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Central StagsBatter
Will Young
- Age
- 33y 341d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm off break
- From
- New Plymouth
- Age
- 33y 341d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm off break
- From
- New Plymouth
Will Young is a right-handed batter from New Zealand who usually operates at number four in the middle order. He first appeared in domestic cricket in 2012, aged 20, and within a couple of seasons had produced his breakout campaign, piling up 909 runs at an average of 53. From that point on he passed 500 runs in every season, with 2016-17 his leanest year since 2014, and even then he finished on 591.
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His value to Central Districts, the Stags, peaked in 2017-18. Leading the side as captain, he helped them lift the Plunket Shield, scoring 686 runs across 10 matches. That tally placed him second among his teammates and fourth in the competition, and the same season brought his highest first-class score, 162.
Sustained domestic output led to national selection. Young's Test debut came against West Indies in December 2020, and within three months he had also played his first ODI and first T20I, both against Bangladesh. Even so, he spent long stretches on the edge of the side, often getting a game only when Kane Williamson or another batter was injured. His first one-day international century came against Netherlands in March 2022, and he was named in the squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup, though he did not hold a regular place in the playing eleven.
The standout chapter of his career arrived the following year on a Test tour of India. Young was the leading run-scorer for New Zealand with 244 runs and took the Player of the Series award as the tourists swept the hosts 3-0. Against the Indian spin attack he combined a sound defence with an upbeat approach, and the sweep proved a particularly productive shot for him.
