After almost single-handedly destroying USA earlier this spring, Canadian skipper John Davison is hoping for more success in this week?s Americas Championship on local clay.

Davison grabbed the headlines at last year?s World Cup finals in South Africa when he scored the fastest-ever century in cricket?s ultimate showpiece.

The Canadian hammered his ton off just 66 balls against the West Indies, fittingly at Centurion Park.

Then the 34 year-old right-arm off-spinner proved in May of this year he can also hold his own with the ball, returning match-winning figures of 17 for 137 to propel Canada to a 104 run victory over the USA on his debut as skipper for his country in the Intercontinental Cup tournament.

It was the best bowling performance in a first class match since Jim Laker took 19 for 90 playing for England against Australia at Manchester in 1956. Davison capped off a superb allround performance by scoring 84 runs during Canada?s first innings, the highest knock of the match.

The Intercontinental Cup is a new tournament introduced by the ICC to give international cricket?s second-string sides first class experience.

Bermuda will face USA next week in their opening Intercontinental match before heading off to Toronto to take on Davison and his Canada team-mates from August 13?15.

Canada, meanwhile, are pitted against Bahamas in their opening Americas fixture at Wellington Oval today and are expected to field a team containing seven players from last year?s World Cup.

?We are in a rebuilding phase since the World Cup finals in South Africa and our match against the US was the first we have won as a team since then,? said Davison, who arrived in Bermuda over the weekend.

?It was good for our confidence because the US have already qualified for the Champion?s Trophy in England and are regarded very highly. So it?s given us a bit of confidence going into this very important tournament (Americas Championship) as we attempt to qualify for the next World Cup.?

Since last year?s World Cup appearance, the Canadian selectors have been busy finding the right chemistry after several senior players retired from international duty, explained Davison, who previously played Down Under for South Australia in the mid 1990s.

?We lost quite a few senior players but this tournament will give us a good chance to find the right balance,? he added. ?We could have used this opportunity to use a few more younger players but the selectors have gone with some older heads and there are a few younger players in the team.?

After first settling in at the team?s base at Grotto Bay Hotel, the Canadian skipper took a look at some of the Island?s club venues.

?I stopped and had a look at a few of the grounds and had a chat with a few people there. And it looks as though we are going to have a good tournament,? said Davison, who now plays out of the Toronto Cricket Club.

?I think the top three teams are going to be USA, Canada and Bermuda but I also hear the Cayman Islands have improved a lot and so we will also have to be wary of them. But we aren?t going to take any team for granted.?

Recalling his exploits in the US earlier this spring, Davison said: ?To take so many wickets in any game of cricket is always terrific and it was a perfect wicket for spin bowling. I think, too, that we handled the pressure of three-day cricket perhaps a bit better than the US.?