Andy Hamilton will play Adrian Lewis in the World Darts Championship Final after both men triumphed in a controversial semi-final night at Alexandra Palace in London.

Lewis is still on course to retain the title he won last year after he came back from 5-1 down to seal an unbelievable 6-5 win over world number three James Wade.

The match was mired in controversy, though, after it was delayed by almost half an hour as both players walked off stage in protest against a strong breeze that appeared to be blowing across stage, as the flagship tournament descended into chaos.

When both players returned Lewis booked his place in the final in the most incredible circumstances.

There was no sign of the controversy to come as Wade flew out the traps, laying down an early marker when he followed up a 76 checkout on the bull with a 157 checkout on double top as he wasted no time in wrapping up the first set.

Lewis looked like squaring the match in the second set when he broke Wade’s throw early on, but he was put off his stride when a mysterious draught appeared to blow across the stage infuriating both players.

A clearly agitated Lewis missed three darts at double top to win the set and Wade regained his composure quickest to steal the leg and then see out the set 3-2 to move into a 2-0 lead.

In unprecedented scenes the players then left the stage for almost half an hour as officials desperately tried to solve the problem, and when play finally got under way again it was nearly half past eleven.

The crowd blamed Lewis for the delay and they bayed for blood, and although he initially held his nerve to pull a set back he was clearly still affected by the controversy and Wade looked like steamrolling the defending champion.

As the clock passed midnight Wade hit top gear and some sensational darts saw him move into a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead, but Lewis wasn’t going to relinquish his crown without a fight and launched a sensational comeback taking the next four sets to tie the match up at 5-5.

As the match moved into a deciding set James Wade looked paralysed by the nature of his collapse and Lewis powered in three consecutive legs to complete the most memorable comeback in World Championship history, and book his place in his second consecutive final.

In the other semi-final, Andy Hamilton came from 5-3 down to beat Simon Whitlock 6-5 as history repeated itself for the two players.

Earlier this year Hamilton had come back from eight legs down to beat Whitlock at the World Matchplay in Blackpool and he inflicted similar punishment on The Wizard as he clawed his way back from the brink again to seal a dramatic sudden death win.

The first two sets went with throw as the players exchanged early blows, but Hamilton’s clinical finishing on the doubles was the telling factor in sets three and four as he raced into a 3-1 lead.

Whitlock hit back in style and won the next four sets without reply to move into a 5-3 lead, and his second World Final in three years looked on the cards.

But Hamilton refused to admit defeat and fought his way back to 5-5, before hitting double 16 in sudden death to break Whitlock’s throw and win through to the first ever World Final of his career

The 2012 World Darts Championship final between Adrian Lewis and Andy Hamilton take place on Monday evening at 7.30pm, with the winner picking up a cheque for £200,000.

World Championship Darts Semi-Finals, Results:

Simon Whitlock 5-6 Andy Hamilton

Adrian Lewis 6-5 James Wade