Will Young is a New Zealand cricketer who plays as a batsman for the national team and for Central Districts. He captained New Zealand’s Under-19 team at the 2012 ICC Under-19 World Cup.
He made his international debut in December 2020 and has played in all formats since then. Young went to New Plymouth Boys’ High School and scored nearly 900 runs, including three centuries. He made his first-class debut for Central Districts in the 2011/12 season and became team captain in December 2015 at 23.
He later stepped down from the captaincy to focus on his batting and international career. Young signed a short-term contract with Nottinghamshire in July 2023 and scored a century on his debut against Surrey. He returned to Nottinghamshire for the first half of the 2024 season.
Will Young Records and Achievements
Will Young was awarded a New Zealand Cricket contract for the 2019–20 season even before making his international debut. In May 2019, he scored consecutive centuries for a New Zealand XI against Australia in unofficial ODIs, averaging over 100.
He made his Test debut for New Zealand on 3 December 2020 against the West Indies, followed by his ODI debut on 20 March 2021 and T20I debut on 28 March 2021, both against Bangladesh. In March 2022, Young scored his first ODI century, remaining unbeaten on 103 against the Netherlands.
He was named player of the series in New Zealand’s historic 3-0 Test series win in India in October–November 2024, scoring 244 runs in six innings with a highest score of 71. Young was also honored as the overall winner of the Taranaki Sports Awards in November 2025.
Will Young Career Stats
In Test cricket, he has played 23 matches and scored 1,215 runs. He has not scored a century but has 11 half-centuries. He has hit 153 fours and 5 sixes.
In One Day Internationals, he has played 54 matches and scored 1,793 runs. He has scored 4 centuries and 11 fifties. His boundary count includes 197 fours and 27 sixes.
In T20 Internationals, he has featured in 20 matches and scored 344 runs. He has no centuries and 2 half-centuries, with 35 fours and 10 sixes.
In First-Class cricket, he has played 139 matches and scored 8,609 runs. He has registered 16 centuries and 51 fifties, along with 1,068 fours and 61 sixes.
In List A cricket, he has played 134 matches and scored 4,728 runs. He has 12 centuries and 27 half-centuries, hitting 456 fours and 85 sixes.
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 23 | 1215 | 0 | 11 | 153 | 5 |
| ODIs | 54 | 1793 | 4 | 11 | 197 | 27 |
| T20Is | 20 | 344 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 10 |
| FC | 139 | 8609 | 16 | 51 | 1068 | 61 |
| List A | 134 | 4728 | 12 | 27 | 456 | 85 |
Will Young’s Personal Life
Will Young has spent much of his international career as a reserve batter, often running drinks and waiting for opportunities. When Kane Williamson was injured during the India tour, Young became New Zealand’s top scorer with 244 runs, earning Player of the Series.
Young values teamwork, enjoys time celebrating wins with teammates, and stays grounded despite success. He has spoken about drawing inspiration from New Zealand’s team culture and hopes their success inspires young cricketers back home.
Will Young Contract
Will Young has been retained in the BLACKCAPS central contracts for the 2025/26 season. New Zealand Cricket announced 20 contracts for the year, and he’s the only Central Stags player to keep his spot. He kept his contract even though other players, like Ajaz Patel, lost theirs because they have fewer chances to play Tests in the upcoming schedule. The contract is decided based on how a player has performed in all formats. It gives more importance to Test matches and also considers the 2025/26 schedule and chances of playing for New Zealand.
FAQs
Q. When did Will Young begin to play cricket?
A. At the age of 20, he began playing cricket in 2012.
Q. When did Will Young make his Test debut?
A. Will Young made his Test debut for New Zealand on 3 December 2020 against the West Indies.
Q. When did Will Young make his Test debut?
A. Will Young made his ODI debut on 20 March 2021 against Bangladesh.
Q. When did Will Young make his Test debut?
A. He made his T20I debut on 28 March 2021 against Bangladesh.
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