
Top catch, century: Alex’s broken finger gets workout
IT wasn't only scoring a solid 100 in his first game back that gave Laidley captain Alex Welsh a boost.
"I was probably more relieved that the first wicket I got yesterday was a caught and bowled,'' the classy all-rounder said.
That effort, off his spin bowling, tested Welsh's left hand ring finger that he broke in the first game of the Harding-Madsen Shield competition.
Welsh finished with 3/35 off his 10 overs, before starring again with the bat against Toowoomba opponents Southern Districts.
Welsh's first century since the 2018/19 season helped keep Laidley unbeaten from seven rounds of matches.
"It was a good day out,'' Welsh said of his comeback innings that set up his team's four-wicket victory at Bichel Oval.
"I probably chanced my arm a litte bit.
"As I got going, it was a good one. I scored fairly quickly so I was fairly happy with it.
"It was just good to be back playing and contribute.''
After breaking his finger in the opening game, Welsh had to keep it strapped and wear a splint for six weeks, doing rehab exercises and hand therapy.
"It's still not 100 percent but it's okay,'' he said.

Despite the setback, Welsh enjoyed watching his team build some winning momentum.
"We're going well. We've just got to keep going,'' he said.
He was looking forward to future clashes with Toowoomba sides Northern Brothers and regular Harding-Madsen Shield winners Wests, which could title the competition winners.
The injection of youthful talent has stabilised the consistent Blue Dogs line-up.
In-form opening batsman Tom Sippel and opening bowler Jem Ryan were unable for Laidley on Saturday being involved in the SEQ Schaeffer Shield competition.
Sippel snared 3/14 and Ryan took 2/26 for SEQ in today's representative match.
"We've managed to get some new faces to the team,'' he said.
"That's been really pleasing to see those new fellas really enjoy themselves and then go and do well.''
On Saturday, bowling spearhead Liam Dean continued his impressive form with 2/29 backing up his captain as they restricted Southern Districts to 6/217 off their 45 overs.
Laidley overhauled the target with six wickets down in the 34th over.
"The wicket was pretty flat. The outfield was very fast,'' Welsh said.
"In the context of the game, we got to the 30 over mark and we only needed 20 more runs.
"We were scoring at a fair pace too.
"I thought we did pretty well with the ball.''
In other Harding Madsen-Shield results, Centrals made hard work of their run chase, needing just 96 for victory against Thunder at Tivoli.
Centrals reached the target nine wickets down with Thunder right arm outswing bowler Patrick Schmidt snaring 6/15 off 9.2 overs.
Northsiders beat the South East Redbanks at Keith Sternberg Oval after posting 8/185 and restricting the visitors to 117.
Corey Flood was 69 not out setting the Northsiders' target.
Ipswich Brothers (bowled out for 81) lost to Northern Brothers Diggers (9/272) at Rockville in Toowoomba.
SEQ Schaeffer Shield representatives Luke Pollock (Northsiders) and Centrals captain Lachlan Vellacott were chosen in the South Queensland side to play North Queensland in a few weeks.
SEQ finished second behind Wide Bay.
STATE OF PLAY
Schaeffer Shield
SEQ 5/84 (20.2) - Lachlan Vellacott 26 (31), Nick Verrenkamp 24 *(48) defeated Gold Coast 82 (30.1) - Jem Ryan 6.1/0/26/2; Callum Wilton 6/2/7/1; Michael Abbott 6/3/10/2; Charlie Anthony 5/1/9/1; Tom Sippel 3/0/14/3; Sam Strong 3/0/16/1.
Darling Downs 2/181 (35) - Tom Sippel 1/32 (7), Mick Abbott 1/8 (3.3) defeated SEQ 9/180 (50) - Tom Sippel 55 (112), Lachlan Vellacott 29 (41), Lee Watts 24 (43).
Rep youth
Ipswich u19s 8/167 (47.5) - Jacob Anderson 16 (27), Noah Emerson 19 (41), Will Trigar 27 (40), Corey Flood 26 (63), Dylan McAteer 41* (54) defeated Wests 8/163 (50) - Sam Seaward 11 (43); Josh Creevey 1/24 (10), Jacob Waters 2/38 (10), Travis Busch 1/20 (8), Dylan McAteer 2/26 (10).
Ipswich Taverners 6/162 (45.1) - Aum Thanki 18 (31), Harry Sheppard 54 (123), Zane Newton 13 (17), Jack Geldard 56 (77) defeated Redlands 9/159 (50) - Hayden Bloomfield 1/11 (5), Reiko Vermeulen 1/26 (7), Jack Geldard 1/33 (10), Sahal Khatree 3/29 (10), Aum Thanki 2/27 (10), Regan Liebke 1/13 (5). Harding-Madsen Shield
Marburg Mt Crosby Thunder v Central Districts at Tivoli No.1
Thunder Innings
Jacob Anderson c Dobson b Dell 12 (10)
Todd Anderson c Dobson b Dell 3 (8)
Tobias Nugter c Osborne b Ashton 12 (33)
Aaron Nugter c Dobson b Dell 0 (4)
Nick Raine c Ashton b O'Sullivan 10 (17)
Mitch Raine c Dobson b O'Sullivan 16 (17)
Braydon Armstrong run out (Risson/Tyler) 19 (26)
Lucas Sefont b Ashton 2 (4)
Blayde Klass c Osborne b O'Sullivan 1 (10)
Patrick Schmidt c Barrett b Dell 3 (16)
Connor Anderson not out 0 (7)
Extras (1lb 10w 1nb 5pen) 17
Total (25.1ov) 95
FoW: 11, 20, 20, 46, 48, 68, 71, 77, 93, 95.
Bowling: Rhys O'Sullivan 10/1/50/3; Alex Dell 6.1/4/4/4; Brendan Ashton 8/1/34/2; Wayne Jones 1/0/1/0.
Centrals Innings
Wayne Jones c T. Nugter b Schmidt 6 (20)
Tim Weber run out (T. Anderson) 0 (2)
Caleb Risson b Schmidt 8 (14)
Harry Dobson c M. Raine b Schmidt 0 (1)
David Lyell b Sefont 14 (38)
Luke Barrett c A. Nugter b Klass 29 (83)
Braydon Osborne c M. Raine b Schmidt 22 (45)
David Tyler c J. Anderson b Schmidt 0 (2)
Alex Dell c A. Nugter b Schmidt 4 (6)
Brendan Ashton not out 0 (4)
Rhys O'Sullivan not out 6 (1)
Extras (3lb 7w) 10
Total (36.2ov) 9/99
FoW: 4, 15, 15, 19, 45, 85, 85, 93, 93
Bowling: Blayde Klass 9/2/27/1; Patrick Schmidt 9.2/3/15/6; Lucas Sefont 10/2/29/1; Connor Anderson 6/1/16/0; Todd Anderson 2/0/9/0.
Northsiders v South East Redbacks at Sternberg Oval (35 over a side match)
Northsiders Innings
Chris Butt b 15 (32)
Caleb Doyle c 2 (5)
Corey Flood not out 69 (98)
Trent Kammholz run out 5 (10)
Stephen Humphreys b 12 (20)
Shane Krings c 17 (20)
Zach Fisher b 38 (23)
Dom Salton not out 1 (1)
Extras (3lb 22w 1nb) 26
Total (35ov) 6/185
FoW: 6, 25, 55, 86, 121, 175
Redbacks Innings
Extras (2b 2lb 6w) 10
Total (28.5ov) 117
Bowling: Kev Cumming 6/1/17/1; Dom Salton 4/0/25/1; Zach Fisher 6/1/9/2; Nathan Fisher 4/0/21/0; Caleb Doyle 6.3/0/20/3; Stephen Humphreys 4/0/21/3.
Laidley District v Southern Districts Magpies at Bichel Oval
Souths Innings
H. Meikeljohn c&b Welsh 51
B. Barrett c M. Sippel b Welsh 56
R. Drummond c Welsh b Reisenleiter 9
T. Glenn c Neuendorf b Welsh 6
S. Healy c O'Keeffe b Dean 42
N. Budden c O'Keeffe b Dean 27
H. Dhillon not out 8
K. Leeson not out 1
Extras (1lb 12w 4nb) 17
Total (45ov) 6/217
FoW: 99, 112, 130, 151, 194, 212
Bowling: Liam Dean 10/3/29/2; Samson Ryan 7/2/28/0; Michael Sippel 6/1/28/0; Shanley Neuendorf 3/0/10/0; Alex Welsh 10/1/35/3; Josh Reisenleiter 4/0/36/1; Craig Crack 5/0/40/0.
Laidley Innings
Chris Wilson c Healy b Karunarathne 25
Alex Welsh c Dhillon b Cain 100
Gerard Sippel c Barrett b Dhillon 23
Michael Sippel c Cain b Dhillon 0
Matthew Grassick c Drummond b Meikeljohn 33
Shanley Neuendorf c Cain b Meikeljohn 8
Brendan O'Keeffe not out 8
Josh Reisenleiter not out 2
Extras (4b 3lb 12w) 19
Total (33.3ov) 6/218
FoW: 75, 132, 132, 198, 208, 208
Bowling: H. Meikeljohn 7.3/0/46/2; C. Barrett 3/0/35/0; R. Kuranarathne 5/1/23/1; J. Cain 5/1/25/1; R. Drummond 3/0/23/0.
Laidley win by four wickets.
Northern Brothers Diggers v Brothers at Rockville
Diggers Innings
L. Reen b Sharrad 16
B. Anderson b Busch 20
Chris Hall not out 103
P. Sullivan c Busch b Vasta 7
D. Nitschke c ? b R. Griffiths 8
J. Philip c ? b Busch 52
C. Philip c ? b Bilyj 6
J. Barrett st Sarra b R. Griffiths 11
B. Smith c ? b Bilyj 19
S. Schumacher not out 0
Extras (2b 10lb 15w 2nb) 29
Total (45ov) 9/272
FoW: 28, 59, 82, 100, 182, 198, 237, 270
Bowling: Lachlan Bilyj 10/0/80/2; Paddy Towne 4/0/19/0; Travis Busch 10/0/41/2; Mark Sharrad 4.1/0/16/1; Xavier Vasta 4/0/12/1; Regan Griffith 7.5/0/45/1; Ethan Ramsbottom 5/0/47/0.
Brothers Innings
Ethan Ramsbottom lbw Smith 6
Regan Griffith c ? b Smith 14
Faraz Khan c ? b Hudson 7
Harry Sheppard not out 23
Jacob Sarra lbw Anderson 4
Joel Hall b Anderson 0
Travis Busch b Anderson 0
Xavier Vasta c ? b Hudson 11
Lachlan Bilyj b C. Philip 0
Paddy Towne b C. Philip 2
Mark Sharrad c ? b Smith 5
Extras (8w 1nb) 9
Total (25.3ov) 81
FoW: 10, 23, 28, 32, 32, 32, 44, 67, 75, 81
Bowling: B. Smith 7.3/3/17/3; J. Hudson 8/2/23/2; B. Anderson 6/0/17/3
C. Philip 4/0/22/2.
Mets 9/204 (44.3) def Highfields Railways 7/203 (45); Wests def Uni by seven wickets.
Cricket Ipswich
2nd Division
Laidley 2/119 (33.1) - Laurence Pratt 24, Shail Parihk 39*, Jared Adamski 20; Johnson 1/18(4), Dave Cupit 1/11(5.1) defeated Centrals 118 (30.4) - Tom Cupit 12, Kobe Rae 11, Dave Cupit 12, Campbell Moore 22, Mathew Burgemeister 17; Mark Richter 2/12(6.4), Darryl Muckert 2/13(4), Corey Jackwitz 2/29(8), Jared Adamski 1/24(3), Jonty Freiberg 3/28(4).
Redbacks 201 (38.1) - Billy Harsant 3/35(7), Nick Drain 1/23(8), Jeff Maroske 1/15(4), Tom Weier 2/39(7), Trent Day 1/33(4), Troy Noe 1/24(4), Cody Danziel 1/22(4) defeated Northsiders 119 (27) - Nick Drain 19, Brent Croker 16, Jeff Maroske 52.
Thunder 2/96 (16.4) - Zane Hogan 43*, Fletcher Madden 34, Pete Whelan 11* defeated Brothers 91 (32.1) - Joel Mitchell 3/28(8), Ray Coleman 1/26(8), Tom Hall 1/28(8), Darrin Mitchell 5/3/3/2, Nathan Turner 1/6(3.1).
3rd Division T20s
Round 7: Strollers Blue 1/148 (12.1) - Michael Webster 48, Al Phoenix 56*, Simon Thorpe 35* def Redbacks 9/147 (20) - Josh Sandnes 4/35 (4), Matthew Wild 1/24 (4), Rhyan Phoenix 2/44 (4), Lee Martufi 1/10 (2).
T hunder 3/144 (18.2) - Jai Rose 62*, Mark Hughes 17, Alfonso Jimenez 41 defeated Laidley 4/143 (20) - Matt Tonkin 1/18 (3), William Johnstone 1/21 (4), Jai Rose 2/28 (4).
Strollers White defeated Northsiders.
Round 8: Strollers White 6/243 (20) - Jamie Reid 34, Luke Muggeridge 67, Luke Boettcher 40, Steven Kuhnke 32*, Matt Boettcher 26; wickets: Karl Brady, Matthew Wild, Josh Sandnes, Simon Thorp, Lee Martufi defeated Strollers Blue 6/163 (20) - Trent German 1/17 (4), Jamie Reid 1/24 (2), Luke Boettcher 3/32 (3), Peter Nichol 1/9 (3).
Redbacks defeated Northsiders
Thunder 0/123 (10.5) - Brent Gill 59*(31), William Johnstone 43* (34) defeated Thunder Storm 6/120 (20) - Ben Naish 70*(59), Chris Sefont 10 (11); Brent Gill 2/24 (4), William Johnstone 2/23 (4), run outs: Sam Perrett & Tom Brett.