The Warriors ventured into enemy territory at Nathalia to face the Velvet Tigers, determined to bounce back from their opening round defeat against The Valley.
Nick Fenaughty and David Poole fired Numurkah to a strong start in the men’s singles, but Pat Deery and Ned Nihill ensured the Tigers walked away with a fair split for the home club to leave honours even.
It was the same in the ladies singles, with Tigers’ ace Katie Ferguson victorious 8-4 in response to Tess Bassett’s 8-6 result for the Warriors.
Sam McKenzie McHarg and Jarrod Bingham’s 8-4 win in the first men’s doubles rubber was cancelled out by a timely 8-3 second dig from Numurkah’s Fenaughty and Jack Forde, but when Bingham returned for another strong team-up, this time with Deery, the advantage was back with the Tigers.
Yvette Ambrosini and Bassett combined to chip away at the deficit, but a thrilling mixed doubles rubber between the duo of McKenzie McHarg and Ferguson and Fenaughty and Bassett went the way of the former 8-7.
The pairing of Mark Mills and Ambrosini proved pivotal, recording an 8-3 result to help the Warriors clinch a narrow 6-77 to 6-74 result.
It was a scoreline mirrored in the other game of the round between Tatura and Shepparton Lawn Average Joes.
The Snippers snatched their first win of the season by only three games, with sets all tied up at six apiece.
With only a single game separating the teams after the men’s singles, the women’s singles proved more decisive, with Willow Kelly securing an 8-0 set for Tatura and Leanne More an 8-1 rubber for the Joes.
Kelly went three from three after teaming up with Amra Fleming and then Chris Gamboa in doubles to hand the advantage to Tatura, but a Zach Ranson-inspired Shepparton battled gallantly to stay with it.
The day was Tatura’s, however, with the Snippers heading into the bye victorious.
The Valley return from the bye in round three to face the Velvet Tigers, while the Average Joes host Numurkah in the first grand final rematch of the season.
