Watch: Security intervene as Adrian Lewis labels Peter Wright 'cheat' after oche altercation at Players Championship Finals

Wright won an ill-tempered match 6-5 but Lewis was visibly furious at his opponent's behaviour as the two former world champions shared an angry exchange on the oche.

After the scorer had struggled to split them, security staff arrived to usher Lewis off the stage as remonstrations continued.

Lewis, who had led 3-0 only to lose a deciding leg, later tweeted a string of messages which included the accusation that Wright was 'nothing but a cheat'.

"He said to me their was a loose floorboard and I found it! So my response to him was you took me out my rhythm, you had a game plan, and as world number 2 its disgraceful and your nothing but a cheat. He knew what he was doing as soon as I went 3-1 up he started muttering things... And shaking his head at me which put me in a situation that made me feel uncomfortable," fired off the 2011 and 2012 world champion.

"The people who I fall out with always have to be the ones apologise because they know I'm not a cheat never have been never will be!! Trouble does seem to follow me around I can't deny it, but its only because I'm a genuine person who wears my heart on my sleeve and people try to take advantage of that. I will always speak my mind!

"For those saying I'm a sore loser this that and the other I'm the best loser because I say it exactly as it is I don't try hide anything I say what I see. Peter will say nice things about me in the interview as he knows iv done nothing wrong and he's bang out of order."

Wright though laughed it off on ITV, saying: "We were discussing whose turn it was to send a Christmas card. That's all it was!"

Wright restores focus to set up MVG clash

Later, Wright returned to perform another fightback and beat Damon Heta 10-8, for which his reward is a quarter-final meeting with Michael van Gerwen following his 10-6 victory over compatriot Raymond van Barneveld.

Jonny Clayton meanwhile survived an almighty scare as Luke Humphries missed two match darts in a match Clayton edged 10-9.

It took double five with Humphries waiting in the wings for Clayton to fall over the line, having seen an 8-4 advantage slip away as Humphries threw for the match.

But Humphries missed chances at 9-8 and 9-9 and would be made to pay as Clayton found the target with his final dart in hand.

At the top of the draw, defending champion Jose de Sousa beat William O'Connor 10-7 to earn a clash with Brendan Dolan, a surprise 10-8 winner against in-form Gerwyn Price.

Dolan held his nerve impressively as tops sealed the upset, Price having been made to pay for a string of missed doubles early in the match.

Having defeated Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 in the second round, Dolan recorded one of his biggest wins in recent years to make it through to Finals Day.

"Gezzy was nowhere near his best tonight, I'm no fool," Dolan admitted.

"But when it came down to it at the end of the match I held my nerve so I have to be happy with that.

"I want to thank my wife, she's my biggest supporter. In my darkest times she's put me back on the right path."

Daryl Gurney averaged an impressive 104 in beating James Wade 10-7 and will face Ryan Searle, who got the better of Rob Cross by the same scoreline.

Players Championship Finals: Saturday results and Sunday schedule

Saturday November 27
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Second Round (Best of 11 legs)
Main Stage (TV Coverage: ITV4)

• Callan Rydz 5-6 James Wade
• Rob Cross 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
• Ryan Meikle 2-6 Gary Anderson
• Peter Wright 6-5 Adrian Lewis
• Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
• Gerwyn Price 6-1 Martin Schindler
• Jonny Clayton 6-0 Scott Mitchell
• Dimitri Van den Bergh 2-6 Danny Noppert

Stage Two

• Andy Boulton 5-6 Vincent van der Voort
• Ryan Searle 6-5 Ryan Joyce
• Michael Smith 5-6 Daryl Gurney
• Brendan Dolan 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
• Damon Heta 6-2 Gabriel Clemens
• Ross Smith 5-6 Luke Humphries
• William O'Connor 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
• Jose de Sousa 6-5 Darius Labanauskas

Evening Session (7pm)
Third Round (Best of 19 legs)
TV Coverage: ITV4

Main Stage

• Peter Wright 10-8 Damon Heta
• Michael van Gerwen 10-6 Gary Anderson
• Gerwyn Price 8-10 Brendan Dolan
• Jonny Clayton 10-9 Luke Humphries

Stage Two

• Ryan Searle 10-7 Rob Cross
• Daryl Gurney 10-7 James Wade
• Jose de Sousa 10-7 William O'Connor
• Vincent van der Voort 10-7 Danny Noppert

Sunday November 28
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
TV Coverage: ITV4

Main Stage

• Jose de Sousa 4-10 Brendan Dolan
• Daryl Gurney 9-10 Ryan Searle
• Peter Wright 10-4 Michael van Gerwen
• Jonny Clayton v Vincent van der Voort

Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: ITV4
Semi-Finals (Best of 21 Legs)

• Two Matches

Final (Best of 21 legs)

• Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

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