Defending champion Liang Wenbo is in line to win a £40,000 bonus cheque after making a maximum 147 break in his English Open second round match .

Liang Wenbo. Picture courtesy of World Snooker

The Chinese number two star made the first maximum of the season against Tom Ford on Wednesday afternoon in the sixth frame while trailing the Leicester based star 3-2.

The rolling cash prize for a player making a 147 currently stands at £40,000 and Wenbo will win that amount should nobody else make a 147 for the remainder of the tournament.

If another player makes a 147 then Wenbo will win a shared amount of the £40,000 cash pot.

It is the second time Wenbo has made a 147 in his professional career – the first being in 2008 in the qualifying stages for the Bahrain Championship.

Play stopped on the other TV table between Luca Brecel and Mark Williams to see the climax of Wenbo’s break.