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. ``Playing for Canada gives me opportunities I would never get back in Australia, such as opening the batting. I had no idea (it was the fastest World Cup hundred), it sent a shiver down my spine.''

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

``I was very surprised coming up against batting like that, with respect to the Canadian side, and John Davison, you'd have though we'd have reacted a bit sooner,'' West Indies captain Carl Hooper said. ``It was a good wake-up call for us.

``When I woke up this morning the last thing I thought was that a Canadian would have batted like that today.

``We were really disappointed after the first 20 overs of the innings but I felt that we came back quite well,'' Hooper added. ``May be it was a good outing for us but we have to adapt better in certain situations.''

CENTURY PARTNERSHIP
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) to finish the job.

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

Lara 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.

EMBARRASSING WATERSHED
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 being 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.