Vics name young XI for Windies tour game

Travis Dean, who has played five first-class games, is the most experienced member of a Victorian side that will face the West Indies in Geelong.

Two days and an opposition with a handful of first-class games between them, surely not even the West Indies can lose this weekend's tour game.

The visitors will attempt to regain their confidence against an incredibly inexperienced Victorian Invitational XI.

The visitors were walloped by an innings and 212 runs in the first Test and have travelled to Geelong as they seek to pick up the pieces after an inept performance in Hobart.

The men from the Caribbean started their tour with an embarrassing 10-wicket loss to a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane.

Their Boxing Day Test tune-up is taking place on Saturday and Sunday so at least there should be little risk of a result.

The opposition is also comfortably the least experienced they'll face on tour.

"There's some players there that have only played a handful of club first XI games," Victoria coach David Saker said.

"There's one guy that has only played one club first XI game.

"So you would think the West Indies would be a little bit too strong for them.

"But let's wait and see."

Victoria's best players all have Big Bash League commitments, meaning there were limited options for state selectors.

Ian Holland, a 25-year-old yet to make his first-class debut, will captain the hosts.

Travis Dean, who in October became the first man in history to score a century in each innings of a Sheffield Shield debut, is also playing.

Holland, Dean and Aaron Ayre, who made his first-class debut last month, will be the 'senior' players of the youthful XI.

Highly-rated offspinner Sam Grimwade will be among the talented teens keen to heap further misery on the visitors.

"Grimwade has had an impressive 24 months and is probably the best underage spinner in the country," Victoria chairman of selectors Andrew Lynch said.

"We've been keen for him to play a lot more games and now that he has finished his VCE, he can."

Victorian Invitational XI: Ian Holland (capt), Aaron Ayre, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Tom Donnell, Matt Doric, Sam Grimwade, Jake Hancock, Jeremy Hart, Dylan Kight, Jackson Koop, Blake Thomson.