Frank Shacklock
Encyclopedia
Francis Joseph Shacklock (22 September 1861 - 1 May 1937) was an English cricket
er who played first class cricket for Nottinghamshire
in 1883 and between 1886 and 1893, for Derbyshire
in 1884 and 1885, for MCC between 1889 and 1893 and for Otago New Zealand from 1903 to 1905. Shacklock may have been the inspiration for the naming of Arthur Conan Doyle
's character Sherlock Holmes
.
Shacklock was born at Crich
, Derbyshire
and by 1881 was a professional cricketer living in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
. He made his first class debut for Nottinghamshire in September 1883 against MCC when he took a wicket in the first innings and 4 in the second innings but failed to score a run.
Shacklock joined Derbyshire in the 1884 season
and played regularly. In the 1885 season
against Yorkshire
in August he took 8 for 45 in the first innings, and 5 for 87 in the second innings of the same match. He shared the top wicket tally for the season with William Cropper
. Shacklock took 59 wickets for Derbyshire at an average of 16.74 and a best performance of 8 for 45.
In 1886 Shacklock rejoined Nottinghamshire and played 117 matches for them over the next eight years. For Nottinghamshire he took 360 wickets at an average of 18.74 and a best performance of 8 for 32. After 1889 Shacklock played for the MCC against the universities and also for sides selected by Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper Mordecai Sherwin
.
In 1903 Shacklock moved to New Zealand
where spent a season with Otago. He remained in New Zealand and died in Christchurch
in 1937.
The name of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous character, Sherlock Holmes, is said to have been inspired by the combination of Shacklock and Sherwin. His fellow fast bowler at Derbyshire was William Mycroft
and the pair Shacklock and Mycroft were prominent in a match against MCC at Lords in June 1885. Conan Doyle, who was an active MCC member, published his first Sherlock Holmes story two years later. Holmes' brother in the stories was named Mycroft.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played first class cricket for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in 1883 and between 1886 and 1893, for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in 1884 and 1885, for MCC between 1889 and 1893 and for Otago New Zealand from 1903 to 1905. Shacklock may have been the inspiration for the naming of Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's character Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
.
Shacklock was born at Crich
Crich
Crich is a village in Derbyshire in England. It has the National Tramway Museum inside the Crich Tramway Village, and at the summit of Crich Hill above, a Memorial Tower for those of the Sherwood Foresters regiment who died in battle, particularly in World War I.Built in 1923 on the site of an...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and by 1881 was a professional cricketer living in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. He made his first class debut for Nottinghamshire in September 1883 against MCC when he took a wicket in the first innings and 4 in the second innings but failed to score a run.
Shacklock joined Derbyshire in the 1884 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1884
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1884 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for thirteen years. They lost all ten county matches and their only victory was against MCC.-1884 season:...
and played regularly. In the 1885 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1885
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1885 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fourteen years. They won three first class matches out of eleven.-1885 season:...
against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in August he took 8 for 45 in the first innings, and 5 for 87 in the second innings of the same match. He shared the top wicket tally for the season with William Cropper
William Cropper
William Cropper was an English cricketer and football player who played cricket for Derbyshire CCC between 1882 and 1888 and football once for Derby County...
. Shacklock took 59 wickets for Derbyshire at an average of 16.74 and a best performance of 8 for 45.
In 1886 Shacklock rejoined Nottinghamshire and played 117 matches for them over the next eight years. For Nottinghamshire he took 360 wickets at an average of 18.74 and a best performance of 8 for 32. After 1889 Shacklock played for the MCC against the universities and also for sides selected by Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper Mordecai Sherwin
Mordecai Sherwin
Mordecai Sherwin was a professional footballer and cricketer who played in goal for Notts County and as a wicket-keeper for Nottinghamshire between 1878 and 1896....
.
In 1903 Shacklock moved to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
where spent a season with Otago. He remained in New Zealand and died in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
in 1937.
The name of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous character, Sherlock Holmes, is said to have been inspired by the combination of Shacklock and Sherwin. His fellow fast bowler at Derbyshire was William Mycroft
William Mycroft
William Mycroft was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Derbyshire and MCC between 1873 and 1886. He was a left-arm fast bowler with a great deal of spin and a dangerous yorker that was often believed to be unfair - which may explain why he was not considered for the earliest...
and the pair Shacklock and Mycroft were prominent in a match against MCC at Lords in June 1885. Conan Doyle, who was an active MCC member, published his first Sherlock Holmes story two years later. Holmes' brother in the stories was named Mycroft.