GROS ISLET (St Lucia), March 15: Kenya captain Steve Tikolo led from the front as his side beat fellow minnows Canada by seven wickets in the opening Group C World Cup match at Beausejour Stadium here on Wednesday (also partially reported in Thursday’s edition).

With Test nations England and New Zealand lying in wait, this fixture appeared to represent both the Africans' and the North Americans best chance of a victory.

In the end Kenya, the shock semi-finalists of four years ago, won decisively. Chasing 200 to win, they finished on 203 for three with 40 balls to spare.

Experienced skipper Tikolo was 72 not out after opener Maurice Ouma had made 58. Tanmay Mishra was unbeaten on 35.

Tikolo had already had a good day in the field. After winning the toss, he was one of three Kenyan spinners who between them took five wickets for 78 runs in 29 overs as Canada's innings slowed to a crawl after a solid start.

Ouma started positively, pulling 40-year-old former West Indies fast bowler Anderson Cummins for four.

Their key partnership was a third-wicket stand of 67 between Ouma and Tikolo which took Kenya into three figures from 52 for two.

Ouma completed a 71-ball fifty with one six and six fours. But his stand with Tikolo ended when he chipped former Guyana left-arm spinner Sunil Dhaniram to Ashif Mulla at mid-on.

Tikolo, in his fourth World Cup, however was untroubled as he made a typically stylish fifty off 56 balls with one six and five fours – his 19th One-day International half-century.

Tight slow bowling from Kenya – featuring Tikolo's two for 34 off nine overs – had earlier restricted Canada to 199 all out.

Canada are in action again on Sunday when they play England with Kenya's next match on Tuesday against New Zealand.