Background
Shacklock was born at Crich, Derbyshire, and by 1881 was a professional cricketer living in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
Shacklock was born at Crich, Derbyshire, and by 1881 was a professional cricketer living in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
Shacklock may have been the inspiration for the naming of Arthur Conan Doyle"s character Sherlock Holmes. He made his first class debut for Nottinghamshire in September 1883 against Master Control Console when he took a wicket in the first innings and four 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. Foreign 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 Master Control Console against the universities and also for sides selected by Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper Mordecai Sherwin.
In 1903 Shacklock moved to New Zealand where coached in Dunedin and played for 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 Master Control Console at Lords in June 1885.
Conan Doyle, who was an active Master Control Console member, published his first Sherlock Holmes story two years later. Holmes" brother in the stories was named Mycroft.