BOLTON Association sides step out on the trophy trail on Sunday as they compete in the first round of the Cross Cup.

And as always seems to happen for four clubs it will mean playing the same opposition two days running!

Clifton and Astley and Tyldesley plus the game between Little Hulton and Atherton should hold few surprises for the teams as 24 hours earlier they faced each other in the league programme.

For Astley and Tyldesley it means another visit to Clifton but that should hold few fears for the Gin Pit outfit judging from their early season form.

They have produced some good performances in the opening matches and off the evidence of his debut weekend, new pro Bashir Khan looks as if he could be a handful for the opposition.

In his first two games for the club he scored 50 and 33 with the bat and took five and then three wickets. Encouraging figures that could have brought winning results had it not been for a stubborn rearguard action by, first, Atherton and then Little Hulton's tailenders.

With Tripathi also showing good form, A & T look to have a couple of winners in their side and Clifton, cup runners-up to Adlington last season, could be facing a tough weekend.

Atherton, finalists in three of the last four finals, winning two of them, will have no shortage of motives to do well against Little Hulton. Out of those final appearances their only defeat came in 1999 when they went down to Little Hulton in the final at Blackrod.

That should spur them to try and exact revenge tomorrow at home while today they were trying to find some improvement in their league form when they went to Little Hulton.

Golborne, having made close season changes to their side, probably did not expect to be leading the table after four matches but that is exactly what they are doing and they will want to improve on that when they travel to face a Daisy Hill side that were surprised by Standish last week. Then Daisy made a good looking score of 171 only to be beaten comprehensively by seven wickets. Obviously batting does not seem to be a problem but perhaps the bowling, or lack of it, is causing some concern.