As if the catch had something to do with it, Drakes came back into the attack with an excellent spell of bowling. Having gone for 29 in his first two overs, he returned by taking five wickets in an eight over spell that cost him 15 runs, including four overthrows.

Ifill fell on 174 driving and edging Drakes to Ridley Jacobs for nine and Billcliff suffered the same fate on 185 for 16.

Nicholas de Groot, rated as one of the better batsmen in the Canadian team, opened his account in the tournament after three ducks in the first three games played.

Canadian captain Joseph Harris became Drakes third victim, caught by Hooper at first slip, for six and Canada collapsing at 190 for six.

Ashish Bagai was run out for two by a side-on direct hit from Ricardo Powell with Canada on 197.

In Drakes final over Austin Codrington edged his first ball to Jacobs and was followed with another first ball dismissal when Barry Seebaran shuffled in front and was adjudged leg before. The hat-trick ball was averted with a push to covers, but a complete mix-up resulted in De Groot, after a stammer and a start, being well run out for 11.

A total collapse from Canada losing eight wickets for 47 runs in 21.5 overs to be bowled out for 202 in 42.5 overs.

With the game against Sri Lanka hanging over the Canadians head a change in tactics was evident when Ishwar Maraj and John Davison opened the innings with the latter taking the West Indies attack to the cleaners.

In the fourth over Davison took on Pedro Collins dispatching the bowler for a four over point and then a big six over cover. The next over Davison destroyed Mervyn Dillon going for four consecutive boundaries, three of them from short balls on the leg side.

Ten more runs, a four and six from Dillon (4-0-32-0) saw him removed from the attack as the 50 came up in 29 minutes off 43 balls and included six fours and two sixes with Davison having scored 38.

Vasbert Drakes, replacing Dillon, suffered the same fate. The 29 runs in his two overs included two fours and two sixes to the aggressive Canadian.

Davison went to his 50, his first in a one-day international, made up of six fours and three sixes coming off 30 balls in 40 minutes. His last 46 runs had taken him 19 balls.

Three bits of luck then came Davison’s way. Dropped on 50 by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at regulation square leg off Drakes was followed by an edged into the pads and onto the stumps with the bails staying on. Drakes proceeded to walk down the pitch, lifting the bail to see if it was not glued on. A further drop on 76 by Dillon off Carl Hooper at mid-off was becoming very expensive for West Indies.

Maraj having played the dormant partner in the innings eventually edged one from Collins to Hooper at slip for 16 after having played and missed on numerous occasions. He had however played his part in a 96 run opening partnership that had come off 79 balls.

The 100 came up in 61 minutes off 83 balls and included nine fours and four sixes.

Desmond Chumney did not take too long to follow in the Davison footsteps. A four off Hooper and a six off Chris Gayle saw Canada race to 112 off the first 15 overs of the innings.

Dillon came back into the attack and no nervous nineties for Davison, going to his maiden century, the fastest 100 in World Cup history, with a six over long on. His historic milestone had come up in 67 balls including seven fours and six sixes and had only taken 86 minutes.

The entertainment continued with the 50-run partnership coming up off 48 balls, 31 minutes, two fours and three sixes.

The 150 came up off 128 balls, 91 minutes, 11 fours and seven huge sixes.

Canada lost their second wicket on 155 when Chumney did not get over a drive from Wavell Hinds to be caught by Gayle at mid off for 19 off 25 balls with one four and a six.

The brilliance of the Davison innings was ended by a brilliant catch at long on. Hinds was lofted high towards long on when Drakes, fairly wide on the boundary, made ground to his left and leaping high he took a one-handed right-hand catch that would have had the beating of most fielders.

Davison was given a standing ovation by the spectators as he left the field for 111 runs off 76 balls that included eight fours and six sixes. An innings many of the spectators will not again see in their lifetimes.

At 25 overs Canada had scored 164 for three with Ian Billcliff on five and Nicholas Ifill on three.

With not a cloud in the sky the two teams could not have chosen a more perfect day for the match. It is however going to get warmer as the day progresses with 34 degrees expected.

SuperSport Park generally has one of the quicker and bouncier pitches in South Africa and Canada will be hard pressed playing under conditions that will be new to them.

With a quick win paramount in the West Indies minds it is expected that they will field their strongest available team with Pedro Collins returning from injury expected to replace Corey Collymore.

West Indies won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Canada team: I Maraj, JM Davison, D Chumney, IS Billcliff, N Ifill, *JV Harris, NA de Groot, +A Bagai, A Codrington, D Joseph, BB Seebaran, AM Samad (12th man).

West Indies team: WW Hinds, CH Gayle, BC Lara, RR Sarwan, *CL Hooper, S Chanderpaul, RL Powell, +RD Jacobs, VC Drakes, M Dillon, PT Collins, MN Samuels (12th man).