Sport: Q & A - The many returns of Lazarus . . . and keeping it in the family

Q. Somerset have a Dutchman playing for them who could one day play cricket for England. Have any Europeans played for England?

A. Paul Terry, the Hampshire batsman, was born in Osnabruck, Germany, and played two Tests for England against the West Indies in 1984. - Nicholas Cole, Belfast

Q. During Charlton Athletic's recent match against Leicester City at The Valley, Steve Brown (No 24) replaced Alan Pardew (No 15). This left Charlton's numerical line-up as follows: 22, 16, 11, 24, 23, 10, 18, 6, 8, 12 and 21 - 11 players with a total of 171 on their backs. Is this a record for English league football?

A. On 18 October Sheffield United lined up with a total of 190 for the match at Blackburn Rovers. The starting 11 were: Tracey (13); Hoyland (26); Wirmola (24); Beesley (16); Whitehouse (18); Bradshaw (17); Falconer (19); Rogers (8); Hodges (10); Flo (12) and Davison (27). - N Royston, Sheffield

A. It is not compulsory for clubs to use squad numbers in the First Division but Luton Town choose to do so. On 27 November for the match against Stoke, David Pleat selected a side whose numbers totalled 200. Of these, the lowest was five (worn by the captain, Trevor Peake) and the highest was 30 (Mitchell Thomas on loan from West Ham). - G Fowler, Luton

Q. Which football player has transferred back to the same club the most times? I believe it is the legendary Ernie Moss, of Chesterfield fame.

A. Mark Lazarus began his League career in 1958 at Leyton Orient and went on to enjoy three separate spells with Queen's Park Rangers between September 1960 and November 1967, making 206 appearances and scoring 77 goals. His spells at QPR were interrupted by brief stays at Wolves and Brentford. After leaving Loftus Road for the last time he moved on to Crystal Palace and, possibly with an eye to symmetry, closed his account at Orient in 1971. - Ray Macholc, Bristol

Q. When was the last occasion a day of a county championship match filled a ground?

A. My recollection that Old Trafford was packed for the Sunday of the Roses match in 1968, the season before the Sunday League began, due to exceptional circumstances. First, Brian Statham had chosen the game to be the last of his career and second, Yorkshire ended the first day's play on 32 for 8 so the prospect of White Rose humiliation brought out the crowds. In addition, the weather was glorious. - T White, Denton, Lancashire

Q. As a lifelong West Ham fan, I remember Jim Standen, who played in goal in the mid-Sixties and also played first-class cricket for Worcestershire. I assume the Compton brothers are the most famous double performers. Who else can readers add to this list, and has there ever been a treble performer?

A. What about the legendary Sammy Woods, who not only captained England at rugby but played Test cricket both for England and his native Australia? - John Llewellyn, Glasses Mead, Taunton

A. The brothers Drs Kevin and Michael O'Flanagan, although amateurs (I think Arsenal and Bohemians respectively), won full Irish caps at football just after the Second World War, and were also capped by Ireland at rugby union. - G J Pidgeon, Dyfed

Q. In cricket, what is the highest score by a nightwatchman? What is the highest partnership between two nightwatchmen, and are there any examples of three nightwatchmen being used in an innings?

A. The record for the highest score by a nightwatchman in Test cricket is held by Tony Mann with his 105 for Australia in the second innings of the second Test against India in December 1977 at Perth. They won the match, scoring 342 for 8 in the process.

In the first Test between England and West Indies in Bridgetown, Barbados in January 1935, the West Indies' captain, Jack Grant, used three and probably four nightwatchmen on the second day to allow a sticky wicket to dry out before his specialist batsmen would have to bat.

Leslie Hylton, the fast bowler (8 in the first innings batting order and subsequently hanged for the murder of his wife) went in first with the skipper's brother, Rolf (7 but a recognised batsman), Manny Martindale (11), the other opening bowler, batted third, followed by the left-arm wrist spinner, Ellis Achong (10), and the wicketkeeper, Cyril Christiani (9). To confuse matters, Christiani opened both innings in the second Test. - Adam Samuel, London NW3

A. As far as England are concerned, Eddie Hemmings made 95 as nightwatchman at Sydney in the final Test of the 1982-3 series, one more than Jack Russell made in 1988. - Douglas Miller, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire

Q. There have been many pairs of brothers playing professional football in the same season, and I am sure there have been uncle-nephew combinations. But I have never heard of a father and son playing in the same season. Has this ever occurred? - James Albiges, Leeds LS8.

A. On Saturday 5 May 1951, Alec Herd and his son David both appeared for Stockport against Hartlepool. Both won FA Cup winners' and League championship medals - the father with Manchester City and the son with Manchester United. - Charlie Matthews, Whalley Range

A. During last season's disastrous attempt to stay in the Second Division, Preston North End were managed for 13 games by former player Sam Allardyce. An injury and ineptitude crisis threw Big Sam into the back four on several occasions and in April Craig Allardyce was summoned from the youth team and made history with a last-minute appearance as substitute. So both father and son played for the same club, but in different sides, in the same season. - Jarvis Cocker, Sheffield

A. During his reign as player-manager of Bristol City in the mid-Eighties, Terry Cooper signed his son Mark. Whether or not they both played in the first XI during the same season, they were playing professional football together. - David Ellison, Clifton, Bristol

A. Bobby Gould turned out for Coventry City reserves earlier this season before his sudden departure from the club, but so far as I know he did not drop his son, Jonathan, to join him. - Stuart Hill, Stockport, Cheshire

A. When Hereford played Aldershot on 1 May 1990, their No 11 was Gary Bowyer. He was joined on the field during the second half by his father, Ian, the former Nottingham Forest player and at that time the Hereford player-manager. - Andy Meyer, Aldershot

A. Jeff Grayshon and son Paul played rugby league together at Bradford Northern. Now Jeff plays at Batley and son Paul still plays at Bradford. - Kevin Maguire, Batley, West Yorkshire