Where did that come from? Ding Junhui's survival instincts kick into gear and having looked like he could barely pot a ball, he rattles in a break of 107 to stay in the match.

Shaun Murphy is one frame away after constructing a superb break of 135 to take the eighth frame.

His previous highest break in this match had been just 48.

Over on table two, David Gilbert is also within a frame of victory thanks to a break of 102.

What a frame. Shaun Murphy has been well below par so far but is now 4-3 ahead. Somehow.

The Englishman misses a very easy black to win frame seven and plays another couple of questionable shots but is helped out massively by Ding Junhui blasting a blue to the middle off the table and handing the frame back to his opponent.

David Gilbert knocks in an 88 to go 4-3 up, so of course Barry Hawkins responds with a break of 74 in frame eight to make in four each.

Barry Hawkins has not hit the heights he reached in his victory against Ronnie O'Sullivan but he is plugging away and refusing to let David Gilbert run away with this.

A run of 40 allows him to draw level at 3-3. There is no separating this pair.

Shaun Murphy looks pumped up. He has been struggling big time including missing a fairly standard red with the rest to the top left pocket but he pinches the sixth frame and punches the air in delight.

His highest break so far is 38. He really needs to up that if he is to win this match.

A run of 46 takes Ding Junhui back in front for the first time since the end of the first frame.

Neither player has looked totally convincing among the balls yet.

Jamie Broughton
BBC Radio 5 live

Two, close matches this afternoon that could easily go either way. Confidence is high for Ding Junhui having already won a tournament, but Shaun Murphy is also playing well.

In the other match, Barry Hawkins – who knocked out the defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan - started with a brilliant break 144 against David Gilbert, and could take some stopping.

The draw for the second Triple Crown event of the season takes place on Sunday but there are still a few spots to be determined for the Masters which is an invitational tournament for the top 16 ranked players in the world.

Chris Wakelin is in 15th spot at present and his first-round victory over Matthew Selt in York boosted his hopes of an Alexandra Palace debut.

Wakelin is not quite safe yet but he has a buffer of £26,400 over Jak Jones in 17th.

However, Neil Robertson's defeat against Judd Trump on Tuesday leaves the door open for the chasing pack.

Two-time Masters champion Robertson still occupies the final spot in 16th but leads Jones by just £150 and Barry Hawkins by £9,000.

So that means that Jones and Hawkins can both go ahead of Robertson if they reach the quarter-finals.

David Gilbert and Jack Lisowski are also in contention but both would need to reach the final at the Barbican to have a chance, while Stuart Bingham and Wu Yize could also leap into the top 16 by winning the title.

Image source, PA Media

The mid-session interval arrivals with the scores level, which is about right.

Will anyone be able to accelerate clear, when play resumes.

Definitely worth sticking with this compelling contest if you are watching on television.

World number 20 Barry Hawkins takes the fourth frame with a fine run of 70.

Both matches have been nip and tuck so far this afternoon.

David Gilbert collects a second frame on the spin to go 2-1 up.

Gilbert, who reached the semi-finals of the World Championship at the end of last season, does it in style as well with his first century of the match.

Shaun Murphy takes another frame to edge ahead.

The 2005 world champion knocked in a couple of brilliant long pots there but also gave Ding Junhui a couple of opportunities that he was unable to capitalise from.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

Shaun Murphy put himself through the wringer for 15 minutes there for no reason whatsoever.

He has a brilliant cue action and is a great scorer but when it comes to one red on the table sometimes he is so naive.

Shaun Murphy has his first frame on the board. Eventually.

The Englishman was in complete control having knocked in frame ball only to concede two fouls to give his opponent the chance to nick it before getting over the line.

BBC Two

Remember you can stay across all the action this afternoon with BBC Sport, with Ding Junhui and Shaun Murphy's match currently being featured live on BBC Two.

Ding Junhui opens up with a superb break of 129 to take the opening frame against Shaun Murphy, who is heavily punished for one little mistake early in the frame..

That's his 14th century of the season and it looks like the tables, which were reclothed overnight are playing pretty well as a huge roar goes up from the other side of the partition...

Over on table two Barry Hawkins knocks in a wonderful break of 144 to take the opener in his contest with David Gilbert.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of day five of the UK Championship.

A couple of cracking matches are incoming at the Barbican in York to get the second round under way.

Three-time champion Ding Junhui faces 2008 winner Shaun Murphy in arguably one of the ties of the round with both having advanced through final-frame deciders to reach this point.

Meanwhile, Barry Hawkins' reward for his victory over eight-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is a last-16 encounter with fellow Englishman and David Gilbert.

China's Zhang Anda makes the first maximum 147 break of this year's UK Championship, in his first-round match against compatriot Lei Peifan.

World number one Judd Trump fights back from 3-1 down to beat three-time UK champion Neil Robertson 6-3 and move into the last 16 in York.