LPL 2026: Wanuja Spins Kandy Out After McDermott’s Blitz

 

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Vaibhav Tripathi, Colombo

With everything on the line at a high-scoring, Wanuja Sahan rose to the occasion with a match-winning spell of 2 for 8 in his four over spell that further strengthened his reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most exciting young spinners.
Earlier, Ben McDermott’s explosive 71 off just 39 deliveries rescued Colombo Kaps from a precarious 58/3 and powered them to a formidable 203 in the Eliminator of LPL 2026. That total ultimately proved more than enough as Colombo sealed a commanding 68-run victory. While McDermott laid the foundation, it was Wanuja who finished the job, weaving a web of spin around the Kandy Royals batting line-up to send Colombo into Qualifier 2 and earn the Player of the Match award.

Colombo did not make the best of starts, losing both openers, Rubin Hermann and Sadeera Samarawickrama, in quick succession within the first six overs. Captain Kamindu Mendis tried to put the pressure back on the opposition with a flurry of boundaries but was dismissed soon after the Powerplay. Janith Liyanage then came to the rescue, helping to stabilise the innings alongside McDermott.

McDermott dealt mainly in sixes, smashing seven during his whirlwind innings. Whenever a boundary was needed, the Australian batter was up to the task. He cleared the ropes almost at will, particularly during the middle overs. An unbeaten 42 off 23 balls from James Neesham ensured Colombo went past the 200-run mark.

For Kandy, as had been the theme throughout their campaign, Lahiru Udara fought a lone battle. As long as he remained at the crease, Kandy stayed in the contest. The question was who would provide the support. Unfortunately for Kandy, no one stepped up. Continuing his dream run of form, Udara scored 50, while Pawan Sandesh was the second-highest scorer with 21. Earlier in the day, more than 450 runs had been scored in the afternoon game at the same venue. In contrast, Kandy could not even reach 150, bringing an end to their campaign.

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