Norway: Centrum and Oslo lead the field mid-season as Abdur Razzaq drops in

The Norwegian league is in mid-season. Two teams are in first place after the halfway stage - Centrum CC and Oslo CC. Noor CC is at second place, while Sinsen CC is at third place.

In the Sinsen mid-week cup, four teams have qualified for semi-finals - Sinsen CC, Noor CC from Group A and Centrum CC, Oslo CC from group B.

In the first semi-final played on July 17 between Centrum CC and Noor CC at Ekeberg Cricket Ground in Oslo, Noor CC won the toss and elected to bat first on a batting track.

Noor CC scored 184 in 15 overs. Noor CC left hand opening batsman Shaid Ahmed scored 100 runs in 13.2 overs. He played shots all over the ground and he pinched every bowler from the Centrum CC. He hits 8 sixes in his innings.

Centrum CC had also tried until the last over to chase this target, but they reached to 152 runs. Noor CC won this semi-final by 32 runs and reached the final of Sinsen Midweek tournament. Shaid Ahmed from Noor CC earned the Man of the match Award for his tremendous century in a 15 over match.

The second semi-final was played on July 18 between Sinsen CC and Oslo CC at Ekeberg Cricket Ground in Oslo. It was a very interested match from a supporters' point of view. The result was decided on the third ball of the last over. Oslo needed six runs from three balls to come to the final and they had just one wicket.

At that point Sinsen CC bowler Ijaz Sheikh bowled a short pitch delivery to Oslo CC batsman Amir, Amir pulling it to midwicket for six. It was Sinsen CC's last chance to reach their own organized final. The final will be played later this month.

Conservatives go for cricket Oslo's Conservative Party continued their courtship of the immigrant vote, staging a youth cricket tournament played in first week of July.

Pakistan internationals Abdul Razzaq and Imran Nazir attended this tournament and same time played a festival match for the development of cricket in Norway. A match was played between Imran Nazir and Abdul Razzaq elevens. Both men played in the match. And the attending public really enjoyed this match where Abdul Razzaq scored 70 runs in 7 overs. Abdul Razzaq's XI won the match.

Imran Nazir XI 196/9 (Baber 93)
Abdur Razzaq XI 198/7 (Razzaq 70, Majid Butt 81*).