Green Island stalwart Mark Joyce is hoping to pry the ball out of Dion Lobb's hands long enough to celebrate his 300th senior game for the club with a wicket against North East Valley at Sunnyvale today.
The 33-year-old all-rounder needs one more scalp to reach 500 wickets. If he gets there, the off-spinner will be just the third person to have taken 500 wickets for the Green Island senior side.
It would be a fitting way to celebrate the milestone game.
''I'll have to try and get the ball out of Lobby's hands first,'' Joyce said. ''The seamers have been going pretty well this season.''
Joyce has been even more productive with the bat during his 16 or so years with the club.
He has scored 6696 runs at an average of 27.1, including three 100s and 35 50s. Only Shane Robinson has scored more runs (7395) for the club.
Green Island has won the Bing Harris Shield eight times and the national knockout title four times during his stint with the club.
''When I do finally hang up the boots I guess I can feel pretty happy with my contribution to the club over the years.
''I guess my first hundred for the club is something I'll always remember.''
That was about eight or nine years ago and he posted a massive 172 not out against a University-Grange bowling attack which included former Otago fast bowler James McMillan and Volts all-rounder Sam Wells.
''I'd scored a lot of 50s before that but never kicked on.''
Joyce was on the fringe of the Otago side for a period and in November 2009 was 12th man for the Volts during a four-day game against Central Districts in Napier.
He also played club cricket in England for a couple of seasons but has no regrets he was unable to play at the next level.
''Not really,'' Joyce responded.
''I could have trained a bit harder back when I was a bit younger. But I was one of the few who was working fulltime as well.''
Joyce, an electrician by trade, is a maintenance supervisor for Electrix in Dunedin.
Joyce and his wife Vicky have two children. Son Connor is 3 and baby daughter Indie is just nine weeks old.
Asked about retirement, he simply said his ''mind changes every week, to be honest''.
He might not be the only player to move on in the near future.
Lobb has amassed more the 300 games for the senior side. He moved to the top of Green Island's wicket-taking list when he eclipsed Grant Payne's career haul of 649 wickets last month.
And veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Scott Simpson brought up 200 games for the team earlier in the season.
He has more than 4000 runs for the club and the most catches (214).
''It is potentially concerning,'' Joyce said.
''There are probably one or two who might be [retiring] after this season and I'd say in the next two or three years there could be quite a lot of changes.
''We have one or two young guys coming in and are always on the look out to try and keep some young guys coming in.''
