West Indies skipper Chris Gayle yesterday hailed team-mate Xavier Marshall who hit the most sixes in an ODI on the way to a swashbuckling 157 against Canada at King City, Toronto last week.

The 22-year old Marshall smashed a record 12 sixes to better the old mark shared between Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi of Pakistan on the way to an unbeaten 157 that lifted the Windies to a 49-run win over hosts Canada at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club last Friday.

"That was one of the best innings Xavier has ever played. He has been struggling for awhile with the bat.

"The game before (against Bermuda) he got nought but came back and got a really big score today (yesterday)," Gayle told The Royal Gazette.

"It was a tremendous innings; it's good to see him among the runs and I must compliment him. It was a good knock for young Marshall who is definitely one for the future."

Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine described Marshall's record-breaking exploits with the bat as "one of the best innings" he's ever witnessed.

"It was an explosive innings and the guy (Marshall) is a great batsman.

"It was definitely one of the best innings I have seen; it was well timed," he recalled.

"He picked the bad balls and put them away and respected the good ones and I'm sure we are going to hear much more about Marshall in years to come.

"He played some excellent cricket shots.

"He played shots from off his pads from outside the off-stump; everything was going to the boundary for six. It was great to watch."

Fittingly, Marshall remained unbeaten at the crease with centurion Gayle (110 not out) yesterday when the Windies clinched the Scotiabanks Series Cup by seven-wickets over Canada before another bumper crowd.

"It wasn't the best bowling, but I'm happy to break the record," a modest Marshall told The Royal Gazette.

"Originally, I didn't know I hit a world record. It is nice to know I got my name in the record books, but even better, I found form and the team won the match.

"I feel really good to get my first international century, then to break a world record and also to help the team win the match.

"It was great to go out there and back myself and perform for the team.

"I'm getting to the level where I would like to be, but I still have to keep putting in the hard work. I want to reach that level where I'm consistently getting good scores and contributing to the team."

Marshall was dismissed for a duck against Bermuda at King City last Wednesday but came roaring back with a whirlwind knock against the Canadians.

"I didn't get a score in the first match (against Bermuda) so I was determined to get a big score in the second match," he grinned. "At the start of my knock the ball was not really coming on as the pitch here is a bit slow.

"The medium-pacers were bowling quite well so I knew I had to be patient and smart about what I was doing.

"After I got in I began to feel better and better and the outfield was quick. I knew all I had to do was push the ball around and hit away the bad balls."