SCOTT RAND 9-5 JAMES WADE

SCOTT RAND'S incredible weekend at the Cash Converters Players Championship continued as he defeated world number three James Wade 9-5 to win through to the semi-finals at the Doncaster Dome.

The lorry driver from Coventry's dream of winning the £60,000 title and giving up his day job to become a full-time professional continues after he followed up Saturday's defeat of Raymond van Barneveld with another major scalp.

Wade led 3-1 early on, but Rand took charge with a run of five successive legs in mid-game before holding his nerve to reach the last four in only his fourth major tournament.

"It's another great win for me," said Rand. "I love playing on the stage and it's going really well for me so far.

"I've beaten another established player and it would be good to shake it up a bit more. It would be amazing to be able to give up work and do this for a living, and I've got a great chance tonight to make that a reality."

Wade had taken the game's opening leg against the throw on double top, after Rand missed the bull, and posted double five to double his lead in the second in a strong start.

Rand hit a 180 and punished a miss from the left-hander to post double 16 and get off the mark, although Wade replied in style with a maximum of his own in the fourth, hitting tops to move 3-1 up.

Rand won the fifth with a 13-darter which included another 180, but missed his chance to level in the sixth as double ten saw Wade regain a two-leg lead.

That advantage was cut when Rand took out a 14-darter on double nine and then finished 102 to break Wade's throw and level.

He then landed double eight to lead for the first time and hit the same bed for a 6-4 lead before taking a fifth successive leg, finishing 81 for a 12-darter despite a 180 from Wade.

Wade hit back by checking out 40 with an improvised double five and double 15, but was left waiting on a finish in the next as Rand finished double eight to move a leg away from victory at 8-5.

A fourth 180 of the game saw Rand first to a finish in the next as he left 90 before returning to take out the combination on the bull for another famous win.

Wade admitted: "I didn't play well enough to win and he did a good job to beat me. I'll regroup from this and get ready for the World Championship now."