The inclusion of Simon Jones in the England squad for the EdgbastonTest against Sri Lanka has put him in line to become only the 11th son of an England player to play for his country.

Jones's father, Jeff, played 15 times for England as a left-arm seamer, taking 44 wickets - but he is probably best remembered for his last-over heroics with the bat to defy the West Indies in the final Test of the 1967-68 tour, which ensured that England won the series.

Following in a famous father's footsteps is no easy task, as the son has to learn to cope with comparisons and high expectations from a very early age. Although Richard Hutton was good enough to play for Yorkshire and England in his own right, he was never allowed to forget the feats of his father, Len.

Richard Hutton's own son, Ben, is also a competent cricketer, but Enough time has elapsed for him to avoid anything other than passing references to his grandfather - and a decision to play for Middlesex has probably helped his cause. Whether Nick Compton, grandson of Denis and also on the Middlesex books, will be so lucky remains to be seen.

Colin Cowdrey produced two cricketing sons and the older one, Chris, even went on to captain England in one of his six Tests. But, like Hutton, he was unable to live up to the weight of expectation and the title of his autobiography, Good Enough, hinted at the frustration he must have felt.

In other cases the son has gone on to eclipse the father's achievements. In the modern era Micky Stewart (eight Tests) and Alan Butcher (one) have seen their sons (Alec and Mark) go on to far greater things.

Another such instance is Fred Tate, one of the saddest members of the one-cap club. Picked for the Old Trafford Test against Australia in 1902 amid controversy (he was preferred to George Hirst at the 11th hour) the hapless Tate dropped Joe Darling at a vital stage, and then going in at No. 11 number eleven with eight needed for victory, he was bowled for 4, and England lost by three runs. Legend has it that the inconsolable Tate muttered, "Never mind - I've got a little kid at home who will make it up for me".

He was as good as his word. His son Maurice, a fast-medium bowler, Took 38 wickets against Australia in 1924-25 (beating the previous record of 36) as England regained the Ashes. He went on to take 155 wickets in just 39 Tests.

The Parks family provided a string of cricketers over the years. James Parks made just one appearance for England (against New Zealand in 1937) despite a remarkable county record. His son, Jim, is best remembered as a wicketkeeper-batsman, but he had actually played for England as specialist batsman before he took up keeping. He seemed set for a long run as England's first choice behind the stumps but a loss of form, injury and the presence of a better keeper in John Murray limited his caps.

Another son who outshone his father was Joe Hardstaff Junior, regarded as the most elegant batsman of his generation - but whose career was interrupted by the war, before which he had become as established member of the side and after which he struggled to recapture his former glories. His father (another Joe) was a more explosive batsman whose five Tests all came on the 1907-08 Australian tour. He went on to become an established Test umpire before his son again overshadowed him - junior's inclusion in the England side made him ineligible to stand in Tests.

In some cases there is little to live up to. Arnie Sidebottom's solitary Test appearance came and went against Australia 1985 (although he had the satisfaction of being one of the last full-time footballer-cricketers, playing for Manchester United among others during a long career). It was widely seen as a selection mistake, and he was discarded. Almost 16 years later the selectors picked Arnold's son, Ryan, for the Lord's Test against Pakistan. Like his father, he too was shown to be out of his depth and immediately cast aside. However, he is still only 24 and has time on his side.

Charles Towsend played two Tests against Australia in 1899, but a promising career was curtailed by his deciding to pursue his solicitor's practice rather than sport. His son, David, followed a similarly idiosyncratic path, playing three Tests on the 1934-35 tour of the West Indies despite never having played county cricket - his selection had come as a result of a solid season for Oxford University. He is the last person to have played for England without appearing in the County Championship - a record he is unlikely to surrender.

Father	Tests	Son	Tests
AR Butcher	1	MA Butcher	39*
MC Cowdrey	114	CS Cowdrey	6
J Hardstaff snr	5	J Hardstaff jnr	23
L Hutton	79	RA Hutton	5
FG Mann	7	FT Mann	5
JH Parks	1	JM Parks	46
A Sidebottom	1	RJ Sidebottom	1
MJ Stewart	8	AJ Stewart	116*
FW Tate	1	MW Tate	39
CL Townsend	2	DCH Townsend	3

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