Canada 179;

West Indies 181-3

Skipper Chris Gayle smashed an ubeaten 110 off 77 balls to steer tournament favourites West Indies to a crushing seven-wicket win over Canada in the final of the Scotiabank Series Cup at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Toronto yesterday.

The aggressive left-handed batsman (right) entertained a crowd of nearly 4,000 with a vintage display of power hitting, belting 14 fours and six monstrous sixes on the way to a 16th ODI century.

Gayle reached triple digits in the 25th over with a boundary off leg spinner Balaji Rao but reserved the harshest punishment for left- arm spinner and Canadian skipper Sunil Dhaniram who went for three sixes in his only over as his opposite number cut loose.

"I thought it was a better wicket to bat on. The ball came onto the bat a bit more and it was very pleasing to get among the runs," Gayle told The Royal Gazette after raising the showpiece.

"We came out with a plan today, and it was good to see the guys stick to it."

Chasing a modest total, the Windies cruised to victory with 135 balls to spare with opener Sewnarine Chattergoon (23) and wicketkeeper-batsman Carlton Baugh (29) both managing good starts.

Leg-spinner Rao was the pick of the Canadian bowling with figures of two for 50 off seven overs.

Earlier, fast bowler Jerome Taylor (three for 33) and left-arm spinner Nakita Miller (two for 18) shared five-wickets between them to restrict the Canadians below the double century mark.

Canada's innings was blemished by indecisive running that resulted in three run outs.

Sent in to bat by West Indies in overcast conditions, Canada made a disastrous start, losing their first wicket off the first ball when Mohammed Iqbal was run out by Chattergoon at backward square leg.

Canada captain Sunil Dhaniram and Karun Jethi were also run out by West Indies allrounder Brendan Nash, who took 1-33.

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor was the West Indies' most productive bowler with 3-33 off 6.5 overs.

Hard-hitting opener Rizwan Cheema, who smashed a whirlwind 89 against the Windies in the first encounter between the two sides last Friday, followed up that blistering knock — scoring 61, including 21 runs in an over off fast bowler Daren Powell.

Cheema's 45-ball innings included three sixes and eight boundaries, and he was named man of the series.