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With field again today in the Fifth One-day International against South Africa under the lights here at Newlands, bidding to enhance their tarnished reputation with a rare victory.

Lara chipped a bone in his right arm when he was hit by a ball from Jacques Kallis on the lively pitch in Durban in the third match last Wednesday and the injury has not healed enough for him to play today.

It makes the West Indian task that much harder. Although Lara has not been getting among the runs in the ODIs so far, he remains the teams best batsmen. It is difficult to see the Caribbean side, beaten 0-5 in the Tests and down 1-3 in the One-day Internationals, having the depth in the batting needed to pull one back today.

Lara, whose team meets Australia in a crucial four-Test seven-one-day International series in the Caribbean starting next month, decided not to play today. He now seems unlikely to risk it in either of the last two matches, in Bloemfontein on Friday and in Centurion on Sunday.

The West Indians are once again forced 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 hit a masterful 150 and current acting skipper Carl Hooper chipped in with 108 to see them to a match-winning total of 292 for nine off their 50-overs.

The partnership between the two very dissimilar Guyanese teammates was worth a record 226.

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 on Wednesday. ``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.

They will have to today or fall further behind and increase the embarrassment caused to the entire region by their almost unrelentingly abject display.

Daren Ganga and Floyd Reifer, who have so far had no chance in the One-day Internationals, are likely to get their chance today.

Philo Wallace, who was chosen to fill Lara's place on Sunday, showed once more that his confidence has been completely shattered by his poor run of form.

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, one of just three men outside the circle. He will get the break from the torture he deserves.

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. It was not his only error of judgment. He may however get another chance today since 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.

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 penciled in for the World Cup.

What is not certain is that the West Indians can find it within themselves to give the home side a run for their money.