Acting skipper Dwayne Bravo was left with plenty of food for thought

With skipper Chris Gayle absent because of a hamstring injury, they lost to South Africa A in East London.

Trailing by 178 on first innings, they were all out for 214 and the home side knocked off the runs in nine overs.

Half centuries from acting skipper Dwayne Bravo (67) and Darren Sammy (57) provided the only consolation.

The top order again looked vulnerable, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, their most experienced batsman, following a second-ball duck on the opening day of the game with nine off 53 balls before he was caught behind off Monde Zondeki (3-61).

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They badly need Gayle back in the side for the first Test which starts in Port Elizabeth on Boxing Day, but he is rated doubtful.

West Indies were 53-5 at one stage, but Denesh Ramdin (35) helped Bravo add 65 before he was bowled by Vernon Philander (2-36).

Bravo batted responsibly for almost three and a half hours, hitting six fours, but was eventually caught off spinner Johan Botha, who ran through the tail for figures of 4-20.

Sammy was another of Botha's victims, trapped leg before, but his innings, which followed one of 40 earlier in the match, boosted his chances of a second Test cap, having made his debut in England in June.

South Africa A had done the hard work in the first innings.

Zondeki, 25, who played the last of five Tests in the West Indies in 2005, took 5-39 as the tourists were bowled out for 193.

Then Justin Ontong - the man at the centre of a race-quota controversy in 2002 when the selectors were told to pick him to face Australia - scored an unbeaten 114 from 145 balls.

Left to score just 37 for victory, they eased to 39-0 to wrap up the game with a day to spare, Morne van Wyk finishing 23 not out and Alviro Petersen unbeaten on 15.