IT HAS been a whirlwind two years for former Queanbeyan Bluebag Aaron Ayre. He moved to Melbourne, debuted in the Big Bash and after a broken collarbone sidelined first-string keeper Matthew Wade last month, Ayre finally made his first-class debut for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield. And this weekend, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper will be facing up against a battered West Indies test side, as a member of the Victorian Invitational XI.
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Since arriving in Australia, the West Indies have lost against the Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane and followed this up with a woeful performance against the nation's senior test side in Hobart. But Ayre said that they were not to be underestimated and said he was looking forward to facing up against the famed West Indies.
"It's a pretty exciting time," Ayre said.
"Obviously they [West Indies] have had a pretty hard time of it this tour so no doubt it will be a good challenge and I'm looking forward to it."
"Any time you go out on a cricket field, you're always trying to do your best but I think that they will definitely try to lift up a gear given their results in the last couple of games."
Of his first-class debut in the Sheffield Shield match for the Victorian Bushrangers on November 14, Ayre said the experience had been the proudest moment of his cricketing career so far and he continues to hold high hopes for another call-up in the future.
"It was a bit of a late call-up and a whirlwind couple of days but I really enjoyed the experience and no doubt I'm a better cricketer for it," Ayre said.
"I think it's one of those things that is a pretty big step when you're talking about making a career out of cricket, so I felt like a little bit of the hard work had paid off.
"It was good to get a taste of it but it only made me hungrier to get back up there and play a lot more games.
Victorian Invitational XI play West Indies at Simonds Stadium, Geelong on Saturday, December 19 from 10.30am.
