MARK Selby struck the 100th 147 in professional snooker history at York this afternoon.

The defending williiamhill.com UK Champion hit a breathtaking black to the middle pocket, in the seventh frame of the first session of his semi-final against Ricky Walden, to write his name into the snooker history books.

Selby, who beat his Cheshire-based opponent 9-5 and will meet Neil Robertson in tomorrow's final, potted 36 balls - 15 reds, 15 blacks and all the colours - to record the feat and put him in the driving seat for a £59,000 prize.

Should no-one else hit a maximum through the remainder of the tournament, Selby will win a rolling £55,000 prize for the 147 plus another £4,000 for the competition's highest break.

The last maximum break in a major ranking event was recorded by John Higgins, ironically also at York, in his second round match with Mark Davis 12 months ago.

Selby's difficulties came in the colours, when he was short on the brown with the blue close in behind.

He swung the cue ball round the angles perfectly but then had to stretch for the pink and, after sinking that ball, left the white tight on the back cushion.

That proved no obstacle, however, Selby hitting a sublime shot to the middle pocket where the black wobbled ever so slightly but, thankfully, dropped.

Selby, who celebrated his second career 147 by punching the air as a packed arena roared in approval, said: "It came out of nowhere, really. 

"We were both struggling in patches. He didn't play well at all and, from nowhere, I just seemed to just find that 147.

"More or less up to the green it was the perfect break and I was telling myself the one thing I didn't want to do was underhit it and I went and underhit it. After that it seemed to be hard work."

On his sensational black, he added: "I was standing there thinking about it - earlier in the season I missed the last black against Mark King - and I was thinking 'here we go again I am going to miss another one'.

"Thankfully enough I managed to hold myself together and pot it this time. I wasn't thinking of the money. Once the black went in and I had time to think about it the money sunk in a little bit.

"But we have still got a final tomrrow and Neil is more than capable of making one and sharing the money. Hopefully, he doesn't."