IF you are at a loose end this weekend and the weather is fine, you could do a lot worse than take in the first day of the local cricket season.

The sound of leather on willow will once again be heard at grounds around Bolton as the Bolton Association season kicks off tomorrow and the Bolton League campaign starts 24 hours later.

If football's your game there are long journeys for Wanderers and Bury tomorrow with the Macron men in London at promotion-chasing Brentford and the Shakers looking to continue their surge towards hopeful promotion at Portsmouth.

Looking further ahead it is free to get in at Bury's next match at home to Southend on Tuesday night.

It's also FA Cup semi-final weekend with Arsenal playing Reading tomorrow and Liverpool and Aston Villa clashing on Sunday, both at Wembley.

Slowing things down, tomorrow sees the start of the snooker World Championships at the Crucible in Sheffield with Bolton's number one player Craig Steadman playing Ronnie O'Sullival on Tuesday.

Speeding things back up and if, unlike me, Formula One is your thing then you'll enjoy the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.

Neil Bonnar