Lumbini All Stars and Kathmandu Knights made winning start in the Nepal T20 League, the country’s first ever official franchise cricket tournament, at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday.

Lumbini see off Far West United by 67 runs after Dipendra Singh Airee starred with both the ball and bat, while a half-century from Azmatullah Omarzai helped Kathmandu edge Pokhara Avengers by 26 runs in their respective opening matches.

Lumbini captain Airee scored 35 runs off 38 balls in an 84-run stand with opener Lahiru Milantha to lift the innings after both Unmukt Chand and Kushal Bhurtel fell cheaply.

Sri Lankan Milantha provided the highest score for Lumbini smashing eight fours and one six in his 50-ball 60.

Milantha’s opening partner Chand, who had captained India to U-19 World Cup victory in 2012, departed making just two runs off 7 balls, after Far West allrounder Karan KC (3-33) had the Indian caught behind the stumps.

United Arab Emirates’s Umair Ali, who took 3-30, caused more damage next.

He first got Kushal Bhurtel for 7 in his only third delivery in the fifth over, and then came back towards the end to haunt the Lumbini batting line up, taking the prized scalps of Airee and Milantha in the 17th over and ensure their progress come to a halt.

Gulshan Jha then added 25 and Bipul Shrama contributed 12 to motor Lumbini to 152-7 in 20 overs.

In reply, Fast West batting crumbled as Lumbini folded them for 85 in 16.2 overs, with Airee returning 6-3.

Afghanistan batsman and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi scored the highest run making 35 off 44 balls but Lumbini bowlers took wickets at regular intervals.

Kishore Mahato (1-13) and England’s Pat Brown (1-21) crippled the Far West top order removing openers Dev Khanal (9) and Harishankar Shah (0) early.

Bhim Sharki left the crease next, as Far West were in deep trouble at 20-3 after the third over.

Shahidi offered some comfort but Sagar Dhakal (2-17) and Airee hit back hard to keep Far West at bay, with Binod Bhandari (13) becoming the only other batsman to manage double digit figures. Bhandari was bowled out by Dhakal in the 10th over.

Bhim Sharki (3), Basant Karki (2), Rashid Khan (1), Ali (4), KC (1) and Sher Malla all returned back to the pavilion cheaply as Far West surrendered.

Earlier, Kathmandu had a horrible start to their innings but Afghanistan allrounder Omarzai carried the burden on his shoulder hitting an unbeaten 85 to guide them to 162-5.

Pokhara’s Pratis GC and Afghani spinner Zahir Khan rattled the Kathmandu batting line up from early on. GC started the demolition, bowling Santosh Karki for a sorry three and Kathmandu captain Gyanendra Malla for a nought in the space of three balls in the second over.

Khan then announced his arrival with a double blow—bowling England batsman Alex Blake (21) in his only second delivery in the eighth over and removing Lokesh Bam two balls later to leave Kathmandu scratching their head at 48-5 inside the nine overs.

But Omarzai rescued Kathmandu, hitting three boundaries and seven sixes in his aggressive 42-ball knock. Omarzai reached his fifty off 27 deliveries with a six off Aarif Sheikh.

Omarzai also put on a 114-run partnership with Sunam Gautam (27) for the sixth wicket to guide Kathmandu to a moderate total.

Mousom Dhakal also picked a wicket for Pokhara.

In the run chase, Pokhara’s Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga scored 44 runs off 34 balls but Abinash Bohara (3-29) and Basir Ahamad (2-17) made their life difficult at the other end.

Bohara removed Aasif Sheikh for five and Anil Kharel (1-33) had Pakistani batsman Ameer Hamza (18) caught by Sunam Gautam, but Pokhara were still cruising with 70-2 on board.

But after Ahamad removed dangerman Tharanga in the 11th over, Pokhara never recovered and were skittled for 136-7.