Country cricket icon Shayne Bidwell awarded Country Cricket Board Recognition Award

On the same weekend Geraldton A-section won their fifth Country Cricket Championships title, Mid West and country cricket legend Shayne Bidwell was awarded the Country Cricket Board Recognition Award.

Bidwell has scored more than 10,000 runs and taken more than 600 wickets in A-grade, along with 1271 runs and 138 wickets in 65 country week games.

He has represented the WA Country XI five times and was selected for the Australian Country XI.

Bidwell received the award after the A-section Geraldton men’s side won the Boan Cup against Albany at the WACA last month — fitting, given Bidwell’s extensive experience at country week playing for Geraldton over the years.

Bidwell said it meant a lot to him to be recognised for his service to country cricket in WA.

“The award is one of those ones that you don’t really set out on achieving at the start of your career, but to be recognised for my time in country cricket means a lot,” he said.

“I enjoyed my time playing with Geraldton in terms of country week, and then with the WA country XI team.”

Bidwell grew up in Lake Grace and fell in love with the sport. Starting out as a wicketkeeper-batter, he made the switch to bowling, and became a very handy all-rounder.

Moving to Geraldton with his wife, Bidwell landed at Wanderers, where he has been ever since.

Now with three daughters who are all playing cricket, Bidwell said it was great to see them enjoying the sport and thriving.

“They’ve grown up with it, and they love it, and so all three of them play cricket now locally,” he said.

“My youngest and middle daughters both play through the Geraldton and country teams,” he said.

In 2024, Bidwell’s daughter Olivia walked away with the local achiever award in the Geraldton Guardian Mid West Sports Awards for her extensive success in soccer, football and, of course, cricket.

Bidwell praised Geraldton and the Mid West for their advancements in the women’s sporting space.

“Geraldton has come a long way within a female space,” he said.

“To see the girls play on the weekend is awesome to see.”

Bidwell’s most recent achievement was coaching the Geraldton A-section women’s side to a country week championship, deafeating Bunbury in a thriller at the WACA.

Bidwell said the opportunity for the women to play at the WACA was great for them, and an example of how cricket in the country was growing.

“Just watching the ladies get that opportunity to play on the WACA and to play the way they did that afternoon was special,” he said.

“They absolutely deserved it, and to be a part of it was very special to me.”