Lumbini All Stars defeated Biratnagar Super Kings by 12 runs in a low-scoring battle to confirm their spot in the playoffs in the Nepal T20 League on Sunday.

Lumbini batting tumbled at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground after electing to bat first, but captain Dipendra Singh Airee scored an unbeaten half-century to help the leaders reach a modest total of 122/9.

Openers Sri Lankan Lahiru Milantha (1) and Indian Harmeet Singh (2) fell to pacer Nandan Yadav (2-31) cheaply and Keon Joseph removed Kushal Bhurtel for 13 to reduce Lumbini to 27/3.

But Airee kept his cool and smashed six boundaries in his 42-ball knock against a meltdown that saw Irish batter Harry Tector and Anil Sah score 13 runs each to provide the second-highest scores for Lumbini.

West Indies spinner Raj Nanan had Tector caught behind the wicket and Bibek Yadav, who returned 2-20, had Sah caught by Pakistani Hussain Talat.

Yogendra Singh Karki and South African Shadley van Schalkwyk also succumbed to the Biratnagar slaughter, with Surya Yadav returning figures of 2 for 8 to keep Lumbini at a disadvantage.

Arjun Saud returned to the starting XI and shared a 41-run stand with the United States batter Gauranshu Sharma in the six-over power play to give Biratnagar a solid start to their run-chase.

But Lumbini punched back when Milantha stumped Sharma (12) before Tilak Bhandari (2 for 14) caused further damage, removing Rohit Paudel for three and Talat for two.

Talat continued the onslaught, dismissing Prithu Baskota next, for 11 and taking the most prized scalp of the dangerman Saud—who scored his tournament best score of 41—to limit Biratnagar to 79/5 in 16 overs.

The 123-run target was still within reach, but Biratnagar never recovered as Kishore Mahato and Schalkwyk polished off the tail to restrict their opponents to 110 and rescued Lumbini from an almost-certain defeat.

Lumbini became the first team to secure a spot in the playoffs after the close victory gave them 12 points from six matches. Their only loss came on Saturday when they suffered a surprise nine-wicket defeat by a revitalised Pokhara Avengers side.

The top two teams at the end of the double round-robin will meet in the Playoff 1 on January 8, with the winners qualifying for the final.

The third and the fourth place teams would vie against each other in the eliminator on January 9. The losing side of the Playoff 1 will play the winner of the eliminator on January 10 for a place in the January 11 finals.

Kathmandu boost playoff chances

Kathmandu Knights cemented their hopes of reaching the playoffs with a 90-run thrashing of Janakpur Royals later in the day.

Opener Sunam Gautam and Zimbabwe batter Ryal Burl scored a half-century each as Kathmandu posted a good total of 180-6.

Gautam scored 62 runs off 47 deliveries that included four boundaries and four sixes and Burl smashed four fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 40-ball 61 in an 84-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Englishman Alex Black chipped in with 20 runs off 12 balls.

Opener Virandeep Singh (9) from Malaysia, captain Gyanendra Malla (0), Afghanistan batter Azmatullah Omarzai (10) and Lokesh Bam (7) could not add much to their team’s total.

Jitendra Mukhiya took three wickets for Janakpur.

In reply, Abinash Bohara returned figures of 4 for 13 and Omarzai took 2 for 19 to bundle out Janakpur for 90, with eight batters failing to reach double-digit figures in what was a horrible run-chase.

Janakpur were left scratching their heads with the scorecard reading 33/7 at one point.

Afghanistan allrounder Sharafuddin Ashraf (37) and Sompal Kami (21) offered some comfort with a 54-run stand, but the damage already done was too high.

Janakpur suffered their second defeat in six matches, but sit in the second position in the six-team standings with eight points.

Kathmandu are placed third after their win gave them six points from five matches.

Pokhara and Biratnagar occupy the fourth and fifth places, respectively tied on four points. Far West United are at rock bottom with just one win.