His brilliant career: Joey celebrates 100 one-dayers

Northland cricketing legend Joey Yovich is thrilled to notch up a personal landmark - his 100th provincial one-day game - in front of  a supportive home crowd at Cobham Oval tomorrow.
He becomes just the sixth Northern Districts player and the second Northlander to surpass the 100-game mark. His achievement is all the more special because he is just the second bowler - and the first pace bowler - on that list.
It's hardly a secret that Yovich's approach to fitness has helped him to reach 100 games intact and could still see him threaten Robbie Hart's record of 122 matches for ND.
ND coach Grant Bradburn, Yovich's former ND teammate and another of the 100-plus club, believes Yovich's work ethic and his fitness regime have earned him the respect of first-class cricketers everywhere. "He's well known as being the fittest cricketer in the country and has been for a long time, it should be known that he's never missed a game of cricket through injury and for a fast bowler, where back injuries and muscle strains are commonplace,
Joey has only missed one game."
The game he missed, Bradburn added, was when Yovich sliced his finger open changing  spikes on his boots. "I guess that shows that I've been around a while when your former teammates are now running the show," Yovich quipped.
The 33-year-old believes his attitude to cricket - and life itself - had its roots in his family's ethic of hard work. "Being a bowler takes a greater toll on your body and from a very early age I worked out that you needed to stay pretty fit and the background in my family meant I knew how to work hard ... and that ethic remained with me in my cricket and my attitude to fitness."
His role has changed vastly from that of an 18-year-old quick bowler who used to swap 12th man duties with Daniel Vettori in the 1995/6 season. He now is  a batting allrounder who bowls at first or second change when required. "I started as an out-and-out fast bowler who batted a bit and now it's turned around and I'm a batting allrounder who's asked to get runs and chip in with the ball when I can."
He believes the challenge of changing and adapting his game has also helped him stay fresh in the game and extend his career. "Having a nice balance in life has always helped, from early on I chose not to go over to England in the off season to play and  got my architecture degree and developed ties with the business and commercial world in Whangarei and that is refreshing ... so when winter finishes I can't wait to be a part of a cricket team again."
Yovich believes he is fortunate to have played for ND  and reflects  his career may have been different elsewhere. "A lot of guys have completed long careers without ever winning a title so I've been fortunate to win seven titles with ND, both in the longer and the shorter version of the game ... so winning titles is a great thrill and sharing them with the people you meet along the way overrides my personal achievements I think." 
The genial allrounder has no plans to call it quits.  "At the moment I feel as good as I ever have, I'm probably not as quick as I used to be but physically I feel great and I suppose you get smarter  when you stay with it as long as I have."