Kathmandu: Kathmandu Gorkhas edged Karnali Yaks by five wickets in the Nepal Premier League T20 to claim their third win in a row and stay in the playoff race at the TU Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Electing to bat first, the Yaks posted 149-7, thanks to a late blitz from Gulshan Jha. Chasing a modest target, middle-order batters Gerhard Erasmus and John Simpson made crucial contributions as the Gorkhas reached 155-5 in 18 overs.

With their fourth win in six matches, the Gorkhas climbed to second place with eight points pushing Biratnagar Kings to third on net run rate.

The Yaks, meanwhile, sit sixth in the eight-team standings with just two points from five games. Led by Sompal Kami, they have managed only one victory. Only the top four teams qualify for the playoffs, with all teams playing seven matches in the league stage.

In the chase, Erasmus and Simpson put together an 86-run stand for the fourth wicket. Erasmus top-scored with an unbeaten 43 off 33 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes. Simpson struck a brisk 41 off 21 before Nandan Yadav had him caught by Gulshan Jha in the 18th over.

Opener Ben Charlesworth contributed a 21-ball 34 before being bowled by Pawan Sarraf. Milind Kumar (15 off 19) was the only other Gorkhas batsman to reach double figures.

Nanda Yadav was the pick of the Yaks’ bowlers, claiming 3-35 from his four overs.

Earlier, coming in at No. 7, Jha played a quickfire unbeaten 49 off 22 balls to anchor the Yaks innings. He struck six fours and three sixes.

The Yaks made a shaky start, losing opener Priyank Panchal to a first-ball after being caught and bowled by captain Karan KC. William Bosisto also fell for one at the end of the same over following a direct hit from Shahab Alam.

However, other opener Mark Watt and Pawan Sarraf steadied the innings with a 59-run stand for the third wicket. Sarraf made 35 off 29, hitting two fours and two sixes, while Watt scored 30 off 27 with a four and two sixes. Najibullah Zadran (12) and Deepak Dumre (10) were the other batters to reach double digits.

For the Gorkhas, Rashid Khan picked up 2-37 from four overs while Karan KC, Milind Kumar and Santosh Yadav took a wicket each.

There will be no matches on Monday. The tournament resumes on Tuesday, with Chitwan Rhinos taking on Janakpur Bolts in the early fixture at 11:45 AM, followed by Karnali Yaks facing Pokhara Avengers at 4:00 PM.