TONGE could discover over the next two Saturdays what the local cricket season has in store for them.

This time last week they were sitting at the top of the Bolton League only to end the weekend in third place and out of the Hamer Cup.

And who knows what could happen over the next two weekends as they come face to face with the two teams above them in the table.

Tomorrow they entertain second place Walkden while next week they go to leaders Horwich.

Defeats in those games would almost certainly wreck Tonge's hopes but cricket manager Ray Eccleshare will have instilled in his side the importance of the two games and hoping the examples shown by pro Adil Nisar and paceman Ian Taylor will be followed by their team-mates.

Nisar has been in superb form with the bat of late but would welcome some support from the top batting order, while Taylor has picked up a bundle of wickets over the last couple of weeks but would have sacrificed them all for a win last weekend.

The team with the most to gain are Walkden. A win tomorrow and a defeat for Horwich at Greenmount would put last season's champions into pole position for the first time this season while they could still determine their own fate when they stage a showdown with Horwich late next month.

And given that they are the only side to date to inflict a league defeat on the leaders as well as emphatically beating them in last week's Hamer Cup, Walkden appear to be the side the others have to fear.

There is inter-league action on Sunday when the two local leagues attempt to set up an all-Bolton final in the MEN Knockout. The League go to Milnrow to take on the Central Lancs League with the Association meeting the Northern League at Fleetwood.

Kearsley and Walkden also compete in the Thwaites Knockout on Sunday. Both meet Northern League sides, Kearsley at home to Blackpool and Walkden at Chorley.