PDC World Darts 2018: Phil Taylor to face Rob Cross who beats Michael van Gerwen

Phil Taylor is bringing the curtain down on his 30-year career after this tournament

Sixteen-time world champion Phil Taylor remains on course to finish his career with another PDC World Championship title after beating Jamie Lewis 6-1 to reach the final.

Taylor, 57, is competing at his final event before he retires.

He will next face fellow Englishman Rob Cross, who beat defending champion Michael van Gerwen in one of the most thrilling semi-finals in years.

Cross held his nerve to win 6-5 after a dramatic final set shootout.

• Relive the thrilling semi-finals

'What a game'

Cross thanked the crowd for helping him as he stunned Van Gerwen

The frenzied nature of Cross' encounter with Van Gerwen saw the match reach number two on Twitter's global trends.

With the scores at 5-5 in sets and 5-5 in legs, Cross threw nearest the bullseye for the opportunity to throw first in the deciding leg and took advantage.

The 27-year-old from Pembury, Kent, only turned professional at the start of the year had clearly rattled Van Gerwen, who missed five doubles to make Monday's final.

In all, the usually ruthless Van Gerwen only hit 27 of 85 doubles across the 11 sets, where both players averaged over 100 in scoring to thrill Alexandra Palace.

"Words can't explain it," said Cross. "I played well but the crowd helped me, they got on Michael's back and that is why I won. At points I felt inexperienced, I really did, but I still got through.

"I never expected this, it's amazing, absolutely amazing. I never expected this rise, I really didn't."

Van Gerwen later tweeted: "This hurts a lot and will take time to get over but I only can blame myself. I had enough chances and I didn't take them."

A New Year's Day treat

Cross now faces the daunting task of trying to beat Taylor in what will be his 21st and last World Championship final on New Year's Day.

An iconic figure, Taylor has played a key role in making darts the phenomenon it is today, and at the peak of his powers won eight successive world titles between 1995 and 2002.

The most recent of his 16 titles came in 2013.

"Taylor is my favourite player actually," said Cross. "He was dominant and now he's leaving, it's going to be special for him but at the same time I've got to do my own job and do what I need to do to win that game."

Taylor lost the first set but then won six in a row

Welsh qualifier Lewis, 26, gave Taylor a scare early on, taking the first set and coming close to moving 2-0 ahead until he missed a double 13.

Taylor took full advantage, hitting a double eight to make it 1-1 before assuming control, taking the next five sets in a row to progress.

"It was a struggle," added Taylor. "Jamie is very steady and very accurate, he doesn't show any emotion or any fear.

"Jamie is a great player. Now I am retiring, he is one to watch."

Taylor, from Stoke-on-Trent, won the first of his world titles in 1990 when part of the British Darts Organisation, then the only major darts circuit.

He was one of 16 players that formed the breakaway World Darts Council in 1992, the company which became the PDC and held its own version of the world championship in 1994.