PORT ELIZABETH - The West Indies tour of South Africa has hit rock bottom. They are two down in the five-match series after two matches, and although it is not impossible, from the look of things, it will be difficult to climb back.
On the field, the West Indies have done reasonable well. Thanks to veterans Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, the bowling has held its own, and there have been moments of brilliance from the fielders.
The batting, however, has been disappointing, almost embarrassing, and despite the potential brilliance of a few, it does not seem as if it will get better.
One reason is that too many of the batsmen are technically deficient and will continue to be easy pickings for a South African attack of bowlers who keep the ball up either swing it through or cut it off the pitch.
The lack of technique is not, however, the main reason for the demise of the batsmen. The general attitude of the players is way below what is expected of an international team, and remembering that it takes only one mistake to destroy a batsman, it is more pronounced in the batting where irresponsible strokes have been the big problem.
``If you are beaten by a better team and you have given 100 per cent you can hold your head up high, but we have not given 100 per cent,'' said captain Brian Lara shortly after his team's defeat on Saturday.
That was an understatement. But for Ambrose and Walsh, not one of the players can look in the mirror and say he has given his all for the cause - certainly not the captain himself who has not been leading from the front.
Lara has not stamped his class as a batsman - he has not scored enough runs, and he has been dismissed too easily.
The biggest disappointment, however, was on Saturday when, with the West Indies facing a stiff challenge, with Stuart Williams ill and Shivnarine Chanderpaul opening the innings, Lara did not bat at number three but instead sent out, not even the experienced Carl Hooper, but the inexperienced Ridley Jacobs. That was the final nail in the West Indies' coffin.
At three for one, the West Indies were under pressure, and who better to lift their spirits was better to lift their spirits, who better to throw down the gauntlet than their world record holder, the man many feel is still the best batsman in the world, the man who believes he is the best batsman in the world, the man who usually bats at number three, and their captain - the man who had led them into a strike a few days before the start of the tour.
Regardless of how close it was to lunch, there was a challenge on, and in protecting himself and ducking the challenge, he not only handed South Africa the psychological advantage, but he also reneged on his responsibility as the leader of the team.
The West Indies' problem is compounded by the fact that South Africa are a better team.
Apart from the fact that they are more disciplined, they bat right down the order, they have a nicely balanced attack. Against that the West Indies law order are like old time tail-enders.
And those who do not believe that the West Indies attack is a two-man band should look back on Saturday morning's play when Ambrose and Walsh, one at 35 and other 36, bowled unchanged for 99 minutes and 18.5 overs.
They bowled for so long because Nixon McLean and Mervyn Dillon have been bowling so poor that the captain had no confidence in them - not even enough to call on them when numbers 10 and 11 were batting.