Joe Hart remembers life as a leg-spin bowler.
Training under the late Test player Robert "Dutchy" Holland at Toronto and picked in representative squads, like NSW Combined Catholic Colleges, mainly for his tweakers.
These days, coming off an English season with Staines and Laleham in the south of London, Hart finds himself back in Newcastle but at the top of the University batting order.
The Cardiff Heights 21-year-old is embracing the change in roles.
"I started off as a leg-spinner and didn't bat as much," Hart said following a round of golf at Merewether on Wednesday.
"Now I'm batting more and not bowling as much."
Growing up nearby good mate and now NSW squad member Jason Sangha, cricket was never far away for Hart.
There were also plenty of hits alongside father Glenn.
Having kicked off his senior career with Toronto as a 15-year-old, the former SFX student made the move down to Sydney in 2016-17 and joined Randwick-Petersham for two summers.
While in the state capital he worked at Channel Nine, eventually doing social media for sport.
After a shift in clubs to Gordon last season, the right-hander then returned to the Hunter region and signed with University for the second half of that campaign.
Hart followed up by scoring 500-plus runs in his first foray overseas and while in the United Kingdom he enjoyed the World Cup and Ashes up close and personal.
Undecided about flying across the other side of the world again in 2020, Hart said the recent venture provided plenty of "game time" and a chance to go out and "get some runs".
The experience appears to be paying dividends on the home front, having made 263 for University at an average of 43.83 by the Christmas break.
His best return was 97 against Merewether in round six and only once in five digs opening the innings has Hart been dismissed for single figures.
Hart said he "loves it" with the Sea Dragons and has "learnt so much".
He said last month's one-run victory against then frontrunners Hamilton-Wickham at Passmore Oval was "massive for us going into Christmas and the new year".
Because of other results in the same round University actually slipped to equal seventh on the competition ladder, but sit only one win away from second spot.
"Everything is so close," Hart said.
The Sea Dragons resume this weekend with a trip to Cahill Oval for a crucial clash against sixth-placed Belmont, one point ahead of Uni on the table following an outright last start.
