New Zealand young batsman Will Young has been in top-notch form in the County Championship before joining the Blackcaps squad in Southampton where the tourists play an intra-squad game to get acclimatised to the conditions before the series against England.
On the eve of the game, Young talked to reporters and expressed his expectations from the intra-squad game and discussing the ‘ebbs and flows’ of the game at the highest level.
Young recalled the discussion with the ‘the two legends of New Zealand cricket’—Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor and said that they discussed the different phases of the game at the Test level. Young said that the conversation was focused mostly around the identification of tough and relatively easier phase of the play to bat and not on technique-related issues.
“It’s interesting. You’re talking to two legends of New Zealand cricket right there. It wasn’t so much about technique, it was more about batsmanship and what it takes to score runs at the international level,” Young said to reporters. “Some of the messages that came out were identifying the periods that are tough to score and periods where it might be fractionally easier and sort of understanding you can go through such ebbs and flows and playing a long game.”
Discussing the need and how the Blackcaps squad is gearing up to play the intra-squad game, Young said that the opportunity to bat in the open will allow players to get back into rhythm after spending time in quarantine and travelling.
Sort of. At home, you relish the opportunity to play against these guys domestically and in camps where everyone is naturally very competitive. So, feels like a game sort of gently better when you are at the nets with these guys. It’s interesting to play this intra-squad game and get a feel of batting in the open again in the confines of nets and getting into the rhythm again. Hopefully, we will build up going into the Tests.
Young’s performance in the ongoing County Championship has made the selection of the New Zealand top order very competitive with the return of Ross Taylor.
The first Test between England and New Zealand will be played at Lord’s from June 2 followed by another Test in Birmingham and the World Test Championship final against India in Southampton.