Will Young to join Durham for early Championship games | Cricket

March 24, 2021

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Will Young made his Test debut in December © Getty Images

New Zealand batsman Will Young will join Durham for the early part of the 2021 Championship season.

Young, the 28-year-old right-hander, will arrive in the UK ahead of Durham’s second game of the season, at Essex starting on April 15, and will be available for three games before Australian Cameron Bancroft returns to the county he represented for the 2019 season in May, after his Sheffield Shield commitments with Western Australia end.

Young, who made his Test debut at home against West Indies in December and scored 43 in his second Test, has scored 5,138 career first-class runs at an average of 42.81, including 10 centuries and 29 fifties with a highest score of 162. A former New Zealand Under-19s captain, having led the side at the 2012 World Cup, Young also played his first two ODIs during the on-going series with Bangladesh.

“I’m happy to say I’ve signed with them and I’ll be heading over at the conclusion of this season to join Durham up in the cold and play three first-class games for them, which will be an awesome opportunity to get over to England and be exposed to those conditions and face the new Dukes ball, ” Young said.

“It will be a fun opportunity to meet a new bunch of guys and experience county cricket, which is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “We’re delighted to have secured the signing of Will Young for the early part of the season. In the absence of Cameron Bancroft, Will will add further strength to our batting line up, along with a wealth of experience.

“He is in a great place with his cricket having just broken into the Test and One Day sides with New Zealand. We look forward to welcoming Will to Durham in a few weeks’ time.”