Cambridge University Women’s Cricket Club’s pre-season preparations were given a tremendous boost by the presence of two of the game’s finest players at their training session last Friday. Former Ashes and double world cup winning batsman Beth Morgan was joined at Fenners by England colleague Lydia Greenway to give a two-hour masterclass, as the ladies seek to emulate last years 126-run annihilation of Oxford in the Varsity match this summer.

“It’s fantastic to see them both,” said captain Neeru Ravi. “Women’s cricket is gaining so much popularity at the university, and for the first time our Varsity Twenty20 is happening at Fenners on the same day as the men’s team this year. To be supported by people of such calibre is amazing.” The women were particularly grateful for the knowledge and expertise Greenway had to offer as arguably the best fielder in the world, going through a wide range of fielding drills over the course of the session. Head coach Chris Scott was keen to encourage a focus on developing stroke play on both sides of the wicket: “A few of the girls will be working around that middle and leg line, making sure they stay the right side of the ball to execute shots that maximise their scoring options”.

The two internationals were in Cambridge as part of their ‘Chance to Shine’ contracts, an ECB enterprise which, as well as encompassing their playing duties, takes them round the country promoting the women’s game and providing role-models through coaching sessions to schools and communities. Since their inception in 2008, these contracts have served to show just how far the status of women’s cricket has progressed from Rachel Heyhoe-Flint’s ‘coconut shell’ declamation, which first propelled the game into the nations sporting consciousness 43 years ago.  “It’s been a brilliant initiative from both a playing and coaching point of view”, said Morgan, who retired from international duty at the start of the year following the recurrence of a shoulder injury. “ Now I’ve finished playing at the highest level, I really enjoy giving something back to the game and watching the next generation blossom. We’re seeing that here today”.

While the whole squad was able to enjoy the benefits Morgan and Greenway’s tips from the top, three of Cambridge’s women are involved at another level of the ECB’s developmental infrastructure. Following in the footsteps of England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor, on the verge of appearing for Sussex’s 2nd XI, skipper Ravi, her twin sister Nikhila and Helen Webster take part in regular training sessions with Cambridge MCCU. As one of six University institutions that comprise the finest male and female students in the country, the MCCU squad compete against first class county sides, providing them with an experience of playing at the highest standard possible while still in education. That the Ravi twins and Club President Webster are involved at this level is a huge positive for women’s cricket: both within the University and on a broader scale, breaking the invisible barrier between men and women’s sport and thus providing greater exposure to the women’s game.

There are still some minor ideological issues to overcome, however. Concerns about equality between England’s men and women, as raised on twitter by culture secretary Maria Miller last year, added to the problematic claims of former England player Ebony Rainford-Brent, who alleged that the women’s game needed ‘sexing up’ to maintain a high level of interest after the Twenty20 world Cup. Greenway was quick to refute the importance of image in drawing in public attention: “All we want to do is play a high standard of cricket – we don’t mind what we look like when we play, and hopefully people who are genuine fans of cricket won’t mind either”. An ebullient message that has been passed down into the Cambridge ranks; with the confidence gained from an excellent session, they will emerge from the Easter vacation in buoyant spirits for the 2013 season.