2026 Championship League Snooker Finals Day LIVE BLOG: Latest updates from Leicester

The first title of the fledgling 2026/27 professional snooker season will be won on Wednesday as the winner of the 2026 Championship League Snooker Ranking Event will be won.

Having started with 128 players, and after 20 days of phase one and two round robin action, we’re down to the final eight in this £328,000 tournament.

These eight have been split into two groups of four players. In each pool, players will face each other once in a best of four frames match. There is three points for a win, and one point each if it is a 2-2 draw. After all the group fixtures are completed, the player with the most points wins the group.

Should players be tied on points, positions will be determined by frame difference, then head-to-head results, then by highest breaks.

The two group winners will then face each other this evening in a best of five frames grand final for the title. Below is our live blog of the action from the Mattioli; play begins across both tables at 11:00BST.

Table One Group: Zhang Anda, Hossein Vafaei, Jak Jones, Dylan Emery

Table Two Group: Elliot Slessor, Lei Peifan, David Gilbert, Noppon Saengkham

LIVE BLOG

21:29: JAK JONES WINS THE 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE SNOOKER RANKING EVENT!

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21:08: We're going all the way!

Gilbert goes in-off after escaping from a snooker and Jones punishes with a run of 86 to make it 2-2 and send the final to a deciding frame.

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20:51: A very scrappy start to frame three with reds spread across the table, and it's Gilbert who gets in to make a 66 break and move 2-1 up.

He is one more frame away from the title, and being the first player to win the Championship League Snooker Ranking Event more than once.

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20:33: Welshman Jones levels up the final at 1-1.

Jones carved out a handy lead before unexpectedly missing a blue, but Gilbert couldn't capitalise, missing in close himself.

World number 32 Jones then fashioned a break of 64 to restore parity.

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20:14: The 2026 Championship League Snooker Ranking Event final is underway, and David Gilbert has made a brilliant start.

Jak Jones missed from distance after his opponent's break-off shot, and Gilbert stepped up to make a frame-winning effort of 104.

That's back-to-back tons for Gilbert who made a 140 in the final frame of his match against Saengkham.

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19:59: The final fixtures of the groups are completed. On the main table, Vafaei comes back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Zhang to secure second place in the group. Emery is third, Zhang fourth.

On table two, Slessor gets third place with Lei in fourth.

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19:00: The 2026 Championship League Snooker Ranking Event final (best of five frames) between Jak Jones and David Gilbert will take place later this evening after the match between Zhang Anda and Hossein Vafaei is completed on table one.

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18:59: JAK JONES WILL FACE DAVID GILBERT IN THE 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE SNOOKER RANKING EVENT FINAL!

Former World Championship runner-up Jak Jones is through to his second ranking event final.

The Welshman wins the main table group after making breaks of 70 and 87 in a 3-0 victory over Dylan Emery.

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18:54: DAVID GILBERT IS INTO THE 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE SNOOKER RANKING EVENT FINAL!

Despite opponent Saengkham's break of 127 in frame two, Gilbert (who crafted a 71 in the opening frame and a 140 in the last) wins all of the other three frames to earn a 3-1 victory and the maximum points he required to usurp the Thai and win the group.

Winner of this title in 2021, Gilbert will now prepare for tonight's final. He is one win away from becoming the first player to claim this accolade more than once.

Birthday boy Saengkham - who 'only' needed a draw, may look back on an opportunity in frame three where he missed the last red when he had a chance to get the point he desired.

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18:41: We have a de-facto deciding frame over on table two as to who will win the group and reach the final.

Gilbert leads Saengkham 2-1; whoever claims frame four will win the group and make tonight's final.

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18:20: On the main table, there was a quality affair between Zhang Anda and Jak Jones that finished 2-2.

Jones (breaks of 66, 73) twice led by a single frame, but on each occasion Zhang (breaks of 55, 111) responded to restore parity.

All four players have played two matches, the current points tallies are: Jones (4 points), Vafaei (3), Emery (3), Zhang (1).

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18:16: One table two, David Gilbert moved 2-0 up on Elliot Slessor after breaks of 102 and 80, but Slessor claimed the last two (71, frame four) to share the spoils with a 2-2 draw.

The result eliminates Slessor and the group will be decided in the match between Gilbert and Noppon Saengkham. Gilbert has to win, Saengkham only needs a draw.

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16:06: Will Noppon Saengkham win his maiden ranking event title on his 34th birthday?

The Thai ace is currently six points from six over on table two, and top of the pool.

Saengkham - who was runner-up at the 2023 Scottish Open - has defeated Elliot Slessor 3-0 and Lei Peifan 3-1.

With two defeats to his name, Lei is now out of contention.

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14:15: It's slower going on table two with that group still having one more match to complete this session.

Earlier, Noppon Saengkham - who is 34-years-old today - defeated Elliot Slessor 3-0 with a break of 80 in the final frame.

David Gilbert - winner of this accolade five years ago - recovered from losing the opening frame to Lei Peifan by taking the next three for a 3-1 win. Gilbert fashioned back-to-back centuries in the final two with efforts of 104 and 101.

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13:45: The main table group is getting interesting.

Since Emery's 3-0 win over Zhang, former Crucible finalist Jak Jones was in brilliant scoring form as he racked up runs of 72, 116 and 64 in a 3-0 victory over Hossein Vafaei.

However, Iran's number one cueist Vafaei stayed on the baize to sweep aside Emery 3-0 with a dominating display during which he registered breaks of 65, 90 and 130!

Play will resume in this group at 16:30BST.

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11:58: Welshman Dylan Emery has never before been to the last eight of a ranking event, but the 25-year-old could leave Leicester this evening as a ranking event champion!

Emery makes a brilliant start to Finals Day, compiling breaks of 52 and 81 in a 3-0 victory over former International Championship winner Zhang Anda.

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11:20: We're underway at the Mattioli Arena; Zhang faces Emery on the feature table, Slessor meets birthday boy Saengkham on table two. Live scores can be viewed on the World Snooker Tour website here.

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09:20: Four of today’s players have won exactly one ranking event title, the other four are aiming for their maiden ranking event triumph, including 2024 World Snooker Championship runner-up Jak Jones.

David Gilbert won this crown in 2021 after defeating Mark Allen in the final. Former top 16 star Gilbert could become the first player to lift this trophy twice.

Since its inauguration in 2020, the Championship League Snooker Ranking Event winners have been: Kyren Wilson (2020), Gilbert (2021), Luca Brecel (2022), Shaun Murphy (2023), Ali Carter (2024), Stephen Maguire (2025).