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His right forearm in a plastic cast, West Indies captain Brian Lara yesterday conceded he was unlikely to be ready for tomorrow's fifth, and vital, One-day international against South Africa under the lights here at Newlands.

``I tried it out before the last match but it jarred when I hit the ball and was pretty painful,'' he said of the chipped bone sustained when he was hit by a ball from Jacques Kallis on the lively pitch in Durban in the third match last Wednesday.

Lara said only time would tell whether the injury would heal sufficiently to allow him to play in either of the last two matches, in Blomfontein on Friday and in Centurion on Sunday.

But it is unlikely he would risk a further damaging blow that could further delay his return.

His continuing absence appreciably diminishes the chances of a team short of support batting recovering from their 3-1 deficit in the seven-match series.

As they did in the Test series, the West Indies have had to rely almost entirely on their most established batsmen.

Their only victory over South Africa on this tour, in either form of the game, was in the second One-day International in East London when Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with his masterful 150, and Carl Hooper, with 108, added a record 226 of a 50-overs total of 292 for nine.

Hooper's unbeaten 66 in the first match and 57 in the fourth and Chanderpaul's 52 in the third have been the only other scores over 50 in the four matches.

``The other guys have got to start pulling their weight,'' acting captain Hooper commented after the 99-runs defeat in the fourth match. ``And we've got to get scores of better than 40s and 50s.''

It's a problem that has afflicted the West Indies for some time now and none of the newer batsmen here have made the most of their opportunity.

Daren Ganga and Floyd Reifer, have so far had no chance in the One-day Internationals but should do now.

The choice to fill Lara's place went to Philo Wallace in the hope that he would somehow refind the form that made him so a potent force in the previous limited-overs series in Bangladesh. He was ``a potential match-winner,'' Hooper said in explanation of his recall.

The fact is that the powerful opener has lost all confidence, if not his eternally chirpy disposition.

He was out for his eighth consecutive single figure score against South Africa when he first well-struck stroke landed in the lap of the fielder at the precisely placed deep backward square-leg. He needs a break from the torture.

Keith Semple, a surprise choice to make his senior West Indies debut in this series, has batted three times.

He looked at ease in his 22 off 39 balls in difficult conditions in Durban but his inexperience was evident as he needlessly skied a catch into the deep - his first aerial stroke - with nearly 10 overs remaining.

He was guilty of another error of judgement when he was bowled round his legs attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, bowling from over the wicket.

With his electric fielding, his punchy batting and his steady slow bowling, Keith Arthurton has added an all-round zest to the team that was missing through the Tests.

But he has allowed himself to be twice run out by direct throws by the deadly accurate South Africans, two puerile lapses for such an experienced cricketer.

Given that these matches, and the seven to follow against Australia following the Test series in the Caribbean, are a build-up to the World Cup in England in the summer, the selections should be a guide to the selectors.

Neil McGarrell was given his chance as the main spinner, replacing Rawl Lewis who had filled the role in 13 of the previous 14 One-day Internationals, but he has patently lacked the necessary control.

He has been taken for over seven and a half runs an over and Lewis, with his proven tactic of delivering his leg-breaks from round the wicket, is not only certain to return here but also to have been once more pencilled in for the World Cup.