In a booklet produced for the South Tamworth Cricket Club's golden jubilee the co-authors noted that 1948 was the year of "The Invincibles" and "The Less Invincibles".
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Established the same year as the Don Bradman-led Australian side's all-conquering tour of the United Kingdom, the club will commemorate 75 years at the crease at a gala function at the Mecure Events Centre on Saturday May 18.
Helping them celebrate the milestone will be former Australian quick-turned television personality Mike Whitney as the special guest.
The second oldest of the present Tamworth clubs, the story of "Southies" formation goes that ahead of the 1948/49 season the local association wanted to introduce what was then called ward cricket, with the club's to be based on residential boundaries.
Ike Rowland was elected the inaugural president, and well-known Tamworth cricket identity Ken Falkenmire OAM was instated as first grade captain.
The club enjoyed instant success with the third grade side winning the premiership.
Two years later they were celebrating their first first grade triumph. They would go on to go-back-to-back.
John Kilborn was one of the authors of the 50-year history and is a truer servant as the club has had.
His association with Souths stretches back to 1976 when he moved to town, and still endures today.
"I came from Canberra and the only bloke that I knew at that stage in Tamworth, who was associated with cricket, was Ken Falkenmire," Kilborn recalled.
"So I contacted him and he put me onto Souths."
They were going through a bit of a tough time and were looking for players.
Over the next almost five decades, the schoolteacher, who was in 2011 awarded an OAM for his service to cricket, would become an integral part of the club as a player, coach and administrator.
A self-described "slow left-arm spin bowler" and "poker and prodder", the man affectionately known as Killer strapped on the pads for Souths from 76 through to 2000 and features on the club's honour roles not only as a Life Member, but also for his deeds on the field - for both bowling and batting.
He served as president for nine years across two stints and is presently the club treasurer, a role he has held for a number of years. He also still goes down to watch South's games of a Saturday, and could probably count on one hand the weekend's he has missed.
"When games are on I try to get around each of the games for a period of time," he said.
"Sometimes I might end up scoring if they haven't got somebody who's wanting to do it."
The kind of person that every club needs, when he spoke with the Leader he was just about to head down to Wests Diggers to sell raffle tickets for the club in the sporting chance competition they run there.
So what is it that has kept him involved for so long?
Aside from his genuine love of the game, it's the people. He just enjoys "the friendship and the camaraderie".
Naturally over the years he has played with, and seen, some great players come through the club.
A few that sprung to mind were Kevin Wales, Glen Pereira, and Harry Browne, and sons Terry, Bernie and Warwick.
Another, Kilborn joking that he's probably "a bit biased" about that one, is son Michael.
By his second season at the club playing first grade, post his time at Souths, he went on to play for the Uni Of NSW and captain Oxford University - then only the fifth Australian to do so.
RSVP for the reunion function is May 4.
The theme is 'two blue' formal and tickets are $120, which includes three-course dinner, beer and wine.
