England's Under-19s enjoyed an unforgettable day at a South African township earlier this week, as they continue the countdown to next month's World Cup in New Zealand.
The squad travelled to the outskirts of Potchefstroom, their base for a Tri-Series against South Africa and Namibia, and organised an afternoon of games for local children.
"It was a really enjoyable day," said Savin Perera, the Middlesex opener who has been one of the stars of England's first two victories with scores of 74 against Namibia and 84 against South Africa.
"The children seemed pleased to see us - there were a lot of smiles - and we played some games, and gave them some gifts at the end."
Somerset pair Tom Banton and Fin Trenouth even made their shirts available as prizes for a catching competition, and all the children were provided with tickets for a T20 match between Highveld Lions and Warriors on Friday night - which the England players will also attend.
Before then they have the last two qualifying matches in the Tri-Series, against Namibia today and another day-night game against South Africa tomorrow, needing to take one point to guarantee their place in Sunday's final.
"We've started off well with a couple of wins, and the mood is really good going into these last two games," said Perera, who is being rested from the Namibia game having staked a strong claim for a place in England's World Cup squad.
His journey to the team has been unusual, as he grew up in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo before moving to London with his family.
"My Dad had been here for many years before, so he brought us back seven or eight years ago," explained Perera, who attends Kingston College, and plays for Wycombe House CC in Osterley.
"I've been playing in the Middlesex junior teams from under-13s, and last season I made three centuries with the Under-19s, and also a couple of half centuries for the Second XI.
"From there I was picked for the Super-4s at Loughborough, and I managed to get a few runs in that. When I enrolled for school in September I was looking at a long year. All of a sudden I'm here in South Africa and hoping to get to New Zealand for the World Cup."
Like many of the England squad, Perera is continuing his studies in South Africa, where the team have Personal Development and Welfare support prioritising their education.
And he is one of four Middlesex players in the squad, with leg-spinner Luke Hollman also playing an eye-catching part in the opening two victories, and wicketkeeper Jack Davies and seamer Ethan Bamber completing the quartet.
"It's good for Middlesex and good for us to have four guys out here," said Perera. "Hopefully we can all be on the plane to New Zealand as well.
"It was a tough test for us against the South Africa bowlers, and a good win. James Taylor, who is part of our coaching staff out here, talked to me about trying to bat through the innings, which suits my game and hopefully also the team because we've got lots of aggressive players at the other end."
