Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Lumbini Lions confirmed their spot in Qualifier 1 of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) with a thrilling four-wicket victory over Biratnagar Kings at the TU International Cricket Stadium on Saturday evening.
The win also moved the Lions to the top of the standings, while the Kings crashed out of the playoff race. Lumbini’s victory meant that both Kathmandu Gorkhas and Chitwan Rhinos qualified for the playoffs with a game to spare.
Batting first in Match No. 26, Biratnagar scored 166 runs for the loss of four wickets. In reply, Lumbini reached 168/6 as Ruben Trumpelmann hit a towering six off the penultimate ball of the innings.
Charith Asalanka top-scored for Biratnagar with 64 off 43 balls. Shubham Ranjane scored an unbeaten 31 off 24 balls, while Imran Sheikh contributed 24 off 29 before retiring hurt, and Lokesh Bam made 15. Isuru Udana and Basir Ahamad scored six runs each.
Kishor Mahato picked up two wickets for Lumbini, while Abhishesh Gautam and Trumpelmann claimed one each. Trumpelmann conceded 52 runs in his four-over spell, the most runs conceded by a Lumbini bowler in an innings.
Lumbini began the chase on a high note, with their openers adding 86 runs for the first wicket. Both D’Arcy Short and Aasif Sheikh scored 45. Lumbini came under pressure after losing Niroshan Dickwella and Dilip Nath for ducks, while captain Rohit Paudel ran himself out for nine. However, Ali Sheikh scored 27 and Sundeep Jora remained unbeaten on 25 off just 11 balls to keep Lumbini in the hunt. Trumpelmann made amends for his expensive bowling spell by hitting the winning six with a ball to spare.
Only two league stage matches are now remaining in the NPL. Chitwan Rhinos take on Karnali Yaks at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, while Kathmandu Gorkhas face Pokhara Avengers in the evening fixture.
The top two teams after the league stage play in Qualifier 1, while the teams finishing third and fourth face each other in the Eliminator. The winner of Qualifier 1 advances to the final, while the losing side gets one more shot to make it to the final as they meet the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2.
