Windies thrashed by young CA XI

Alarm bells are ringing for the West Indies after they made an embarrassing start to their tour of Australia, losing their opening four-day match by 10 wickets to a young Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane.

A near full strength Windies line-up succumbed to a second string CA XI featuring six players on first class debut and an average age of 21 ahead of the three-Test series against world No.2 Australia.

The Windies resumed their second innings on 7-125 on the final day and were eventually bowled out for 210 thanks to captain Jason Holder's defiant 65.

He shared a 79-run eighth wicket stand with tailender Kemar Roach (36).

The tourists did well just to make the inexperienced hosts bat again after recovering from 7-97 on Friday.

Legspinner Cameron Boyce took 4-84 and quick Ryan Lees 3-68.

Only rested bowling spearhead Jerome Taylor was missing from the Windies XI in Brisbane.

Holder admitted his inexperienced team would cop stick ahead of what loomed as a lop-sided clash with Australia.

"Obviously we are going to cop a bit of criticism but we need to improve no doubt about it," he said.

"We are at a stage now where we need to make strides forward, we have been stagnant the last few months.

"We need to pick ourselves up, look ourselves in the mirror and find something in ourselves."

Holder faces the daunting task of trying to inspire a Windies side that has not won an overseas Test series against anyone except lowly-ranked Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in 20 years.

It is a huge fall from grace for a side that enjoyed a remarkable 15 year unbeaten Test streak from 1980.

The third-last Test ranked Windies had few highlights in Brisbane ahead of the series opener against Australia starting on Thursday.

They were bowled out for 243 and 210 by a rookie CA XI attack that pales in comparison to the Australian line-up waiting for them in Tasmania, albeit without left-arm quicks Mitchell Starc (injury) and Mitchell Johnson (retirement).

And their bowling arsenal hardly fired a shot - albeit without a lot of luck - as the CA XI amassed a whopping 444 in their first innings.

Holder was one of the few shining lights for the visitors.

Apart from his second innings half century, Holder thrashed 26 in their first dig and took 4-76 with the ball.

But there will be some soul searching by a Windies side outclassed by a young side inspired by someone who wasn't even supposed to be playing.

Australian under-19 allrounder James Bazley turned heads with match figures of 4-76 and a fine 50 in the hosts' whopping first innings.

Bazley was initially the CA XI 12th man but got a last minute nod as replacement for injured Victorian paceman Ryan Sidebottom.