Steve Christie played cricket at Waratah Oval up to an hour before his wedding at nearby Mayfield.
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His honeymoon was spent at Nelson Bay, close enough to attend two afternoon training sessions that week.
It's little wonder, with the 56-year-old on the verge of breaking the Newcastle District Cricket Association record for most games at 536, that commitment is one of the biggest changes he's seen in the sport since making his senior debut in 1977.
"There's been a lot of changes since then [my first grade game] and not all of them for the good," Christie told the Newcastle Herald.
"Lifestyles, availability and work rosters are a lot different now, but I don't think players are as committed as we were. There's a lot more on offer. Back in our day it was cricket in the summer and footy in the winter.
"What I don't understand is when you sign that form at the start of the year, why you don't want to play as much as you can."
Christie, more affectionately known by his nickname Crunch, will captain Waratah-Mayfield's fourth grade side in a one-day fixture against Cardiff-Boolaroo at Waratah No.3 on Saturday.
In doing so, the one-club man is set to surpass long-time teammate and friend Ian Liddell (535) as the most capped player in NDCA history.
Liddell, who now lives in Thailand, has returned to Newcastle this week to mark the occasion and played a round of golf with Christie on Friday.
"I'm absolutely honoured," Christie said about reaching the mark.
Left-arm paceman Christie, who made his first XI debut in 1981-82 before representing both Newcastle and NSW Country, had a near-death experience at work in his mid 20s.
He said this incident both hindered and helped prolong his career.
"Doctors told me I'd never play again," he said.
"So to come back [after two years off] and get one game was quite an achievement at the time. I think it helped keep me going."
Christie, who took a redundancy earlier in the year, said 2019-20 would be his last campaign on the field and he has "dedicated" it to late friend and fellow Waratah-Mayfield life member Gary Foster.
Christie's club career across all grades has featured 1134 wickets, including best figures of 8-14, at an average of 15.24. He has scored 5881 runs and taken 131 catches.
He has won a Tom Locker Cup title and lower grade premierships but not a grand final in firsts, having been narrowly beaten in the 1985-86 decider after going through the season undefeated.
NDCA chairman Paul Marjoribanks said Christie had played "a lot of cricket" but also had a "really well rounded career", including Newcastle districts's contribution to cricket award.
