THE Bolton Association make an early start to the new cricket season on Saturday.

Despite weather more suitable to winter sports, players take to the crease with layers of sweaters to hand at 1.30pm. The Bolton League gets under way the following week.

Reigning champions Walshaw are looking to win their fourth Association championship in five years and they will be strengthened this year by the return of Brett Collins.

The big-hitting all-rounder spent last season as the professional at Darcy Lever, but decided to return to the amateur ranks at the club with whom he had so much success.

Captain Anthony Harris, however, says that the introduction of players from the junior sides, such as 16 years old Alex Roughley and 17 years old Danny Holland bolstered the side during the title run-in last year, and they, along with David Mills, who is back after a spell with Rishton, will give them a strong line-up from the first game.

There are some interesting professional acquisitions this season, with four clubs -- Atherton, Daisy Hill. Darcy Lever and Astley & Tyldesley --bringing in bowlers from overseas.

Atherton have turned to Australian Lee Childs, who returns to Bolton after being pro at Farnworth during 2000 and 2001, Darcy Lever look to Indian Davendra Bundela, Daisy Hill will bank on Pakistan player Faisal Alfridi, while A & T turn to West Indian Andrew Richardson.

The A & T lads had hoped to meet their new pro when they toured Jamaica at the end of last season. That did not happen in the end, but Richardson has arrived in this country and the club were able to see him in action when he took 1-20 off eight overs on a soft track, and hit 25 against Middleton in a pre-season friendly.

Two bowlers from the Bolton League have moved to the Association professional ranks; Will Halton leaving Astley Bridge to become pro at Blackrod, and Mike Crookson, who started his career with Atherton, leaving Westhoughton to join Standish.

Standish are also strengthened by the acquisition of wicketkeeper Nigel Geary, who has left a Spring View side that is tipped to be one of the dark horses for the championship.

The Wigan side were runners-up last season and were more than happy to retain the servies of pro Arindam Sarker as well as bringing in their former player Rob Turnbull as player-coach.

They are again expected to be the main opposition to Walshaw's hopes of retaining the title.

But Atherton will also be looking to make a big impression with Childs, plus the talents of opening batsman Karl Brown and Neil Bannister, who has decided to rejoin his hometown club after a professional stint at Daisy Hill.

Lostock have signed Lukman Vahaluwala from Northern League side Leyland, while one of their former players, paceman Adam Syddall, has left the club to become professional at Edgworth.

Little Hulton are happy to continue with the talents of Ijaz Mahmood for a fourth season, as are Clifton with Lee Wolstenholme, and Elton with former Lancashire player Dexter Fitton.

Golborne, who looked set to start the season without a professional, made a late move and signed Preston-based Rehman Shah, a pro at Lostock for the last two seasons.

CRICKET FIXTURES

SATURDAY

Bolton Association: Astley & Tyldesley v Spring View, Atherton v Daisy Hill, Blackrod v Golborne, Darcy Lever v Walshaw, Elton v Adlington, Little Hulton v Edgworth, Standish v Clifton. Free date: Lostock

CLUB GUIDE

Club guide

ADLINGTON

Ground: Huyton Road.

Telephone: 01257 483478.

Professional: Matthew Taylor.

Captain: Andrew Robinson.

ASTLEY & TYLDESLEY

Ground: Gin Pit.

Telephone: 01942 883067.

Professional: Andrew Richardson (West Indies).

Captain: Simon Nicklin.

ATHERTON

Ground: Higham Park.

Telephone: 01942 884882.

Professional: Lee Childs (Australia).

Captain: Paul Brown.

BLACKROD

Ground: Vicarage Road.

Telephone: 0204 699654.

Professional: Will Halton.

Captain: Graham Walsh.

CLIFTON

Ground: Manchester Road.

Telephone: 0161 794 5817.

Professional: Lee Wolstenholme.

Captain: Lee Wolstenholme.

DAISY HILL

Ground: St James Street.

Telephone: 01942 811065.

Professional: Faisal Afridi (Pakistan).

Captain: Peter Kirkman.

DARCY LEVER

Ground: The Levers.

Telephone: 01204 523509.

Professional: Davendra Bundela (India).

Captain: Paul Smethurst.

EDGWORTH

Ground: Barlow Memorial Institute

Telephone: 01204 853374.

Professional: Adam Syddall.

Captain: Chris Locke.

ELTON

Ground: Leigh Lane.

Telephone: 0161 762 9289.

Professional: Dexter Fitton.

Captain: Graham Bushell.

GOLBORNE

Ground: Simpsons Fields.

Telephone: 01942 510161.

Professional: Rehman Shah.

Captain: Graham Marston.

LITTLE HULTON

Ground: The old Vicarage.

Telephone: 0161 7901127.

Professional: Ijaz Mahmood (Pakistan).

Captain: Mike Edwards.

LOSTOCK

Ground: Lostock Lane.

Telephone:

Professional: Lukman Vahaluwala.

Captain: Steve Kaye.

SPRING VIEW

Ground: Dower House Farm.

Telephone: 01942 865133

Professional: Arindam Sarkar.

Captain: Paul Matthews.

STANDISH

Ground: Green Lane.

Telephone: 01257 421434

Professional: Mike Crookson.

Captain: Steve Knowles.

WALSHAW

Ground: Sycamore Road.

Telephone: 01204 882448

Professional: Jonathan Fielding.

Captain: Anthony Harris.