We’ve been waiting a year for it, and after the drama of last year, all the hype and discussion, all the arguments and recriminations, all the anguish and heart-break, the tension and the endless debates around pub bars the length and breadth of old Blighty, we’ll finally be able to put the wait aside and see how the excitement plays out. The main characters are well known to everyone by now, but what we don’t know is how this new year will treat them. What’s in store? Can they survive the battles ahead? Can they win through against all the odds and bring that trophy home? I’m referring, of course, to the World Snooker Championships.

Yes, Saturday sees the start of another 17-day battle between the giants of the green baize. I love this time of year. For one thing, when the tournament starts you know there’s only a fortnight to go before the May Day Bank Holiday, and we have few enough public holidays in this country, so those few weeks when we have a little crop of them all together always feels like more time off than it actually is.

Day one of the championship, as tradition dictates, will see Ronnie O’Sullivan begin his defence of the title as he begins his quest bids to secure the World Championship crown for a fourth time.

In the studio, anchors Ray Stubbs and Rishi Persad will be on hand to take us through the action, joined as always by veteran pundits Steve Davis and John Parrott. Steve – who won the trophy himself six times – is also taking part again this year, so he’ll be juggling his commentating and competing duties for as long has he survives his 30th anniversary year performance at The Crucible.

The usual crop of expert commentaries are lined up. Unfortunately that means we’ll have to suffer the fatuous chatter of some, just so we can benefit from the informed experience of others. There is no pleasure without pain, we’re often told, but the BBC snooker commentary team of Dennis Taylor, John Virgo, Willie Thorne, Neal Foulds, Terry Griffiths, Clive Everton and Ken Doherty is long overdue for some judicious pruning.

BBC’s red button service provides access to daily live action as well as Snooker On The Red, a weekday highlights programme shown at 6pm and there’s streaming online coverage available too, at bbc.co.uk/snooker. Rack ‘em up!