New Zealand opener Will Young signs for Notts

New Zealand batter Will Young has signed a multi-format deal with Nottinghamshire for the 2024 season.

Young, who has represented the Black Caps on 56 occasions, will be available for seven County Championship matches and the entirety of Notts Outlaws' Vitality Blast campaign.

His acquisition is a coup for the county, not least because of a strong impression made last summer. Having signed for a short three-game red-ball stint, he struck 299 runs at an average of 59.80, including 145 on debut against Surrey at the Kia Oval, and 87 - from 79 deliveries - in a victory over Kent. Young will allow Notts to cover for the loss of Ben Duckett, who is likely to spend a large parts of next season away with England now that he has become a feature in all three formats.

A top-order batter, Young averages 26.45 from 13 Test caps, and on Sunday struck his third ODI hundred as New Zealand triumphed over Bangladesh in the first of a three-match series. He also featured six times during the recently completed 50-over World Cup which saw New Zealand make it through to the semi-finals before losing to hosts India.

"Will adds valuable experience to our batting group, especially with the potential loss of Ben Duckett to England for large portions of the season," Peter Moores, Nottinghamshire head coach, said.

"He showed his quality as a player last season, not only with the runs he scored but also in the manner he scored them. His calm approach will add stability to our Championship team as well as being a good tactical support for Haseeb [Hameed], our captain.

"Will's availability for the majority of the first half of the season across formats is also significant. He fitted brilliantly into the squad last season and will give us continuity as we navigate our way through the business part of our season.

"Personally, I'm excited as in his brief spell with us last season, I really enjoyed working with him as a coach."

Speaking on the move, Young said: "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.

"The opportunity to play white-ball games in front of packed out crowds at Trent Bridge was a really attractive prospect for me, too. It's a superb place to bat and I'm hoping I can help the team go a step further in the Blast in 2024.

"Being around the group for longer will hopefully help me to pass some experience onto them and learn from the coaches and players at Notts. The squad is in an exciting place to build on what they achieved last season."

Young has previously played for both Durham and Northamptonshire in the County Championship.