Women’s cricket has taken giant strides over the last decade and the past four weeks have provided further proof that it is the fastest growing segment of the game. England and Wales staged a magnificent tournament and despite the scorching weather, fans turned up in impressive numbers even for matches not involving the hosts. More than 10,000 spectators watched the first semi-final between Australia and West Indies at The Oval, while over 21,000 packed the second semi-final to see England book their place in the final at Lord’s.

A crowd of more than 21,000 means the organisers would have generated upwards of 750,000 British Pounds in gate receipts from a single game. It should encourage the ICC to invest even more heavily in the women’s game.

While women’s cricket enjoys immense popularity in countries such as England, Australia, India and New Zealand, Sri Lanka still has a long way to go. Part of the problem is poor organisation. Little thought is given to spectator comfort and as a result people prefer watching the game on television. That has to change.

Take, for example, the last Women’s World Cup, which Sri Lanka co-hosted with India last year. The R. Premadasa Stadium was in a dreadful state. There had been some repairs and it looked the work had been rushed and little attention had been paid to the overall presentation of the venue.

Crowds at RPS were disappointing, even for Sri Lanka matches, despite free admission. There were several reasons for this. One of the biggest issues is transport. There are no late night bus services after day-night matches. If Sri Lanka Cricket hired a fleet of buses to ferry spectators in different directions after games, many more people would be encouraged to attend.

Equally important is creating an atmosphere where families feel comfortable spending an evening at the cricket. The washrooms are often in a deplorable state, while the overall maintenance of the grounds leaves much to be desired. Families, particularly those with young girls, understandably choose the comfort of their homes over a visit to the stadium. Not too long ago, Sri Lanka boasted the best spectator facilities among Asian cricket playing nations. Today, sadly, we have fallen to the standards of the region’s poorest venues. Cricket officials don’t feel the pain of the common man for they rarely come out of the comforts of their hospitality boxes while men who are paid to look into these things turn a blind eye.

The ball is now on Eran’s court to clean up the mess and make watching cricket in Sri Lankan a pleasant experience again.

Had Sri Lanka Cricket prioritised spectator comfort instead of squandering money elsewhere, more young girls might have been inspired to take up the sport. It is understood that, over the last three years, SLC has spent an average of Rs. 250 million annually on legal fees. Many of those battles served little purpose. More often than not, the board found itself fighting former cricketers, ex-officials and journalists for daring to criticise it. Most of those disputes could have been settled over a cup of tea. Small minds in big offices.

At present, women’s cricket appears to operate on two different levels. Australia and England have set the benchmark, as reflected by their unbeaten march to the World Cup final, while the rest are still struggling to match their depth, athleticism and professionalism. In those countries, the women’s game is meticulously structured. It may not have a massive footprint in schools, but at club, state and county level the standards are exceptionally high. Competitions such as The Hundred in England and the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia have undoubtedly transformed the landscape.

Sri Lanka may not be able to replicate that overnight, but there are practical steps that can be taken. Sri Lanka Cricket can provide schools with equipment, establish a structured schools competition and create central venues where girls can regularly play and develop their skills.

Next year Sri Lanka will host the Women’s Champions Trophy, presenting another golden opportunity. The Interim Committee must ensure that the spectator experience matches the quality of the cricket. Progress does not always require giant leaps. Sometimes, a series of small but meaningful steps is enough to move the game in the right direction.

Rex Clementine in London

Hosts England cruised into the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final with a commanding 40 run win over South Africa in the second semi-final, setting up a mouth watering title clash against Australia at Lord’s on Sunday.

The tournament’s two standout teams have earned their places in the final. Both England and Australia have remained unbeaten, winning six matches apiece, and today’s decider promises to be a fitting finale between two evenly matched sides.

South Africa’s seamers had England under early pressure, reducing the hosts to 23 for three, but captain Nat Sciver-Brunt produced a superb counter-attacking innings to wrest back the initiative. Returning after missing the previous three matches through injury, Sciver-Brunt delivered when it mattered most.

She struck a magnificent 75 off 42 balls, laced with 11 fours and a six and shared a match defining 133 run partnership for the fourth wicket with the experienced Heather Knight, who contributed a composed 58. Their rescue act lifted England to a competitive 169 for seven.

South Africa made a positive start to the chase, racing to 43 without loss during the Powerplay, but the required rate continued to climb. England’s bowlers kept applying pressure, while the fielders backed them superbly with some outstanding catching.

The Proteas were unable to build any meaningful partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals as England tightened their grip on the contest. South Africa eventually finished on 129 for eight, falling well short of their target.

More than 21,000 spectators packed The Oval, the highest attendance ever recorded for a Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final. An even bigger crowd is expected at Lord’s for Sunday’s showpiece.

Rex Clementine in London

B Sai Sudarshan strengthened his case to retain the No.3 spot for the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka, with his 168 for India A against Sri Lanka A in Galle. Sudharsan converted his overnight 104 not out into his career-best score for India A, helping his side stretch their lead to 175 by the end of the third day’s play. India A closed out the day on 541 for 8 in response to Sri Lanka A’s 366.

Devdutt Padikkal failed to add to his overnight 94 and Ruturaj Gaikwad retired hurt on 13, but India A zoomed ahead thanks to Sai Sudharsan, captain Dhruv Jurel  (53), Shaik Rasheed (45) and Saransh Jain (68*).

Jurel’s innings was cut short when he was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera, who also claimed the wicket of Sai Sudharsan. Allrounder Keshara Nuwantha, meanwhile, claimed the wickets of Padikkal and Shaik Rasheed, and Gurnoor Brar late in the day. Overall, he had figures of 4 for 158 in 50 overs.

Sri Lanka A toiled away, using as many as eight bowlers, but only Sudeera and Nuwantha were among the wickets until captain Sahan Arachchige struck late in the day.

India A’s bowling allrounders Saransh and Auqib Nabi (30) combined for an 81-run stand to take the visitors past 500.

Scores:

India A 541 for 8 in 142 overs  (B Sai Sudharsan 168, Devdutt Padikkal 94, Druv Jurel 53,  Saransh Jain  68*, Shaik Rasheed 45; Keshara  Nuwantha 4-158,  Dilum Sudeera 3-101) lead Sri Lanka A 366 in 110 overs (Sahan Arachchige 127;  Gurnoor Brar 4-77, Saransh Jain 4-92)  by 175 runs

(Cricinfo)