Cricket: Windies cruise to win over Canada

7.30am

CENTURION, South Africa - Brian Lara and Wavell Hinds destroyed Canada's bowling this morning (NZ time) with an awesome display of hitting to steer West Indies to a crushing seven-wicket win in World Cup Group B.

Canada opener John Davison had struck the fastest World Cup century in history to set up his side's total of 202, but Lara made a sparkling 73 and Hinds 64 to help their team to their target with nearly 30 overs to spare.

Man-of-the-match Davison, born in Canada but who plays his cricket in Australia, reached his hundred off just 67 balls and finished with 111, but his efforts were in vain as the minnows lost their last nine wickets for just 47 runs.

"It was a great experience, awesome" Davison said. "The batting track was great and we got the opportunity to hit a few loose balls."

It was West Indies' first victory of the tournament since they beat South Africa in the opening match and they will reach the Super Sixes with wins in their next two games against Kenya and Sri Lanka.

Lara and Hinds quickly put West Indies in control with a century partnership in just 36 minutes.

Lara belted eight fours and five sixes while Hinds cracked 10 fours and three sixes before both threw their wickets away, leaving Ramnaresh Sarwan (42 not out) and Carl Hooper (five not out) to finish the job.

Hinds registered the fastest half-century of the tournament from 24 balls, only to see Lara reach the mark in 23 deliveries when he smashed 26 runs off Barry Seebaran's only over.

Hinds fell with the total on 134 when he was stumped off Davison, a specialist off-spinner in the Australian domestic first-class competition.

Lara had briefly seemed to be on course to challenge Davison's record for the quickest World Cup hundred, but he dragged a ball from Nicholas De Groot on to his stumps with victory in sight.

Canada's loss was their third in a row but still a big improvement on their last outing when they were dismissed for a paltry 36 by Sri Lanka, the lowest total in one-day international history.

They passed that embarrassing watershed after just six overs against West Indies and more than doubled it by the 10th over as Davison and Ishwar Maraj put on 96 for the opening wicket.

Maraj departed for 16 when he edged Pedro Collins to Hooper at slip, but Desmond Chumney provided Davison with reliable support, contributing 19 in a 59-run stand.

Davison benefited from two dropped catches and an extraordinary piece of luck when the ball rolled back on to his stumps but did not dislodge the bails.

He smashed eight fours and six sixes to reach his hundred in 98 minutes before he was brilliantly caught one-handed on the boundary by Vasbert Drakes for 111.

Davison, who moved to Australia when he was just five weeks old, reached his hundred with a towering six off Mervyn Dillon to break Kapil Dev's previous fastest World Cup century off 72 balls, also equalling the fifth quickest hundred in one-day international history.

Canada still managed to pass 200 for the first time in a one-day international but the failure of their lower-order to contribute cost them dearly with the last three wickets falling in as many balls.

Drakes, who conceded 29 from his first two overs, returned to mop up the tail and finish with figures of five for 44.

Canada

I Maraj c Hooper b Collins 16

J Davison c Drakes b Hinds 111

D Chumney c Gayle b Hinds 19

I Billcliff c Jacobs b Drakes 16

N Ifill c Jacobs b Drakes 9

J Harris c Hooper b Drakes 6

N de Groot run out 11

A Bagai run out 2

A Codrington c Jacobs b Drakes 0

B Seebaran lbw b Drakes 0

D Joseph not out 0

Extras (3lb, 3w, 6nb) 12

Total (all out, 42.5 overs) 202

Fall of wickets: 1-96, 2-155, 3-156, 4-174, 5-185, 6-190,

7-197, 8-202, 9-202

Bowling: Dillon 5 overs, 0 maidens, 41 runs, 0 wickets, Collins 7-1-35-1, Drakes 9.5-1-44-5, Hooper 8-1-31-0, Gayle 9-1-29-0, Hinds 4-0-19-2

West Indies

C Gayle c Bagai b Joseph 8

W Hinds st Bagai b Davison 64

B Lara b de Groot 73

R Sarwan not out 42

C Hooper not out 5

Extras 5lb, 8w, 1nb 14

Total (for three wickets, 20.3 overs) 206

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-134, 3-177

Did not bat: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ricardo Powell, Ridley

Jacobs, Vasbert Drakes, Mervyn Dillon, Pedro Collins.

Bowling: Joseph 4 overs, 0 maidens, 47 runs, 1 wicket, Codrington 4-0-25-0, ifill 4-0-46-0, Seebaran 1-0-26-0, Davison 5-0-36-1, de Groot 2.3-0-21-1

Result: West Indies won by seven wickets

- REUTERS

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