John Higgins recorded the highest break of this year’s World Championship but he still trails David Gilbert 13-11 heading into the final session of their semi-final.

Four-time world champion Higgins recorded the knock of 143 in the 21st frame of the match and it was also his seventh century break of this year’s tournament.

The Scot had gone into Friday’s third session trailing 10-6 and Gilbert set about extending that advantage by winning two of the next three frames with breaks of 56 and 75.

Higgins, who picked up his first frame of the session by depositing a table length double on the final black, was able to pull another one back in the final frame before the mid-session interval to make the score 12-8.

The Wizard of Wishaw, who is looking to reach the Crucible final for the third successive year, then recorded his tournament-high break of 143, but Gilbert responded with an impressive break of his own, as a run of 95 helped re-establish his four-frame advantage.

That’s when Higgins, playing in his 10th World Championship semi-final, had to call on all his experience as he dug in to win the final two frames of the session in scrappy fashion, with Gilbert perhaps showing one or two nerves as he missed a number of opportunities.

Tamworth potter Gilbert is at the other end of the experience spectrum as he is competing in his first World Championship semi-final, but he is priced at 1.80 to get the job done and win the match on Saturday, while Higgins is available at 1.95.