Before the weekend the club had not won a senior grade flag for 20 years.
That was in the days Kyabram was competing in the former Kyabram District Cricket Association before it merged with Campaspe Cricket Association to form Goulburn Murray Cricket in 2013-14.
Captain of the 2003-04 premiership side was Brad Mueller, the father of current day star Kyle Mueller, who led the Redbacks to their drought-breaking flag on Sunday after one of the great comebacks in local sport.
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Kyabram Cricket Club’s English import Louis Sabbagh-Holt was not quite sure what to expect when he made the trip Down Under to play the season with the Redbacks.
After all he was only 18 and fresh out of school.
So it was a pretty big move to the travel to other side of the world alone to play cricket with players he didn’t know and country he had never visited.
But Louis admitted after being part of Kyabram’s history-making side at the weekend it had been an experience he will never forget.
And for all the good reasons.
‘‘The best part of it is all the new friends I have made. The players in the club have been really good to me, especially Jackson McLay (coach) and Kyle Mueller (captain). I have made friendships which will last for the rest of my life,’’ Louis said.
Louis will soon head home and start preparing for the English cricket season which starts in May.
But not before he attends the club’s awards night where he will pick up the trophy for taking the most wickets for his club for the season.
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Teammates can be a bit harsh at times with their criticisms, but it’s usually taken well if it’s delivered in the right manner.
Kyabram opener Billy McLay found this out after he had top-scored in Kyabram’s innings in the season decider.
His fighting 52 runs was the match-high score, but some of his teammates pointed out that as it turned out Kyabram would have still won without his contribution.
You know that’s not quite right Billy — two of your runs not 52 would have been needed to get Kyabram over the line.
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Billy McLay’s brothers, Charlie and Jackson, were well to the fore in the history-making Kyabram win.
Charlie picked up the Greg Luscombe Medal for man-of-the-match for his bowling feat of 5-31 off 21.5 overs which were nearly identical to his bag of 5-31 off 22 overs in Kyabram’s preliminary final win over Katandra the previous weekend.
Opening bowler Jackson McLay, who has announced he is stepping down as coach of the team, also had a big say with the ball in the premiership win with his 18 overs costing only 36 runs and producing two vital wickets.
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How many cricket sides would comprise nearly half the team from two families?
But that was the situation with Kyabram’s premiership-winning side.
Three members of the McLay family — Jackson, Charlie and Billy — and two Mueller brothers Kyle and Cade took up five of the 11 spots in the victorious team.
To find another local cricket side with three members from the same family you would probably have to go back to the 1958-59 season when the McGrath brothers Lindsay, Alan and Bill, were members of the Stanhope side which claimed the flag in the former Kyabram District Cricket Association.
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