2320: Shepherd drops to the floor and grabs his face as he nails a brilliant double 16 to reach the final with a 6-4 scoreline over Mardle.

2318: Mardle misses three attempts at double 16 and double eight to let Shepherd in.

He sets up double six but just fails. Mardle steps up and makes a clutch double 16 to save the match and make it 2-2.

2316: Mardle is not ready to roll over just yet and checks out on 96 to cut the deficit to 2-1.

2315: Shepherd is on fire and mops up 80 to take a 2-0 lead to stand on the brink of the final against John Part.

2312: Shepherd takes the first leg of the 10th set with double 10. Two more legs and he is in the final.

2308: Shepherd needs three darts to make double four but gets it and is now one set from a place in the final at 5-4.

2300: This is going down to the wire as Shepherd fights back and levels the match up again at 4-4.

2250: Mardle's roll goes on and he is now in the lead at 4-3.

2240: Mardle was on the brink of going 4-1 down not so long ago but draws on all his experience to take two sets on the spin and level the match at 3-3.

2229: Massive leg for Mardle as he does the business with a three-dart finish on 140. It is now 3-2 to Shepherd.

2227: Shepherd misses double top then two darts at double 10 to take a 4-1 lead. Mardle then steps up and clips double nine to keep him in the fifth set.

2215: Hello! Shepherd checks out 128 to take the set and all of a sudden he is 3-1 up.

Mardle has thrown some sloppy darts and he looks stunned.

2206: Mardle misses seven darts to take the third set, including umpteen woeful attempts at double one then double two.

Shepherd steps in to take his chance and slots home double top and is now 2-1 up.

2153: Young Shepherd seems to have settled down and a 3-0 romp gives him the second set to level things up at 1-1.

2143: Mardle hits the ground running and takes the first set in convincing style.

2134: The shy and retiring Wayne Mardle emerges next and does something from the Ministry of Silly Walks across the stage to the theme of Hawaii-50.

2132: The crowd are being whipped into a frenzy as the players for the second sem-final arrive on the stage - first up is Kirk Shepherd.

2109: Part finishes it off in style as he wallops 130 to beat Painter 6-2 to progress to Tuesday's final.

Up next, Wayne Mardle and Kirk Shepherd will battle it out for the right to face him.

2106: Painter keeps his faint hopes alive by levelling things up at 2-2 courtesy of one dart at double four.

2104: Part is one leg from victory as he takes out double 16 to go 2-1 up in the eighth set.

2052: Painter dominates that set and gives himself some hope by making the score 5-2.

2046: Painter still has some fight in him as he rattles off an 11-dart finish to take the first leg of the seventh set.

2044: Part rolls to within one set of the final and now leads Painter 5-1.

2033: More celebrity-spotting as Maltese potting wizard Tony Drago pops up enjoying this evening's action.

2026: Part now firmly in command and one shot at double 16 puts him 4-1 up and within touching distance of the final.

Painter will require a herculean effort to make this a horse race so lets see if he can dig in.

2023: You can see the tension in the players' faces, particularly Painter, who makes a right royal mess of his attempt to checkout 90 in the fourth leg of the fifth set.

Part steps up and boots home double seven to force a deciding leg.

2010: Part responds though in the best possible way in the next set and now holds a 3-1 lead - three more for a place in the final on New Year's Day.

2000: The influence of the Tractor Boys is filtering through to Painter as he wins three legs to nil to take the third set, nailing double top to get back in the thick of things.

1950: And Part has now gone 2-0 ahead with a super display in the second set.

The Candian darter is currently looking in top-form, however don't write off Painter, who, according to the the commentary team, has the backing of the Ipswich Town squad who are at Alex 'Steve's son' Bruce's house watching the action. That must be good news for 'The Artist'.

1940: It now appears that Sidebottom has been joined in the crowd by his international team-mates Graeme Swann and Alastair Cook.

Nottinghamshire all-rounder Mark Ealham is also with the party, however, as yet, the commentators haven't mentioned his presence at Ally Pally.

1934: Part has taken the early advantage with a narrow 3-2 win in the first set.

Painter looked out-of-sorts at the start of the action but there is a long way to go and, as we have all seen through this tournament, things can change at the oche very quickly.

If the match carries on like this we could be set to witness a great night of darts.

1925: A celebrity darts fan has already been spotted in the crowd in the form of long-haired England bowler Ryan Sidebottom.

The Nottinghamshire paceman appears excited, like the rest of us, about the prospect of a superb night of darting action.

1915: The players are making their way to the oche and the crowd are going crazy.

One again the blonde walk-on girl has a beret on to illustrate the nature of 'The Artist's' surname.

Sadly there is no such fun to report from Part's walk-on and it seems the 'Ally Pally' crowd are firmly behind the Englishman Painter.

1855: The anticipation is rising as we wait for the arrival of the first semi-finalists - Kevint Painter and John Part.