Canterbury wicketkeeper Reece Young has not given up on playing for the Black Caps and sent a reminder to the national selectors with a superb undefeated century yesterday.
The 32-year-old right-hander held his side's innings together against Otago in trying conditions at the University Oval.
His innings of 103 from 163 deliveries accounted for more than half Canterbury's first innings total of 199 and he was the only Canterbury batsman to look comfortable on a pitch which offered the seamers plenty of assistance.
Young, who started the summer as the country's No 1 keeper at test level, has slipped down the rankings.
He was dropped after the series in Australia with part-time Northern Districts keeper BJ Watling replacing him for the one-off test against Zimbabwe. Central Districts keeper Kruger van Wyk got the call up when Watling was ruled out with a hip complaint for the series against South Africa.
Young declined an interview but his coach Bob Carter said Young still had aspirations to play for his country.
"John [Wright, the Black Caps coach] has asked him to score runs and that is what he has come out and done," Carter said.
"He has scored 100 against Wellington two games ago and he's got a 100 here in this game on a very difficult wicket and he has been keeping well.
"That is all he can do. He has great aspiration to play for the Black Caps and is working very hard on his game.""Reece Young was our highest run-scorer last year in first-class cricket and he was instrumental in helping us win the Plunket Shield.
"That earned him his test pace and he is trying to fight for it back."
Yesterday's century was his eighth first-class hundred. He needed a little help reaching the milestone.
No 11 batsman Willie Lonsdale batted for almost 40 minutes to help get his team-mate through to a century, and Nathan McCullum dropped a sharp chance in the gully when Young was on 92.
Young shook off the near miss and confidently shimmied down the pitch to Ian Butler and pulled a delivery through midwicket to raise his hundred.
Lonsdale's long vigil came to an end in the next over.
Young did a marvellous job for his side, having strode to the crease with Canterbury 85 for five.
