Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
Will Young pushed his injury-shortened 2019 programme further into the background today when he was named in the New Zealand XI to play India in a three-day match at Seddon Park, starting tomorrow.
The Central Stags batsman was called into the BLACKCAPS squad for the eventually-abandoned third Test at Christchurch last summer and soon after injured his shoulder in a training accident, the surgery from which necessitated him taking the best part of eight months out of the game.
However, Young will further develop his comeback campaign tomorrow, having already enjoyed an outing for the Stags, and two first-class games for New Zealand A against India A – during which time he scored a half-century and spent an encouraging amount of time at the crease.
Joining Young will be three other emerging batsmen: Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra and Henry Cooper, all of whom have been amongst the runs this season in various competitions.
Allen scored a century for a New Zealand XI against the touring England team at Cobham Oval, Cooper has impressed for Northern Districts in both the Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy, and Ravindra scored his maiden list A century for the Firebirds, while also featuring for New Zealand A.
Players from the Auckland Aces, Canterbury, and Otago Volts Ford Trophy squads were not considered for selection as they are involved in the Elimination Final and Final, and both matches cut across the NZ XI match. Allen was not included in the Aces Ford Trophy side for this weekend.
Given the three-dayer is considered a warm-up match for India and not an official first-class fixture, both teams will have the option of playing more than 11 players.
NZ XI: Daryl Mitchell (Northern Districts) (c); Finn Allen (Auckland Aces); Tom Bruce (Central Stags); Dane Cleaver (Central Stags); Henry Cooper (Northern Districts); Scott Kuggeleijn (Northern Districts); James Neesham (Wellington Firebirds); Rachin Ravindra (Wellington Firebirds); Tim Seifert (Northern Districts); Ish Sodhi (Northern Districts); Blair Tickner (Central Stags); Will Young (Central Stags). 13th men: Jake Gibson (Northern Districts, Friday), and Scott Johnston (Northern Districts, Saturday and Sunday).
