When the Black Caps batter turns up the class, all you can basically do is sit back and watch in admiration.
That was effectively the case in Napier as Young cracked a glorious century, his second in the Super Smash, to power the Central Stags to a 52-run win over the Volts.
Young’s sublime 101 not out off just 63 balls guided the Stags to an imposing 187 for five off their allotted overs — they had been asked to bat, too — and while the Volts had a nibble at a successful chase, wickets fell too regularly, and they could not even bat out their allotment.
If Max Chu — who looked in wonderful form before falling for 34 — or the dangerous Llew Johnson had managed to bat more overs, Otago were certainly in the game.
But Young did not deserve to be on the losing side.
He and Dane Cleaver (50 off 33) picked up the pace after Bayley Wiggins had holed out from the first ball of Andrew Hazeldine’s first over.
They had added 108 for the second wicket when Cleaver hit Jake Gibson straight to Travis Muller at long on.
Hazeldine bowled a tidy spell for the Volts but he, like his team-mates, had no answer to the rampant Central opener.
Young reached his 50 off 36 balls, and promptly celebrated with a six off Dean Foxcroft’s bowling.
He smashed another dinger off Gibson, and brought up the ton with a six off Muller’s bowling with three balls left in the innings.
The only downer for the Stags was the sight of new Black Caps all-rounder Josh Clarkson suffering a potentially serious shoulder injury while diving and being run out.
It was hardly game over for the Volts but they knew they needed a batter to post a quick 70/80 — or even a century to trump Young’s efforts.
Hamish Rutherford smoked an early six but Gibson was out hooking then there was a dagger blow when Foxcroft flicked straight to the legside fielder from his second ball.
The Volts were at least going at 10 an over after four. The chase was on — well, briefly.
Rutherford’s promising start ended with a top edge. That left Chu to assume responsibility for the anchor role, and he responded with a series of easy-on-the-eye drives through the off side.
Chu matched his previous high score of 34 when he hit to leg and got too far under the ball.
There were flickers of resistance from Johnson (22 off 17) and Ollie White (30 off 22).
Then the end came, and brutally quickly.
Four wickets (including one run out) fell in the 18th over as the Stags finished with a roar.
Ajaz Patel was gifted the figures of the game, four for 24 off four overs.
CENTRAL STAGS
W Young not out 101 (63)
B Wiggins c Gibson b Hazeldine 1 (4)
D Cleaver c Muller b Gibson 50 (33)
T Bruce c Gibson b Duffy 15 (13)
J Clarkson run out 5 (4)
D Bracewell c Gibson b Muller 9 (4)
Extras (2lb, 3w, 1nb) 6
Total (for 5wkts, 20 overs) 187
Fall: 1-7, 2-115, 3-143, 4-171, 5-187.
Bowling: T Muller 4-0-38-1 (1w), A Hazeldine 4-0-30-1 (1w), J Duffy 4-0-36-1, J Gibson 4-0-40-1 (1w, 1nb), B Lockrose 3-0-25-0, D Foxcroft 1-0-16-0.
OTAGO VOLTS
H Rutherford c sub (Field) b Bracewell 18 (13)
J Gibson c sub (Field) b Small 8 (8)
D Foxcroft c Lennox b Small 0 (2)
M Chu c Wiggins b Patel 34 (20)
D Phillips b Lennox 16 (22)
L Johnson b Small 22 (17)
O White st Cleaver b Patel 30 (22)
B Lockrose st Cleaver b Patel 1 (2)
A Hazeldine run out 1 (1)
T Muller not out 0 (0)
J Duffy lbw b Patel 0 (1)
Extras (2lb, 3w) 5
Total (all out, 18 overs) 135
Fall: 1-20, 2-20, 3-47, 4-76, 5-92, 6-120, 7-131, 8-133, 9-135.
Bowling: A Patel 4-0-24-4 (1w), D Bracewell 2-0-19-1, B Small 3-0-19-3 (1w), B Tickner 3-0-26-0 (1w), T Bruce 3-0-19-0, J Lennox 3-0-26-1.
Result: Central won by 52 runs.
