Calling it "filling a need'', Bermuda Broadcasting Company's Sports Director Mike Sharpe confirmed yesterday that West Indies' historic Test series in South Africa will be covered live on local television, beginning this morning.

Arrangements were only finalised yesterday for the television station to bring live coverage of the five Tests and seven one-day internationals to local screens (Ch-2/7).

"People have been bombarding me with phone calls and everywhere I go people have been asking me about it,'' said Sharpe yesterday.

"We've managed to pull it off. My understanding from following West Indies cricket is that they have a great following. It's big here, just look at the amount of people who go down to the West Indies every year.'' Negotiations to provide coverage hinged on the tour itself going ahead, and then the company securing sponsorship.

The tour was threatened when the West Indies players, led by captain and vice captain Brian Lara and Carl Hooper, held talks with the West Indies Cricket Board over tour fees. Lara and Hooper were subsequently axed from the team.

After talks in London which involved the players' representatives, and officials of both the West Indies board and South African Cricket Board, the tour was able to start two weeks ago with Lara and Hooper reinstated.

The teams have only met once before in a Test match, with the West Indies winning the one-off Test in Barbados in 1992, soon after South Africa were readmitted to the international fold.

It is the first visit to South Africa by an official West Indies team -- rebel teams toured in the past when apartheid forced the country to be exiled from international cricket -- and is seen as vital to attracting black youths in South Africa to cricket.

Live coverage of the first Test from Johannesburg will begin at 4 a.m. each day and conclude at noon, with radio coverage beginning at 10 a.m. each day.

The second Test in Port Elizabeth from December 10-14 will start at 4.30 a.m.

and end at 12.30 p.m. Times will vary slightly from match to match.

The three month tour will involve five Tests and seven one-day internationals.

Tour schedule Tests First Test: Johannesburg (Nov 26-30) Second Test: Port Elizabeth (Dec 10-14) Third Test: Durban (Dec 26-30) Fourth Test: Cape Town (Jan 2-6) Fifth Test: Centurion (Jan 15-19) One-day Internationals First match: Johannesburg (Jan 22, day/night) Second match: East London (Jan 24) Third match: Durban (Jan 27, d/n) Fourth match: Port Elizabeth (Jan 30) Fifth match: Cape Town (Feb 2, d/n) Sixth match: Bloemfontein (Feb 5, d/n) Seventh match: Centurion (Feb 7) Test preview: See Page 28