STEVE Walsh admits to having mixed feelings as he prepares to line up for Astley and Tyldesley against the club he has been connected with for 35 years.

The bowler has spent the whole of his cricketing career with Atherton until his move to neighbours A & T at the start of the season.

But tomorrow he will be in opposition to many of the players he has coached and who were team-mates of his over those years.

"I must admit it will be a little strange for me. Before this season I had played all my cricket at Atherton and in all honesty thought that I would not get involved with another club when I retired last year.

"But I got itchy fingers, fancied playing a bit more, yet did not want to commit myself to turning out for every game. Had I done that, played one game then stepped down for the next and so on at Atherton, it would have been unfair to a lot of the younger players coming through.

"I then heard A & T were short of players and offered them my services. I started with the intention of playing now and again but in the first game I bowled 24 overs and now it's looking as if I may be playing in every game - if my back stands up to it."

Another reason Steve decided not to carry on at Atherton was that he felt he might have been hindering the cricketing development of his 19-years-old son Paul.

"I don't think it helped him when his dad, especially when I was captain, was saying to him 'you should be doing this or you should have done that' and I feel he may enjoy his game a little more now that I'm not around."

Yet Paul does not share his dad's trepidation about the match. "I can't wait," he said, "and I'm looking forward to smashing his bowling all round the ground."

It will be the first time the pair have been in opposition in match surroundings.

"I've batted against him many times in the nets," added Paul, "and I used to smash his bowling then as well."

As far the match itself, Steve, who still coaches and manages the under 13s at Atherton, reckons A & T are fired up for the derby encounter.

"I know when I was at Atherton we just looked at this fixture as just another match but here the lads treat it as the game of the season. I've never known anything like it."

A & T will also welcome their new professional for this weekend's two Association programmes.

Bashir Khan missed the club's opening day win over Edgworth after being signed as replacement for original choice Mishbah-ul-Haq, who was called up for a Pakistan Test series.

Bashir has a good first class pedigree. He is a forceful opening bat and right arm bowler and has captained Pakistan A. He plays for Lahore and has a one day average of 55 and a four day game average of 30.

A & T meet Little Hulton on Sunday and also have a game tonight when they play Prestwich in the National Knockout.