Vale Derek Chadwick

One of the outstanding allrounders in Western Australian sporting history, Chadwick represented the state in football and cricket. He represented WA in cricket on 65 occasions and was a member of Western Australia’s famous Sheffield Shield title winning side in 1967-68, the state’s first in two decades. The title win was also the state’s first as a full participant in the competition.

The right-handed batter made his Sheffield Shield debut against Queensland in Brisbane in 1963, where he made an immediate impact with 129 in a high scoring drawn game. He would go on to finish his first season for WA with 458 runs at 35.28, including two centuries.

He was involved in a record 328-run opening wicket partnership with Colin Milburn against Queensland in season 1968-69, which stood for more than two decades.

Chadwick went on to score a further eight centuries for WA, with his highest score of 137 also coming against Queensland in Brisbane in 1970. 

As well as his 59 Sheffield Shield matches, Chadwick represented WA in matches against an Australian XI, the MCC, West Indies, New Zealand and World XI. He was also selected to go on the Australian tour of New Zealand in 1969-70, with his highest score of 56 on tour coming against Central Districts at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth.

After starting his career in the middle order, Chadwick would go on to finish his career as an opening batter and ended his WA career with 3886 runs in 65 matches at 35.98.

Chadwick was also a part of WA's first three Knockout Competition campaigns from season 1969-70 through to season 1971-72. The competition has since evolved to become the Domestic One-Day Cup competition today. WA won the second edition of the Knockout Competition in 1970-71. 

In first-grade Derek played for Nedlands and Scarborough.  He captained Scarborough to its first premiership in 1976-77.  He played 261 matches for 8632 runs @ 29.06, scored seven centuries and 60 half-centuries. 

It wasn’t just cricket where Chadwick excelled. He debuted for East Perth in the Western Australian National Football League in 1959, and would go on to play a then record of 269 games for the club, a record he held until 2016. He played in the legendary 1961 WA team that won the Australian National Football Carnival in Brisbane among 22 games for his state.

Chadwick would become a multiple best and fairest winner at East Perth and his stellar 1964 interstate tour saw him awarded the Simpson Medal. He would go on to be inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and East Perth Hall of Fame in 2010.

WA Cricket extends its deepest condolences to wife Jan and the Chadwick family.