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If the West Indies are to seriously challenge South Africa for the Cable & Wireless Trophy, they must show more consistency. That's the view of team coach Roger Harper in the aftermath of the West Indies' eight-wicket defeat in the second match of the One-Day International series at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) on Wednesday.

The loss followed two successive victories in Jamaica where the West Indies won the fifth and final Test and the first of the seven limited-overs internationals.

"We saw in Jamaica, both in the Test match and in the One-Day game the sort of standard we are capable of," Harper said after Wednesday's generally one-sided contest in which South Africa reached a target of 221 for the loss of just two wickets with 25 balls to spare.

But, as has been in the past, our problem is putting out that sort of quality performance on a consistent basis day-in, day-out. This is what we are striving for. If we want to compete and be a force to be reckoned with, we have to do it on a day-to-day basis.

On Saturday at Sabina Park, the fielding was of a decent standard and the bowling was tidy for the most part, but the team fell down in both areas at the ARG. The batsmen, too, failed to score briskly in the first 25 overs.

While some observers feel the West Indies' selection could be different, Harper was satisfied that the correct mix of players was chosen for the shorter form of the game.

Case in point: Leon Garrick, who took 61 balls over 16 runs on Wednesday, has played very little One-Day cricket for Jamaica, while pacer Nixon McLean, who was belted for 40 runs from four overs, has often lacked control in the past.

"We have young players. There is no getting away from it," the coach acknowledged.

"We have young players who have to get used to the game, who have to gain experience and learn what is required in situations and how to go about it."

Even so, he felt the West Indies could have done better than score 76 runs for the loss of a solitary wicket in their first 25 overs.

"I wouldn't complain too much about the first 15 overs, but from ten to 25, having not lost a wicket, we should have been able to step on the gas and get closer to 100 by 25 overs," he said.

Brian Lara, on his 32nd birthday, returned to the No. 3 position where most feel he should bat, but could do no better than eke out 13 singles off 38 balls.

"The situation demanded that Brian batted at No.3. The openers batted a number of overs and it was the ideal situation for Brian to step into," Harper said.

"Unfortunately, we expect so much of Brian and today (Wednesday) he did not sort of deliver the quality performance we expected of him."

There was, however, the satisfaction of Shivnarine Chanderpaul's return to form. Included only because of Ricardo Powell's strained right thigh, Chanderpaul lifted the West Indies tempo by making 60 off 54 balls before he was run out in the 44th over.

© The Barbados Nation