Janakpur Royals defeated Biratnagar Super Kings by five wickets to chalk up their second successive victory, while Far West United rallied from their opening loss to crush Kathmandu Knights by four wickets in the Nepal T20 League on Monday.

Janakpur spinner Lalit Rajbanshi returned the tournament record 5-8 in a single innings to help his side restrict Biratnagar to 140 at the TU Cricket Ground.

In the run chase, West Indies batsman Chadwick Walton scored a half-century to motor Janakpur to 141-5.

Zimbabwe star Sikandar Raza top scored for Biratnagar with a quick-fire 38 and put on a 42-run stand with national cricket team captain Rohit Paudel, who made 32, to anchor the innings after openers Gauranshu Sharma and Arjun Saud departed without impressing.

Kesrick Williams (2-26) removed the American for a golden duck and Mohammad Aadil Alam (2-28) had Saud (18) caught by Sharafuddin Ashraf moments later.

Rajbanshi, who took two wickets in Janakpur’s five-wicket win over Pokhara Avengers in their opening game on Sunday, then got dangerman Raza caught by Rajesh Pulami to break the partnership.

Alam then gave Janakpur edge by getting rid of Paudel, caught behind off Alam, but Pakistani allrounder Hussain Talat kept up the tempo hitting 28 off 21 balls.

But Rajbanshi struck back dismissing West Indies batsman and captain Andre McCarthy (1) and Prithu Baskota in two consecutive deliveries to frustrate Biratnagar.

Rajbanshi next removed Talat and Nandan Yadav (0) in the space of three balls in the 17th over to leave Biratnagar spinning.

Sompal Kami and Williams then polished off the tail to restrict Biratnagar to a moderate total.

In reply, Walton smashed an unconquered 69 off 55 balls that featured five fours and four sixes and shared a 37-run stand with West Indies opener and captain Trevon Griffith, who hit 25, to give Janakpur a solid start.

Griffith was out in the last delivery of the eighth over after Sharma completed a catch off Rijan Dhakal.

Walton then carried on with his reinvented form with a half-century stand with Ashraf (23) to ensure Janakpur keep the second spot with four points.

Earlier in the morning, Afghanistani Hashmatullah Shahidi starred with both ball and bat to rescue Far West despite another batting collapse.

But their win only was aided by a dramatic meltdown in Kathmandu batting order thanks to good bowling efforts from Shahidi (2-15), Bhuvan Karki (2-11) and United Arab Emirates’ Umair Ali (3-15).

England’s Alex Blake made an unbeaten 45 off 37 balls, but with no support offered from the other end of wicket—skipper Gyanendra Malla’s 13 was the second highest score—Kathmandu succumbed to a low total of 98-9.

In response, Far West batting line up got cold feet again despite an easy target as Dev Khanal (17), Harishankhar Shah (0), Bhim Sharki (11), Binod Bhandari (4), Basant Karki (0), and Ali (1) all made humiliating exits.

But captain Shahidi—who also top scored with 35 in their opening loss to Lumbini—racked up an unbeaten 50 off 49 balls to guide his side to 102-6.

Anil Kharel pocketed two wickets giving away 10 runs for Kathmandu.