FIVE defeats in five days tells its own story -- Bermuda's Davis Cup team were not up to Group Three level.

Their relegation marked the second time in four years that Bermuda had been demoted from American Zone Group Three the year after being promoted from Group Four.

Now the challenge for Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association is to find the way to bridge the gulf in class between the two divisions.

In Cuba, the difference between Bermuda and the rest, as captain Steve Bean was well aware, was preparation.

A high percentage of the opposition were full-time players. While Ricky Mallory was working for Belco and Donald Evans for the US Treasury Department, most of the rivals they faced in Havana were hitting balls. It is unrealistic to expect our players to get the better of full-time players on the basis of training after work.

Jenson Bascome and James Collieson play US collegiate tennis, but even that, by the players' own admission, is below the standard required for Group Three.

"College tennis just does not prepare you for this level,'' said Collieson, who is accustomed to blowing student opponents off court when he plays for the University of North Carolina.

There were bright spots for Bermuda in Cuba. Never could any of the players be faulted for lack of commitment, even in draining conditions against daunting opponents boasting world rankings.

When Collieson, already suffering from exhaustion, sprinted into the back fence in pursuit of a ball most would have given up as a lost cause, it exemplified how these men were proud to represent their country and how they dug deep within themselves for the team cause.

And the results should be viewed in perspective. Bolivia, for example, has a population of eight million, well over a hundred times greater than that of Bermuda, and doubtless a much greater pool of players from which to select.

They also have two players with ATP rankings. Yet they were relegated from Group Three along with Bermuda.

While getting four players onto the pro circuit would be asking too much of Bermuda at this time, assembling the team a few days before the tournament at an ITF training camp would be more feasible. Apart from the obvious benefits of top coaching to iron out bad habits, the camp would nurture camaraderie and team spirit ahead of the big event.

Playing the occasional national team challenge match, in Bermuda and overseas, would help by increasing the players' exposure to international level.

Association president David Lambert vowed to "work as hard as the players worked on court'' to give them and their Fed Cup and junior colleagues every chance of success in the future. And the BLTA's belief in self-help will in itself be attractive to sponsors. These plans require money and understanding employers, but if any bunch of people can make them reality, it's the dedicated band of volunteers who run the BLTA.

*** WHEN West Indian paceman Courtney Walsh claimed his 500th Test wicket earlier this week, nobody summed up the player's virtues better than one of his chief adversaries, Allan Donald.

Walsh, said the South African quickie, was someone who all aspiring young cricketers could look up to -- a man of humility blessed with enormous talent.

Few would disagree.

The affable Jamaican has seen Caribbean cricket at its best and its worst.

He's celebrated the highs yet remained dignified during the lows, of which in recent years there have been far too many.

Through thick and thin he's been a model of consistency, humble in defeat, modest in victory.

And aside from his deep passion for the game, he's been admired as a sportsman and a gentleman.

In an age where sporting etiquette and simple good manners seemingly count for little, and in a sport besmirched by bribery scandals and continuous sledging, Walsh has become a guiding light.

As holder of the world record for Test wickets, he'll likely be remembered most for his prolific strike rate.

But those who played alongside him and against him will probably look back on a man who genuinely loved the game and always played it in the spirit intended.

JONATHAN KENT and ADRIAN ROBSON