After a long drought the summer sport premiership rains have fallen in earnest at Numurkah at the weekend.
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As well as the town’s cricketers tasting ultimate glory in the Cricket Shepparton ranks — for the first time since the 1970s at the A-grade level — the feats of the tennis club were similarly drought-breaking.
The Numurkah Warriors GM1 outfit claimed the club’s first top tier flag since what is believed to be the 1979-80 season, knocking over Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association heavyweight Tatura Cockroaches by one game to snare success at Shepparton Lawn Tennis Club on Saturday.
Three other Numurkah teams also tasted triumph — one on the cricket pitch and two more on the tennis court — to make it an amazing weekend for the town.
But not to be lost in the avalanche of emotion is a strong connection between one of the premierships and its most recent pairing.
The last division one Numurkah tennis premiership could be said to have produced the current top-grade triumph, for as Helene Steward held serve — and her nerve — to secure the Warriors victory in the dying stages of the side’s battle against the Cockroaches she ensured her club replicated the feats of her parents in the corresponding 1979-80 decider.
Steward’s parents Catherine (then O’Shanassy) and Max were involved in Numurkah’s last successful division one season almost four decades ago, adding a nice touch to Saturday’s win.
‘‘It’s so cool,’’ Steward said.
‘‘I didn’t actually realise on the day until someone said the last flag was 30 or 40 years ago and I thought that it could be Mum and Dad’s premiership.
‘‘It’s really cool, they think it was the 1979-80 season because that was the year Mum won the club championship and it was around that time.
‘‘I feel so lucky and so special that I was able to have that family connection — who would have thought that would happen?
‘‘It was a fabulous weekend and so special to have the other two teams win as well, it’s just really great.’’
Max remembers that his side’s premiership success was slightly more comfortable than his daughter’s, but that did not make it any less of a contest.
‘‘It was a long time ago, about 1980, but I think we were in control a bit before the last set, but you never know in grand finals,’’ he said.
‘‘Trevor Little was a very handy number one for us and Cath came from Yarrawonga originally. Daryl Twitt always said the best thing I did for Numurkah tennis was bringing her across.
‘‘Back in those days whoever played in the grand final from both teams would go out for dinner together that night. I think they’re going to try and do something like that (with our premiership and Helene’s one) to get together and celebrate.’’
And although Max and Catherine were not in attendance on Saturday, they certainly heard all about the heroics of a new generation of Numurkah Tennis Club premiership heroes.
‘‘It was marvellous, especially after they didn’t win a game last year I think,’’ Max said.
‘‘(Helene) doesn’t like us watching her play, she gets a bit nervous, so we were at home getting the updates.
‘‘When she served at 5-6 and held her serve she said the whole clubrooms went up and she thought that was a bit strange because the set wasn’t finished, but they all knew it was enough for the win.
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