BASILDON snooker star Stuart Bingham is preparing for his massive World Championship challenge — by watching top darts action!

The new town professional gets his challenge for the green baize prize underway on Saturday at Sheffield’s legendary Crucible Theatre with the toughest possible first round task — taking on the game’s finest player and defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

As is customary, the title holder will get the proceedings, being fully covered on BBC Television throughout its 16 days, underway.

For Bingham it will bring back memories of the Millennium World Championship when he opened proceedings against the defending champion, seven-times winner Stephen Hendry. The new towner entered snooker folk-lore then by crushing the super Scot 10-7 and admits that he hopes repeating his opener status will lead to followers of the sport forgetting that occasion.

He said: “Don’t get me wrong. That win over Hendry remains one of my proudest moments in the sport.But when people speak to me it’s always about that victory. It would be nice if I was remembered for something else.”

In fact Bingham has enjoyed plenty of other World Championship highlights. The year after beating Hendry he was just a missed pink away from a maximum 147 against Ken Doherty and a cash bonus of some £165,000.

And, after a lengthy gap from qualifying, he returned to Sheffield last year with a win over six-times champion Steve Davis.

Bingham and O’Sullivan are regular practice partners, but have only prepared together once at the Basildon man’s Q-Ball Club base in Southernhay since the draw.

Said Bingham: “I know it’s going to be tough as, if he’s in the mood, Ronnie can be on a different planet to the rest of us. He has so much natural ability. Having said that I’m not going there to be beaten. I’ve been striking the balls better recently and will obviously give it all I’ve got.”

It’s a well-known fact that if O’Sullivan’s not on his game opponents have a chance as his attention can wander.

Bingham insisted: “In practically every frame you’ll get at least one opportunity. If you do against Ronnie you must take it. Other players might let you back in if you for a second chance, but it’s unlikely against Ronnie.

“If he starts really flying you can quickly find he’s romping through the frames and, even though this is a 19-frame match over two sessions, you can be virtually out of it before you know.”

The two men have only met once previously in tournament play back in the 2003 Irish Open where O’Sullivan won 5-3.

Even if he beats his Essex rivals — O’Sullivan is based at Chigwell — Bingham, in his 12th year as a pro, knows he faces a mammoth task in making the sport’s elite’s top 16 at the end of the season.

“I’d need to make the semi-finals at the Crucible for that to happen,” he admitted. “It’s a tall order, but beating Ronnie, undoubtedly the best player in the world, would be quite a start.”

Bingham’s first session starts at 10am on Saturday and, while driving up to Sheffield today he planned a detour to watch Premier darts action in Nottingham.

Bingham’s legion of fans will be hoping that tonight’s darts inspiration from the likes of that sport’s world number one Phil “the Power” Taylor will help the new towner give O’Suillivan and the other top stars an “arrowing time” in Sheffield.