- Lumbini Lions secured the first playoff spot in the Nepal Premier League after a four-wicket victory over Karnali Yaks.
- D'Arcy Short scored 46 runs and Dilip Nath finished unbeaten on 28 to guide Lumbini past their 106-run target.
- Despite Mark Watt’s four wickets for 12 runs, Karnali was bowled out for 105 and suffered their fourth straight defeat.
- Lumbini now leads the table with nine points, while seventh-place Karnali must win their final match to keep playoff hopes alive.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Defending champions Lumbini Lions are the first team to reach the playoffs of the third Nepal Premier League (NPL). They beat Karnali Yaks by four wickets at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Thursday.
Chasing a small target of 106, Lumbini reached 107/6 in 16.4 overs with 20 balls left. This win puts Lumbini at the top of the table with nine points from six games and locks in a top-four spot. Player of the Match D'Arcy Short led the chase with 46 runs, while Dilip Nath finished unbeaten on 28. Karnali bowler Mark Watt took four wickets for 12 runs, but it was not enough to stop his team from losing.
Lumbini will play their last group match against Biratnagar Kings. That game will decide their final spot in the top four.
Short and Nath Save Lumbini After Early Trouble
Lumbini started the chase poorly against Mark Watt’s tight bowling. Watt got opener Aasif Sheikh out LBW for 1 run. Soon after, he dismissed captain Rohit Paudel for 1 run too. When Pawan Sarraf removed Sundeep Jora for 4, Lumbini were struggling at 19/3.
To steady the team, D'Arcy Short and Niroshan Dickwella built a key fourth-wicket stand. Dickwella hit two fours in his quick 16 off 13 balls before getting out.
Short then took charge and guided the innings. He fell just four runs short of a fifty, out to Hussain Talat for 46 off 34 balls. His knock had six fours and a six, putting Lumbini back on track.
After Short got out, Dilip Nath stayed calm and finished the job. He scored an unbeaten 28 off 27 balls with four boundaries. Even though Shamim Hossain fell for 5, Nath hit the winning four off Talat in the 17th over, with Ruben Trumpelmann unbeaten on 2 at the other end. Watt ended with 4/12 in four overs, including a maiden, while Sarraf and Talat took one wicket each.
Karnali Struggles With the Bat
Earlier, Karnali Yaks won the toss and chose to bat first, but they were bowled out for 105 in 19.2 overs. Losing early wickets hurt them, and they could not build big partnerships.
Sompal Kami made the most runs for Karnali, hitting 28 off 18 balls with four fours and a six. Hussain Talat scored 24 off 22 balls, while Gulsan Jha (13) and Pawan Sarraf (12) were the only others to reach double figures. Captain David Miller scored 5, Ariful Islam and Deepak Dumre made 4 each, and Dipendra Rawat was out for a duck.
Karnali had fallen to 15/4 early on. Kami and Talat tried to fight back, but wickets kept falling. Lumbini’s bowlers shared the wickets well: Abhishek Gautam (2/21), D'Arcy Short (2/13), Rohit Paudel (2/12), and Kishore Mahato (2/6) took two wickets each. Sher Malla and Ruben Trumpelmann picked up one each.
Karnali’s Playoff Hopes in Danger
This loss puts Karnali in a tough spot for the playoffs. After winning their first two games, the Yaks have now lost four in a row. They sit seventh on the table with four points from six matches.
Only the top four teams move on to the playoffs. Karnali must beat Chitwan Rhinos in their last group match and hope other results and net run rates go their way.
