Image source, Getty Images

It's just under five months since these two most recently contested a major ranking final.

Luke Littler beat James Wade 11-2 to win the UK Open final in Minehead in March.

Right then, a little later than advertised but the players are out on the stage, walk-ons complete and it's just a few more warm-up darts before they get this final under way...

Image source, PDC/Taylor Lanning

In Saturday's second semi-final, it was a battle of the youngsters as 18-year-old Luke Littler took on Josh Rock, who is six years his senior.

The teenager found himself 5-0 down at the end of the first mini-session, following a breathless start from the World Cup winner.

With Littler having immediately secured his first leg of the match, Rock replied with a hold of throw before Littler raised the roof at the Winter Gardens.

In leg eight, both players hit six perfect darts before Littler took out 141 via double 15 for a nine-dart finish.

Littler then turned the match around and took the lead for the first time at 10-9, and despite Rock landing the "big fish" - a 170 checkout - a few legs later, Littler secured a 17-14 victory to book his place in a first World Matchplay final.

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The first semi-final on Saturday was 2007 champion James Wade's tie with 2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton.

After a strong start from Wade, he raced into a 7-2 lead and maintained at least a four-leg gap over his opponent.

Wade then found himself 16-10 up and within one leg of the final, only for Clayton to win six straight legs and take the match into a tie-break.

Both players held their nerve initially, but after five consecutive holds of throw it was Wade who was able to break Clayton and secure a 20-18 victory in a Winter Gardens classic.

I said it was a 20:05 start if things went according to the schedule.

Well, it's not so let's look back at those two unbelievable semi-finals from last night...

Luke Littler, speaking to Sky Sports: "I've got that winning feeling on a big stage against him. He's played some good darts in the last few months and James has won this tournament in 2007 when I was just six months old.

"I've said all week that you can only concentrate and beat what is in front of you and I hope I can put myself in the mix for the triple crown."

Image source, PDC/Taylor Lanning

It's a first World Matchplay final for 'the Nuke', but how did he get here?

• Round one: Luke Littler 10-2 Ryan Searle
• Round two: Luke Littler 13-11 Jermaine Wattimena
• Quarter-final: Luke Littler 16-14 Andrew Gilding
• Semi-final: Luke Littler 17-14 Josh Rock

From a dominant first-round victory in which he averaged 108.92, to dramatic comebacks against Wattimena and Rock, it's been quite a road to the final for Luke Littler.

James Wade, speaking to Sky Sports: "[I was] tired when I woke up this morning but I'm feeling good, I'm certainly not nervous. I just want to make a true account of myself."

On Luke Littler: "He's a young man, I'm double his age and a bit. It's a bit of reality isn't it. I think he's stoppable any week but people have got a fear of him, but anybody is stoppable."

Image source, PDC/Taylor Lanning

James Wade is now a seven-time finalist at the Winter Gardens. Let's see how he booked his place in tonight's showpiece:

• Round one: James Wade 10-3 Joe Cullen
• Round two: James Wade 11-5 Wessel Nijman
• Quarter-final: James Wade 16-13 Gian van Veen
• Semi-final: James Wade 20-18 Jonny Clayton

Wade has looked better than ever as he has made his way to the final, can he replicate his victory from 2007 and become a multiple Matchplay champion?

Luke Littler could become the fifth player to complete the PDC's triple crown of World Championship, World Matchplay and Premier League titles.

The other four men to do it are Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries.

World number one Humphries completed his personal set by beating Littler in the Premier League final in May.

Image source, Getty Images

Luke Littler is ranked second in the PDC world rankings and will remain there regardless of the outcome of tonight's final in Blackpool.

However, if he continues his amazing form of the past 18 months then there's every chance he will be the top-ranked player fairly soon.

The ranking system is calculated using prize money earned from ranking events over a rolling two-year period.

Because Littler did not play in any major events during 2023, he will not be defending any prize money until the World Championship in December.

Current number one Luke Humphries, meanwhile, won three big televised titles towards the end of 2023 before his World Championship final win over Littler in January 2024. Therefore, he will be defending a sizeable chunk of his prize money over the next few months.

A Littler victory tonight would take him above the £1.5m mark, less than £300,000 below Humphries.

Image source, Getty Images

James Wade is appearing in his seventh World Matchplay final.

His first, in 2006, came before Luke Littler was even born. Sorry if we've made you feel old, James.

The Englishman lost on that occasion to Phil Taylor, but he beat Terry Jenkins in the following year's final.

That is his only title on the Blackpool stage. Will number two follow for the 42-year-old this evening?

Just 10 minutes until the men's final is due to begin (20:05 BST if things go according to the schedule).

So before that, let's have a quick look at the two players set to contest it in Blackpool...

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier on Sunday, Lisa Ashton won the Women's World Matchplay in remarkable fashion after Fallon Sherrock missed 11 darts for the title in a pulsating final.

Four-time world champion Ashton, 54, came through a final-leg decider to win 6-5 at Blackpool's Winter Gardens.

But 'The Lancashire Rose' must have thought her chance had gone when Sherrock, leading 5-4, left herself 40 with Ashton not even on a finish.

However, Sherrock missed eight darts at double before Ashton found double 10 to force a one-leg shootout.

A stunning last leg saw Ashton hit a 180 to briefly take charge before Sherrock responded with a brilliant 165 to leave 36.

Once again the 31-year-old, who made history as the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship in December 2019, could not finish it off.

Another three match darts went begging and Ashton made her pay by hitting double top to clinch the title - and with it the £10,000 prize money, as well as places in both the Grand Slam of Darts and PDC World Championship.

• Read more

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We want to hear from you throughout the evening.

Will history repeat itself and see James Wade win another Matchplay title? Or will Luke Littler complete darts' triple crown before leaving his teens?

Let us know through the usual channels above.

Right then, first things first...

Tonight's World Matchplay final will be played over the best of 35 legs, with the first player to 18 legs winning the Phil Taylor Trophy.

The two players will throw first in alternate legs.

If the score gets to 17-17, one of the finalists must win by two clear legs to become champion. If, at 20-20, a winner has still not be found then the 41st leg will be a sudden-death leg to decide the victor.

The longest final in Matchplay history was in 2018, when Gary Anderson defeated Mensur Suljovic 21-19. That was also the most recent final that required extra legs to find a champion.

Image source, PDC/Taylor Lanning

Thank you for joining us on a momentous day for English sport!

Yes, you guessed it, it's the final of World Matchplay being contested by two Englishmen at Blackpool's Winter Gardens.

After two of the best semi-finals you are ever likely to see last night, it's world champion Luke Littler and James Wade, looking for a second Matchplay title 18 years on from his first, battling it out for the Phil Taylor Trophy.

Oh, and England have won Euro 2025 too...