In August, Brad Smith and his wife, Amber, welcomed a new addition to their family - little Peyton the youngest of four siblings.
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"And that will do us," said Smith, who is about to turn 31 and teachers at Newling Public School in Armidale.
With a new bub in the house, Smith thought it prudent to step down as City United captain, after overseeing a dramatic upturn in the club's fortunes the past two seasons - culminating in the side making the preliminary final last season.
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Now that Peter Mead is steering the side, Smith has come to realise that the burden of leadership is an actual thing, and being relieved of that burden can have a liberating effect.
Smith was amongst the runs again on Saturday, when third-placed City United bounced back from a loss to Old Boys by beating fifth-placed Bective-East by two wickets in a one-dayer at No 1 Oval.
It was the fourth time in five innings this season (all one-dayers) that he has got into the 30s, with a high score of 39. While he is frustrated that he hasn't gone on to make a big score, he feels like the signs are promising.
That was certainly the case against Old Boys, when he struck two sixes and four boundaries in compiling a 32-ball 33. As he hit out freely, Old Boys captain Ben Middlebrook needled him about City being world beaters before Christmas and then struggling - a reference to the side cooling last season after a hot start.
Armed with a strong bowling attack, Smith said it was time the side's batsmen "stopped making excuses" and started scoring runs.
With his "mind freed a little bit", the opener wants to play a big role in that happening, as the talented side chases a premiership after years of struggle.
"I guess you don't notice [the captaincy pressure] until you don't have it, if that makes sense," he said. "So I'm feeling good ... I'm seein' them OK. I'm just frustrated after getting the starts [and not going on].
"If we want to go on to greater things as a team, the top of the order, like myself especially, need to step up a bit more and turn those starts into big runs."
Smith wants to captain the side again, and believes that Mead can teach him how to do that better.
Put into bat, Bective-East were dismissed for 141 in the 37th over. Tom Fitzgerald took 3-15 off six overs. In reply, City make 8-145 - passing the total in the 38th over. Smith and Patrick Dwyer top-scored (32).
