Battling Kyren takes the lead at Crucible

World number 10 Perry looked in control of the match at 4-2, but Wilson rallied to win the final three frames of the session, in which both players had chances to make maximum breaks.

Perry made a slick start, opening with a frame-winning break of 87 that had begun with nine successive reds and blacks.

Frame two began with Perry leaving a red over the bottom left-hand corner pocket after attempting to play safe. And though Wilson sunk it he rolled the cue ball back too far and it dropped in the top right-hand corner pocket to give Perry a reprieve.

He looked to have the run of the balls though on his next visit to the table as an attempted blue into the middle missed but rolled into the top corner on the way to a break of 38, halted by a missed pink off the spot.

And Perry knocked in a 63 to eventually decide a frame that lasted almost half an hour.

Wilson though, is a cool customer and a sublime break of 130 in the third got him up and running.

He could do little but watch though as Perry knocked in 80 to hold a two-frame lead at the interval.

Breaks of 33 and 38 were enough to claw back a frame for the Warrior.

But Perry restored his two-frame advantage with breaks of 54 and 64.

Gentleman Joe then showed his charitable side in the seventh frame. A break of 58 from Wilson saw him overturn a 40-point deficit but when he went in off potting the yellow Perry had a gilt-edged chance to clear the table.

However, with cue ball in hand he missed the yellow off its spot and Wilson made it 4-3.

Wilson levelled, but fluffed a chance at a maximum 147. Having potted 12 reds and 11 blacks he missed a difficult cut to keep the sequence going.

But even that could not fluster Wilson who made breaks of 89 and 61 to finish ahead.

Watch the World Championship LIVE on Eurosport, with Colin Murray and analysis from Jimmy White and Ronnie O’Sullivan.