allen and Yize that they had just three shots to alter the play or face a re-rack.

It was a decision that Allen contested given he held the upper hand. The Northern Irishman ultimately cannoned the reds into the black, potting the ball in a foul to hand Yize a significant advantage – before the Chinese star eventually clinched the frame 88-62 to level proceedings and bring a lengthy and difficult-to-watch session to a close.

Unimpressed by the spectacle, Davis gave his verdict live from the BBC Sport studio in the wake of the match. He said: “In a nutshell, that frame’s an embarrassment to snooker, and the referees’ and the players’ association need to try and work out a way that never happens again.”

Kyren Wilson also vented: “Marcel should have called that a lot earlier. That frame was going nowhere. Quite painful.”

Meanwhile, snooker supporters were quick to share their opinions on social media, similarly suggesting that Eckhardt ought to have asserted greater authority over the match.

One wrote: “The referee was out of his depth having a decision made for him,” while another added: “Ref had a shocker!!”

Another viewer commented: “Worse frame of snooker I’ve ever seen. Ref completely bottled it in the face of Allen’s reluctance to accept his decision.”

With Yize claiming the frame, the pair resume their contest on Saturday level at 7-7.

In the other semi-final, meanwhile, Shaun Murphy faces John Higgins for a place in the final, with the two players returning to the table at 8-8 in Friday’s concluding session of the day.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has discussed his health issues, revealing he has had to adapt his gardening routine as he reflects on getting older

Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don was compelled to make a “change” after opening up about a health issue. Monty’s lifelong devotion to gardening began during childhood when he would assist with pulling weeds from his family’s garden.

While Monty initially confesses he “hated it,” his enthusiasm for all things horticultural flourished and he became skilled at plucking chickens and tending a vegetable patch during his teenage years. This eventually led him to working as a gardener in the Aix-en-Provence region of France.

He has maintained remarkable gardens ever since, regularly offering viewers a glimpse into his Longmeadow home on Gardeners’ World. The 70-year-old has, however, altered the way he goes about his work over the years.

Speaking to Country Life magazine, Monty revealed he no longer listens to music while working. He said: “I used to, but I find now – in the last sort of five years or so – whether it’s part of my hearing going a bit so therefore I have to listen harder – it’s distracting.

“But when I used to work to music, it was always Baroque music, namely Bach. I don’t relax to music ever. What I found was it put me in the right space in order to focus.”

Monty continued by saying he finds music “almost the opposite of relaxing” yet acknowledges he considers the Baroque period’s style to be “sublime”. The television personality also confesses he “hates” background music. He maintains that playing music during a dinner party, for instance, implies that “music has no value”. He now finds himself torn between wanting to listen to music or tending to his garden, confessing: “I can’t do both simultaneously.”

Monty, who assumed the Gardeners’ World presenting role in 2003 following Alan Titchmarsh’s departure, has openly acknowledged he “hasn’t got endless time left”. He remains acutely conscious that he has now surpassed the age at which both his parents passed away.

This realisation has previously prompted him to reflect on his future with the popular programme. Speaking to The Guardian in November 2023, he remarked: “I haven’t got endless time left. If I’m still going strong in 20 years, that will be brilliant, but 20 years ago doesn’t seem so long ago.”

He suggested at the time that he might have departed the show before reaching 70. However, he has since given viewers reassurance that he has no immediate plans to step down. He informed The Telegraph: “But I’d be very happy to do another five years. If the BBC renew my contract, I’d happily take it.”

Should he eventually leave Gardeners’ World, Monty has indicated he would continue working in television, revealing his ambition to produce additional documentaries. The horticultural expert has already journeyed to gardens across America, Italy, France and beyond while creating programmes.

Gardeners’ World returns to BBC Four at 9pm this evening. This week, Monty will be sowing seeds to guarantee a consistent supply of herbs including thyme and sage, which struggle in his soil conditions.

Carol Klein, meanwhile, will be crafting a vegetable border interspersed with flowers to deliver colour throughout the year. Elsewhere, Advolly Richmond heads to Fife to discover more about the pink cupped daffodil.

Residents and motorists are encouraged to plan their journeys in advance and allow additional travel time

This Sunday the good people of Belfast will welcome thousands of participants to its streets for the 2026 Phoenix Energy Belfast City Marathon.

The 26.2-mile challenge will begin at Stormont Estate, travel through North, South, East and West of the city, and finish in Ormeau Park.

As a result, motorists can expect some disruption throughout the morning and early afternoon, although every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.

READ MORE: Belfast City Marathon 2026 road closures, route, transport, results, Expo details and more ahead of race dayREAD MORE: Belfast City Marathon Results 2026: Official finish times

Roads will begin to close wholly or partially from approximately 6am until 4pm. Once all runners have passed each point on the route, the reopening of roads will be managed as quickly and safely as possible.

The 2026 Phoenix Energy Belfast City Marathon route follows a similar format to previous years, with some adjustments across sections of the course. You can view a full list of closures here https://canva.link/bcmroadclosure26

The area around Stormont Estate and Upper Newtownards Road will be closed to through traffic between approximately 6am – 10:30am, as runners make their way through East Belfast including Beersbridge, Castlereagh and surrounding areas.

A full road closure will be in place on sections of the Ravenhill Road and Ormeau Embankment from approximately 7am – 12pm, as participants move towards South Belfast.

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