Holder: No excuse for shocking performance

Australia

The West Indies were hugely embarrassed by a Cricket Australia XI in their warm up match in Brisbane, losing by 10 wickets to a side that had six first class debutants, and skiper Jason Holder made no excuses.

The CA XI was a very young side, an average age of just 21, but they demolished the eighth-ranked Test side in their only tour game before the first Test at the Bellerive Oval on 10 December.

The Aussie youngsters needed just 10 runs to win in their second innings, having scored 444 in their first. The Windies failed to score more than 243 in either dig.

Holder said of the poor effort: "The guys just have to take ownership sometimes. Once we own up to our mistakes we have to be positive and look at ways to improve.

"We are not looking for excuses, just ways to improve – that way we will move forward faster than we are at the moment.

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

Even the Aussies were shocked at the ease of the win, with spinner Cameron Boyce, who took four wickets on the last day, saying: "A little bit (surprised).

"But I think they got the worst of the conditions and it just shows the depth of Australian cricket."

Only Jerome Taylor was missing from the regular starting Test XI, and the Windies will hope their players can find their feet quickly before the match in Hobart.

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