WEST Indies cricket team interim Captain Brandon King has acknowledged there are still some areas that need improvement, but he believes consistency and adapting to the playing conditions will be crucial for the team to secure their second win against South Africa in the second of three Twenty20 (T20) International games.

The game is set for 2:00 pm today at Sabina Park.

West Indies, who are co-hosts of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, got off to a winning start on Thursday with a 28-run win. It was the biggest margin of victory over South Africa when batting first.

However neither side had their first choice of players available, with some players rested or still at the Indian Premier League, but West Indies players were nevertheless pleased with their dominance at home, especially as this was the first international at Sabina Park in almost two years.

King, who led in the absence of fellow Jamaican and regular Captain Rovman Powell, set the tone with 79 runs from 45 balls. King blasted six sixes and six fours as the hosts reached 175-8 from their allotted 20 overs after they were put in to bat.

King emphasised the importance of building on their momentum and adjusting their strategy to suit the conditions, which will be key factors in their quest for a series victory.

“We played pretty well, overall,” he said. “We just have to be consistent and improve on the small details (the ‘one percenters’). I think most of the bowlers bowled really well in the situations where they were given the ball. Maybe in the batting we could have batted deeper and scored some runs in the back end [final stages of the innings]. Those are the things we are looking to improve.”

After King’s strong start the West Indies team failed to capitalise and reach a total above 200. The middle order also collapsed, with no batsman from Andre Fletcher onwards scoring in double figures.

Matthew Forde’s five runs was the highest score among the lower order batsmen. Several batsmen were dismissed playing poor shots, including Fletcher and Fabian Allen who tried to play South Africa’s Andile Phehlukwayo across the line but were bowled and leg before wicket (lbw), respectively.

Akeal Hosein and Forde were deceived by Ottniel Baartman’s variations, leading to their dismissals. The team lost six wickets for 40 runs in the final third of their innings, including a run out in the final over.

King says the team worked on its strategy and approach to the game during a recent training camp and is looking to implement and refine that approach in this series, ahead of the World Cup.

“The group of guys were coming from a training camp and were in discussions with the coach,” he said. “We have a certain way that we would like to play our cricket, especially leading up to the World Cup, and these three games [against South Africa] give us an opportunity to try and put that in place.

“I wasn’t worried. As I said, it was the conditions that affected us, and their [South Africa] innings were the same — only one guy got some runs. It was difficult to come in and just start on the wicket and be aggressive. Obviously, as an opener, you have the benefit of starting the innings with the new ball.

“T20 is a very positive game and, as I said, it’s really the conditions that dictate how you play to win games. This specific game made us a little more aggressive at the start, and then it would be difficult later on. If the conditions were opposite we would have taken some time.”

Jason Holder, who is a part of the main squad, was left out of the playing 11. King said that he is unsure about Holder’s availability for the next two games as he was sidelined with a minor injury on Thursday. He also said they are waiting to see how Holder’s condition progresses before determining his participation in the remaining games.