Windies on verge of horror tour loss

Even Mother Nature could not stop the lowly West Indies being on the verge of an embarrassing loss to a no name Cricket Australia XI in their four-day tour match in Brisbane.

Rain appeared the Windies' best hope of avoiding blushes against the second-string CA XI after showers on Friday twice interrupted their second innings.

But it seems nothing can help the Windies save face at Allan Border Field after being reduced to 7-125 in their second dig, still trailing the hosts by 76 runs with a day's play left.

It is their sole tour match before starting a three-Test series from Thursday against world No.2 Australia in Hobart.

How far have the once mighty Windies fallen since their heyday era 20 years ago and before?

A near full-strength Windies Test team are trying to avoid an innings defeat against the CA XI with six first-class debutants and an average age of 21.

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

"It's hard to say whether it will be a psychological blow for them (ahead of first Test)," said CA XI standout allrounder James Bazley.

"I still think they can play strong cricket this series.

"But we have outplayed them, in my opinion."

In what summed up the Windies' dire plight, captain Jason Holder was left reeling on his back after he copped a nasty blow to the groin from Ryan Lees (3-37) late on Friday.

Holder (26no) finally managed to get back on his feet after treatment.

But it remains to be seen if his side can do the same on their summer tour after their disastrous start in Brisbane.

Holder appears determined to play a captain's knock after alarm bells began sounding when they were 1-0 following the fourth ball of their second dig.

Opener Kraigg Brathwaite was caught cutting off Lees by man of the moment Bazley.

And they were 2-7 after Bazley (2-39) had key batsman Darren Bravo caught behind for just five.

The Windies never recovered.

There was some fight from Carlos Brathwaite (31) who dominated a 38-run seventh-wicket stand with Holder before falling to ex-Australian Twenty20 international, legspinner Cameron Boyce (2-34).

The man who was supposed to be 12th man for the CA XI - Bazley - was again a standout for the hosts.

Apart from his two second-innings scalps, Bazley stroked 50 in CA XI's first-innings total of 444.

To boot, he took 2-37 in the Windies' first innings of 243.

By rights, Bazley shouldn't be playing.

He received a last-minute nod for injured Victorian quick Ryan Sidebottom (foot).