To make matters worse the Comber lads, who will start this opening competitive match of the season as odds-on favourites, will also have ground advantage on Saturday 3rd May.
Preparations for the season are already well under way with indoor training sessions every Friday evening at Sixmile Leisure Centre, under the direction of head coach Andy McCrea, Keith Wilson the Regional Under 15 Youth Coach, and their seven fully qualified assistants.
Andy, who doubles as the club's Development Officer, holds the only Grade 3 coaching award in Northern Ireland, and his experience has been reflected in the twenty plus players who have gained representative honours during the past decade, ranging from the Under 11s to the Irish Schools XI and the Irish Under 17 XI.
Once again Templepatrick will confirm their status as one of the most progressive clubs in the province, when they will be fielding four adult teams who play at the weekends, in addition to the Under 11s, Under 13, and Under 15s who engage in midweek league fixtures.
During the next few weeks coaches will be visiting numerous primary schools in the greater Ballyclare area to introduce boys and girls to KWIK cricket, a form of the game that is played with a soft ball. From these visits a team will be selected to represent Templepatrick Cricket Club in a Northern Ireland knockout competition for the Under 11s.
During the summer holidays primary school pupils will be flocking to the club's headquarters at The Cloughan for the popular weekly coaching sessions and matches.
Skipper Artie Campbell expects to have most off last year's side available, although leg spinner John Busby won't be home from Newcastle University until mid June, when he will share the bowling attack with Robert Smith, Keith Wilson, James Jackson and young Josh Dailly, who came up through the ranks to command a place in the team at the latter end of last season.
The controversial two up and two down system will continue for a second season, and one of the main consequences was the glut of rearranged fixtures in September, as teams at either end of the Section 3 table endeavoured to squeeze in as many matches as possible, in the mad scramble for points.
Commenting Artie Campbell said, "This did not suit us at all, as we lost several players who were in to schools rugby in September, hence we finished in mid table after having been chasing a rostrum placing.
"There will be four newcomers to our section with Dunmurry and Cooke Collegians having dropped down from Section 2, while Belfast International Social club and Cregagh have been promoted from Section 4, so competition will be keener than ever.
"We will be going straight in to the cup tie against North Down II, but their ground has a reputation for drying out quickly, so at least the match has a good chance of being played on schedule. I have tried unsuccessfully to arrange a pre season friendly, so the best,we can hope for in meaningful preparation will be an outdoor training session. The indoor sessions have been reasonably well attended so let's hope that we give a good account of ourselves on the first Saturday May," ended Artie.
The office bearers for the 2008 season are: Honorary President, Arthur Bowron, who has been deeply involved with the running of the club since its foundation forty years ago; Club Captain, Arthur Campbell; Chairman, Duncan Elder; Honorary Secretary, Peter Shepherd; Honorary Treasurer, Andy McCrea; Cricket Development Officer, Andy McCrea.
Sub-Committee Convenors: Grounds, Arthur Bowron; Marketing and Website, Peter Shepherd; Public Relations, Duncan Elder; Social, Neil Reynolds.
Club officials are indebted to the club's sponsors: Abbey Real Estate, Ballyclare; Edenderry Print, Belfast; Hopper & Co., Chartered Accountants, Ballyclare and William Taggart Car Sales, Ballyclare.