New Zealand international Will Young signed a short-term deal with Notts, covering three midsummer LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures in 2023, that brought some much needed solidity to a top order missing Ben Duckett.
The Kiwi arrived with experience on the global stage and three county cricket centuries to his name and that showed as he clocked up almost 100 runs per match – making 299 runs @59.80 with one century and one fifty in his six innings.
His top score of 145 came in his first game, a draw against eventual champions Surrey at The Oval in which Young’s 145 was comfortably the highest of the match.
Capped on 41 occasions by his country, Young has represented the Blackcaps across all three formats – with a high score of 120 coming from 112 deliveries in a 2022 One-Day International against the Netherlands. He was in the New Zealand squad for the 2023 50-over World Cup, starting rather less well than he did for Notts. Young was dismissed for a golden duck as New Zealand chased England’s 282 and then watched as Conway and Ravindra knocked off the required runs with ease.
Young’s previous appearances in English domestic cricket have seen him amass two tons for Durham – including 124 against eventual County Champions Warwickshire (he seems to like taking down the top teams) – before compiling a century and four fifties, and taking the reins as captain, during a stint at Northampton.
It was announced in December 2023 that Will Young had signed to return to Trent Bridge for seven County Championship matches and the entire T20 Vitality Blast campaign in 2024. "I had such an enjoyable experience with the team the first time round, so the offer to play for Nottinghamshire and in front of the members at Trent Bridge again was too good to turn down", he said.
Will Young was born on 22 November 1992 at New Plymouth, Taranaki, on New Zealand’s North Island.
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number - 669
December 2023
Will Young’s career stats (to date) can be seen here