The Pink Report

100 Positives For Joey

I think we should clone Joey Yovich. At the very least, he should donate a cheek-swab of his DNA to sports science for genetic research. We need to know how a medium-fast pace bowler can play forever without missing a single game through wear and tear.

It’s a very proud occasion for Joey today as he embarks on his 100th first-class game for Northern Districts. Overall, it’s actually his 101st first-class match, because a few seasons ago he was picked for a Major Association XI game against Sri Lanka. It says a lot about Joey that the milestone of 100 matches for ND is a more significant and emotional one for him personally.

I can’t remember what I was doing in 1996, maybe you can’t either, but Joey was playing first-class cricket for ND. “Loyalty” is one of the first words team-mates past and present come up with when they talk about the big fella from Whangarei. “Tenacious” is another. Then it’s a matter of seconds before someone mentions how dedicated he is to staying fit, looking after his body and being a great role model for young cricketers, especially young pace bowlers. He’s only ever missed one game for ND through injury - and that was when he accidentally cut a finger cleaning his spikes on the morning of a match.

He's been uncommonly wise when it comes to self-management. As a youngster Joey, who was part of the very accomplished New Zealand Youth team that toured England in 1996, decided he wouldn’t try to play cricket non-stop year-round by filling in the winter with English league cricket. He thought it was important to have a balanced life and got his architecture degree instead.

He takes his fitness and preparation very seriously and a habit of “warming himself up” for the season by playing a stint of club cricket in Sydney has worked very well for him. My impression is that he’s avoided the pace bowling injury pyre by being smart, which might not have been the case otherwise given his relentless 100 per cent commitment to the teams he plays for. There have been a few other pace bowlers who have been legends for their unstinting hard yakka on the fitness training side of things - Shane Bond was one of them. But they haven’t been as successful at staying on the park, which is critical to all subsequent proceedings.

Commitment is another of those words that pops up early and regularly when discussing Joey’s career. “The term that comes to mind with Joey is ‘we before me’”, Grant Bradburn ventured. “That’s Joey to a tee. Extremely passionate about the team doing well.”

Coaching the team now, Grant played in Joey’s very first match for ND - 14 years ago this month. The two of them belong to a very special club, of which the only other member is James Marshall: cricketers to have played both 100 first-class games and 100 one-day games for the Knights. Last season Joey was the only Northern Knight to start in every game.

Grant said that he would not hesitate to call Joey the ‘best-prepared athlete that New Zealand cricket has ever seen’. Robbie Hart, who kept wicket to many a Yovich over, added, “The thing that always struck me was that he’s a big game player. A player who inevitably rises to the occasion. That’s rare in sportspeople in all sports.”

James Marshall notes that it’s a small group nationwide, not only in Northern Districts, who have brought up a century of first-class games for their Association. “It’s no mean achievement and even rarer these days as the contract system means players move around a bit more. But Joey has been ND through and through since he was a young lad playing age-group cricket. The boys are pretty keen to make it a good one for Joey’s 100th.”

Barry Cooper, long an icon of Northland cricket himself, can’t speak highly enough of Joey’s contribution to Northland, let alone ND. “Any time Joey could play city cricket in Whangarei or for Northland, he would,” Barry says. “Every possible chance. He’s a fantastic person, total 100 per cent commitment, hard on the field and a gentleman off it.”

From sharp, 18-year-old quick to 33-year-old batting allrounder who bowls first or second change, Joey’s met every challenge bowled to him over his outstanding career. Trusty ND statistician Bill Andersson reports that in first-class matches, his aggregate of 3552 runs ranks him ninth on the ND all-time list - which is doubly impressive for someone not customarily batting that high up the order. Joey takes a lot of pride in the tenacity of the ND rearguard. He’s got three centuries, 20 fifties, a high of 144 against Central Districts, 10 wickets in a match and best bowling figures of seven for 64. In one-dayers his 118 wickets currently puts him third on the ND all-time list.

Joey is only the fourth player to reach 100 first-class games for ND. Besides Grant Bradburn (115) and James Marshall (101), Andy Roberts played 104. Team-mate Michael Parlane has also played well over 100 first-class games, but for a mix of associations. Northland is looking very strong on that list.

It’s not really about genes, of course, unless there’s a gene for work ethic, enthusiasm and dedication to the cause. Congratulations on the rare milestone, Joey. To borrow one of your favourite expressions, may there be a good haul of positives at the Basin.