JOHANNESBURG, Nov 10 (Reuters/ Internet): The West Indian cricket team's woes continued on Tuesday

when they finally arrived In Johannesburg for their first full lour of South Africa.

Missing from the arrival party were the bowling pair of Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, who missed the flight from London on Monday night, while batsman Jimmy Adams cut the small finger on his right hand with his bread knife during the overnight flight.

"Luckily a young lady, who has just qualified as a doctor was there to put three stitches into his finger and I was called back into medical practice when I assisted," United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) managing director and qualified general practitioner All Bacher said after arriving with the team.

Bacher confirmed that Ambrose and Walsh would only reach South Africa on Wednesday after arriving at London's Heathrow airport too late to catch the delayed flight.

"The agreement between the players and the West Indies cricket board (WICB) was signed

at around 10 to 8 at night." Bacher told reporters.

We were able to get the plane to delay its departure for 25 minutes but Walsh and Ambrose only arrived at ten past nine." 10 minutes before the plane left, he added.

None of the West Indian team. Including re-appointed captain Brian Lara, would speak to waiting media in Johannesburg and were quickly ushered into waiting buses. A

news conference is scheduled for Tuesday.

The board and the players knew how Important this tour was for South Africa." Bacher admitted.

Bacher denied that the UCBSA had been held to ransom by the players. "It had nothing to do with the United Cricket Board. It was a dispute between the players and the West Indies board.

The contractual dispute between the West Indies Players Association (WRPA) and the WICB began last week and initially resulted in the axing of Lara and vice captain Carl Hooper from the touring party.

Matters reached a head last Thursday when the seven members of the team that arrived in South Africa the previous day left for London with Bacher and team manager. Clive Lloyd, as the threat of the historic tour being cancelled loomed.

Bacher said he was hopeful that the tour would now go ahead as scheduled with the first match against a provincial XI in the black township of Soweto planned for Wednesday

"I spoke to Brian Lara last night and he was very positive and the players arc delighted to be here." Bacher said. Right from the start the players have been keen to play here."

WICB president Pat Rousseau is also hopeful about the tour. "I hope now we go ahead and win the series. The Test match series is the most important part of the tour." he said.