Bhairahawa Gladiators eased to a seven-wicket victory over Pokhara Rhinos to secure the playoffs spot in the Everest Premier League (EPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament at the TU Stadium on Monday.

On a back of a collective bowling effort, Sharad Vesawkar’s Gladiators bundled out Pokhara Rhinos for 108 in 18.3 overs. Man-of-the-match Aarif Sheikh and Vesawkar then forged a match-winning unbroken stand as Gladiators replied with 110-3 in 17.4 overs.

Gladiators have six points from four matches and a win over bottom side Chitwan Tigers on Tuesday will fix them a Qualifier date with Paras Khadka-led Biratnagar Warriors, the only team unbeaten in the league. In the early game, Warriors edged Kathmandu Kings XI by 10 runs to finish at the top with 10 points from five matches.

Third-placed Rhinos (four points) play Gyanendra Malla’s Lalitpur Patriots on Tuesday where a victory will be sufficient for them to go through. Even a low margin defeat might not knock Rhinos out as the two bottom teams— Kings XI and Chitwan Tigers —are only surviving mathematically and need to be favoured by improbably bigger-margin victories.

Only the top three Rhinos batsmen managed to score in double digits with their Pakistani opener Israrullah top scoring with 41 from 40 balls with six boundaries. Another opener Sunil Dhamala (15) and No 3 Aasif (10) were their next best scorers. Vesawkar, who dismissed Binod Bhandari and Rajesh Pulami Magar for ducks in a single over, took two wickets and was ably supported Krishna Karki (2-23) and Dipesh Shrestha (2-14).

Vesawkar said dismissing Bhandari and Pulami put them on the edge. “We managed to take control of the game once we got rid of Bhandari and Rajesh. Rhinos played rest of the match under pressure after their dismissals,” said Vesawkar.

Pratham Salunke (25 off 12) did some quick scoring for Gladiators hitting Bikram Sob for five consecutive boundaries in the third over but Taj Wali bowled the opener in the fourth. Gladiators were 37-3 at one stage but Sheikh and Vesawkar rebuilt the innings and took the team to victory with a 73-run unbroken stand.

Sheikh scored 48 off 47 with three sixes and as many boundaries, while Vesawkar scored 32 off 37 with three boundaries.

In the early match,  Warriors once again had their Hong Kong duo Anshuman Rath and Babar Hayat to thank for the as the two guided the side to 147-7 in 20 overs. Skipper Farveez Maharoof kept Kings XI in the game but they fell eight runs short, finishing at 139-9.

Kings XI were 25-2 in 3.5 overs before Maharoof and Naresh Budhayer put a 60-run partnership bringing their team back into the game. Rath removed both the batsmen in a space of 13 runs as Warriors sniffed another crushing victory. However, Siddhant Lohani (15) kept the game alive till the last over with Kings XI needing 17 for victory. Lohani did managed to get a six in the second ball from Ramnaresh Giri but holed out a catch straight down the ground to Anil Sah in the third.

Maharoof top scored for Kings XI with a 37-ball 42 and Budhayer hit 30 off 32 balls. Both batsmen hit four boundaries each. Rath (3-19), Giri (2-38) and Basanta Regmi (2-17) shared seven wickets for the Warriors.

Rath and Hayat once again brought another 50 plus partnership for Warriors combining for a 62-run partnership for the second wicket. Man-of-the-match Rath scored 32 of 26 balls with four fours and Hayat slammed his second half century of the tournament making 67 off 50. He hit five fours and four sixes.

Skipper Khadka was their next best contributor, scoring 26 off 25 balls with two sixes. Jitendra Mukhiya and Amar Singh Routela took two wickets each for Kings XI.