Ted Hankey clung on to his hopes of successfully defending the Embassy World Championship crown by edging home 5-4 in a classic quarter-final against Raymond Barneveld on Friday night.

The match, between the men who have monopolised this title since 1998, promised to be a thriller - and lived up to its billing, with the result in doubt until Hankey slotted the decisive double 12 in the final set.

Most sets went to a fifth leg, including the first two which were both won by seventh seed Hankey thanks to his greater composure at the key moments.

But the Dutchman, champion in 1998 and 1999, hit back to level just before the five-minute interval, making it 2-2 with a brilliant 11-dart leg.

Tie-breaker

Hankey, known as `The Count', moved ahead again with a fifth-set whitewash.

But world number two Barneveld equalised for a second time and then dug deep to take the match to a decider at 4-4 after the seventh had gone to Hankey.

A tie-breaker was drawing ever closer but 32-year-old Stoke-born Hankey, who lives in Rhyl, had the advantage of throwing first in the final set and was one leg from victory after the first three went with the darts.

In the fourth leg, Barneveld, a former postman from The Hague, needed to convert his chances to stay in the contest.

But he could not hit a double and Hankey stole in with an easy 25 checkout to move into the last four.