Waringstown return to league action today, eight points adrift of leaders North Down but with the chance to end the weekend as joint leaders, at least.
A couple of weeks ago, it was the Comber side who faced a triple header to Waringstown's one game and duly won all three. It is the reverse this weekend and the Villagers know that anything less than 12 points over the next three days will make them second favourites to retain the championship.
They are also handicapped by the absence of international Kyle McCallan for certainly the first two games and, almost certainly Sunday's game as well, because of work commitments. But the Ireland international is confident there is enough strength in depth to see the champions complete a hat-trick of wins, despite back to back cup defeats last weekend.
"It is never nice to lose a cup final," said McCallan, referring to the Challenge Cup showdown at Downpatrick, "but if we were critical we didn't score enough runs and North Down bowled well.
"But I thought we took it very well. We arrived at Shaw's Bridge on Sunday (for the Ulster Cup semi final) without James Hall and Simon Harrison who was injured but Keith Allen arrived on the scene on Sunday, Ben McKnight is also coming in, and with Lee Nelson already in the team there are youngsters coming through.
"I thought we did well to reach 160 after being 40 for six and although even that wasn't enough, there was enough fight there and with the bottle we've seen over the last few weeks we should be OK this weekend."
McCallan knows it will not be easy, however.
"We have Lurgan first and not only is it a local derby but they are fighting relegation and will be coming out with all guns blazing, on Saturday it is Derriaghy who are the sort of team who can beat anybody on their day and have Peter van Niekerk is scoring runs-a-plenty. And on Sunday it is Civil Service North away who are another side in the thick of things at the bottom.
"So all three days, both teams have everything to play for, but we would hope to win our two home games and see what happens on Sunday," added the Ireland vice-captain who will miss two more weekends this month because of international action. He is around, though, for the probable championship decider, at The Green on August 18.
North Down's only game this weekend is at Bangor but that will not be as easy as it looked even this time last week because the Seasiders have leapt from rock bottom to joint fifth place after back to back wins last weekend.
With 12 games played, more than anyone around them, however, Bangor know today's game, at home to Civil Service, the team that has replaced them at the basement, is a game they dare not lose while the Stormont side, who welcome back Ireland international Gary Wilson for the weekend, will also be looking for maximum points, not just today but also at Carrickfergus tomorrow.
Carrick are back in action on Sunday, at home to Instonians, whom they play twice in the next fortnight, and the Ulster Cup finalists will be doing Ryan Eagleson's side a huge favour by getting off to a winning start tomorrow, at home to Lurgan.
The other relegation duel tomorrow is at The Meadow where Downpatrick and Lisburn meet and the tension will be as palpable as in last week's cup final at the same venue, only this time it is increasingly desperate league points which are at stake.
A couple of weeks ago, it was the Comber side who faced a triple header to Waringstown's one game and duly won all three. It is the reverse this weekend and the Villagers know that anything less than 12 points over the next three days will make them second favourites to retain the championship.
They are also handicapped by the absence of international Kyle McCallan for certainly the first two games and, almost certainly Sunday's game as well, because of work commitments. But the Ireland international is confident there is enough strength in depth to see the champions complete a hat-trick of wins, despite back to back cup defeats last weekend.
"It is never nice to lose a cup final," said McCallan, referring to the Challenge Cup showdown at Downpatrick, "but if we were critical we didn't score enough runs and North Down bowled well.
"But I thought we took it very well. We arrived at Shaw's Bridge on Sunday (for the Ulster Cup semi final) without James Hall and Simon Harrison who was injured but Keith Allen arrived on the scene on Sunday, Ben McKnight is also coming in, and with Lee Nelson already in the team there are youngsters coming through.
"I thought we did well to reach 160 after being 40 for six and although even that wasn't enough, there was enough fight there and with the bottle we've seen over the last few weeks we should be OK this weekend."
McCallan knows it will not be easy, however.
"We have Lurgan first and not only is it a local derby but they are fighting relegation and will be coming out with all guns blazing, on Saturday it is Derriaghy who are the sort of team who can beat anybody on their day and have Peter van Niekerk is scoring runs-a-plenty. And on Sunday it is Civil Service North away who are another side in the thick of things at the bottom.
"So all three days, both teams have everything to play for, but we would hope to win our two home games and see what happens on Sunday," added the Ireland vice-captain who will miss two more weekends this month because of international action. He is around, though, for the probable championship decider, at The Green on August 18.
North Down's only game this weekend is at Bangor but that will not be as easy as it looked even this time last week because the Seasiders have leapt from rock bottom to joint fifth place after back to back wins last weekend.
With 12 games played, more than anyone around them, however, Bangor know today's game, at home to Civil Service, the team that has replaced them at the basement, is a game they dare not lose while the Stormont side, who welcome back Ireland international Gary Wilson for the weekend, will also be looking for maximum points, not just today but also at Carrickfergus tomorrow.
Carrick are back in action on Sunday, at home to Instonians, whom they play twice in the next fortnight, and the Ulster Cup finalists will be doing Ryan Eagleson's side a huge favour by getting off to a winning start tomorrow, at home to Lurgan.
The other relegation duel tomorrow is at The Meadow where Downpatrick and Lisburn meet and the tension will be as palpable as in last week's cup final at the same venue, only this time it is increasingly desperate league points which are at stake.
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