Richard Blackstock

Richard Blackstock (13 July 1838 – 3 February 1893) was an English cricketer active in first-class cricket, making four appearances in the 1850s and 1860s. Born at Oxton, Birkenhead, Cheshire, Blackstock was a right-handed batsman who played as a wicket-keeper.

Richard Blackstock

Personal information
Full name	Richard Blackstock
Born	13 July 1838 Oxton, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England
Died	3 July 1893(1893-07-03) (aged 54) Oxton, Cheshire, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Unknown
Role	Wicket-keeper
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1865	Lancashire
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 4 Runs scored 154 Batting average 22.00 100s/50s –/– Top score 47 Balls bowled 36 Wickets 1 Bowling average 11.00 5 wickets in innings – 10 wickets in match – Best bowling 1/11 Catches/stumpings 3/1
Source: Cricinfo, 9 November 2013

Career

A club cricketer for Birkenhead Park Cricket Club, keeping wicket for the club when William Lockhart was unavailable. Blackstock made his first-class debut in 1858 at The Oval when he played for the Gentlemen of the North against the Gentlemen of the South.^[1] His next appearance in first-class cricket came five years later in 1863, when he played two matches for the North in the North v South fixture.^[1] Two years later he made a single first-class appearance for Lancashire in its inaugural first-class match against Middlesex,^[1] with Blackstock opening the batting and therefore having the distinction of being the first Lancashire batsman to face a delivery in first-class cricket.^{[2][n 1]} Across his four first-class appearances, Blackstock scored a total of 154 runs at an average of 22.00, with a high score of 47.^[3]

Outside of cricket he was a builders merchant. He died at Oxton on 3 February 1893.