Frank Shacklock

Francis Joseph Shacklock (22 September 1861 – 1 May 1937) was an English cricketer 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 in New Zealand from 1903 to 1905. Shacklock may have been the inspiration for the first name of Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes.

Early life and career Shacklock was born at Crich, Derbyshire in 1861. His parents had moved from their home at Kirkby in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire shortly before his birth and the family returned to live in the village in 1867, meaning that Shacklock was qualified to play for both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. By 1881 he was making a living as a professional cricketer and was employed in Scotland in 1883 playing for Lasswade. He took all 11 wickets in an innings against a 12-man Edinburgh University side and all 10 in an innings against Loretto during the season, and made his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire in September 1883, playing against MCC and taking a wicket in the first innings and four in the second innings.

A fast bowler who was almost tall, sharing the top wicket tally for Derbyshire's 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, taking 360 wickets at an average of 18.74 and a best performance of 8 for 32 against MCC in 1887. In 1893, playing for Nottinghamshire against Somerset, he took four wickets in four deliveries in the second innings – all bowled – and, bowling throughout the innings, finished with 8 for 46. His final appearance for Nottinghamshire came in 1893 against Kent after which he was suspended from the side due to "indiscipline". He also spent time as a ground bowler at Oxford University Cricket Club and for four seasons at The Oval.

In 1903 Shacklock moved to New Zealand, where he was employed as a coach in Dunedin and played four first-class matches for Otago as well as one in 1903–04 for a South Island side. During the First World War he worked at the Trentham Military Camp near Wellington. He was aged 75.

Legacy Shacklock bowled with "a slinging action" which Wisden said "made the ball swing away". In his obituary, published in the 1938 edition of the Almanack, his bowling was described as having been "considered particularly difficult because of this pronounced swerve from leg" which he "varied with an off-break that came very quickly from the turf". In 156 first-class matches he took 497 wickets, including 39 five-wicket hauls. As a batsman he was considered "unreliable", although he twice scored half-centuries and Wisden considered that he had "played some valuable innings at a time when runs did not come easily". His highest score of 71 came against Gloucestershire in 1887 as part of a century partnership with Arthur Shrewsbury.

Arthur Conan Doyle is believed to have used a combination of Shacklock and Sherwin to name his most famous character, Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle was an MCC member and Shacklock and William Mycroft played for Derbyshire in a match against MCC at Lord's in June 1885. The first Sherlock Holmes story was published two years later.