Nottinghamshire bowler Jake Ball dropped in to surprise the Help for Heroes cricketers attending a two-day winter training session at Trent Bridge.
The seamer, who played against Australia in the Ashes in November, helped the players in their preparation for another season of Cricket for Recovery.
The former Welbeck player also turned his arm over, allowing attendees to pit their wits against an England player.
“Jake’s visit was unexpected bonus and the time he took to chat to the guys was a testament to him and his club, so our sincere thanks go to him,” said Help for Heroes’ Paul Miles.
“Those that faced him in the nets will no doubt recall ‘the day they played against a Test player’… and the story of despatching him to all parts will no doubt develop!”
Sessions also called on the expertise of Help for Heroes Coach and ex-England international Bill Athey, as well as support from Tim Ward and Mark Smallwood.
Miles added: “Opportunities such as these do not come about that often. It made a huge difference not only to the players’ technical development but also as an experience to take with them on their journey.
“We’d like to thank Nottinghamshire Cricket Club’s Graham Redfern and his team as this would not have been possible without their support.”
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