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The Busta Cup four-day cricket tournament enters its fourth round today, and as they look toward the home series against Australia, the West Indies selectors must be praying that the region's batsmen start to produce.

Following the West Indies performance in South Africa, there are at least three batting places up for grabs. So far in the regional competition, however, not one batsman, with the possible exception of Sherwin Campbell with a top score of 169, has done anything to win one of those places.

After three rounds of the Busta Cup, the record is pathetic. In nine matches, there have been only three totals of more than 300 Barbados 394 for five against the Leeward Islands, Jamaica 391 against the Leeward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago 354 for nine against Guyana, and only two others above 250 - Trinidad and Tobago 299 against Jamaica and Jamaica 274 in the same match.

Once upon a time, regional matches were high-scoring affairs. Today, team totals are more like individual scores. The Leeward Islands, for example, have not yet topped 250 and have been dismissed for 84, 92 and 146; the Windward Islands, also without a total of 250, have been removed for 119, 131 and 148. Guyana, also without approaching 250, have been dismissed for 126, 127 and 149, and with only Trinidad and Tobago not falling cheaply, Jamaica have been dismissed for 128 and 161 and Barbados for 133.

Looking at the overall picture in which teams have declared an innings closed on only two occasions, there is no question that Caribbean batting is weak.

The record per team reads: Trinidad and Tobago - 861 runs in four innings, including 89 extras, off 311 overs for the loss of 27 wickets at an average of 31.88 runs per wicket and 2.76 runs per over; Barbados - 1260 runs in six innings, including 104 extras, off 439.3 overs for the loss 41 wickets at an average of 30.73 runs per wicket and 2.86 runs per over; Jamaica - 1162 runs in five innings, including 118 extras, off 470.2 overs for the loss of 50 wickets at an average of 23.24 runs per wicket and 2.47 runs per over.

Guyana - 1011 runs in six innings, including 82 extras, off 408 overs for the loss 60 wickets at an average of 16.85 runs per wicket and 2.47 runs per over; the Windward Islands - 789 runs in five innings, including 91 extras, off 347.3 overs for the loss of 50 wickets at an average of 15.78 runs per wicket and 2.27 runs per over; and the Leeward Islands - 934 runs in six innings, including 48 extras, off 382 overs for the loss of 60 wickets at an average of 15.56 runs per wicket and 2.44 runs per over.

That, in every respect, is an embarrassment to West Indies cricket, especially as the pitch at Sabina Park where Jamaica have played all their three matches to date, where the Leeward Islands, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have each played one, has, but for a little help to spin bowlers, been good for batting and that, according to the reports, nothing is wrong with the others around the region.

Statistics do not lie, something is wrong with West Indian batsmanship and those who argue the critics are too harsh and have forgotten that many of the region's best batsmen are in South Africa should remember two things: the batsmen in South Africa also are not performing and apart from Courtney Walsh, Franklyn Rose and Dinanath Ramnarine who are all injured and out of action, bowlers Curtly Ambrose, Nixon McLean, Reon King, Rawl Lewis and Neil McGarrell are also in South Africa.