It was immensely exciting to be carried across the threshold of that famous front door, through the entrance hall with its red carpet, down the grand staircase with its wrought iron railings and out into your spacious garden. The roses looked lovely - although the lawn could do with a teeny bit more work if you want to rival the outfield at Lord's.

I was last in your humble abode in 2005 when the women had won the Ashes for the first time since 1963 and the men for the first time since 1986. My illustrious older cousin, the urn, was too frail to come in person, but his proxy hopes to receive another invitation later this summer, once Andrew Strauss and his team have sent the current crop of Aussies on their way. They've told me there'll be no extraneous fertilizing of your herbaceous border this time, as long as you promise to provide some champagne.

I must admit that in the last few days I've been a little upset by a number of people questioning my existence. I didn't get the chance to speak to you in person at No 10 (although I appreciated the admiring glance you directed my way as you strode over to shake hands with Charlotte Edwards) so I feel I must take this opportunity to explain how I came into being.

The first women's Test between England and Australia took place in 1934, long after Ivo Bligh was presented with the tiny urn that sits proudly in the MCC Museum. I'm the product of a ceremony in 1998, whereby the women's teams from both England and Australia signed an autographed bat and ceremonially burnt it in the gardens behind the pavilion at Lord's. They took the ashes, placed them inside yours truly (a hollowed out oak cricket ball) and I now sit atop a small oak plinth. So whilst nobody tries to pretend the women are playing for the 'Ashes' as the wider public know them, they do have a genuine version of their own.

Once again, many thanks for hosting us in your back garden, and even more thanks for not mistaking me for a paper weight.

Yours sincerely,

The Ashes Ball

Alison Mitchell was delighted to join the England women's cricket team at a Downing Street reception to celebrate their victory in the World Cup, the World T20 and the Ashes.

Retaining the women's Ashes would cap off a remarkable five months after Charlotte Edwards' side were crowned world champions in both the 50 and 20-over form of the game.

The relevance of Test cricket in the women's game though has waned in the last few years as England and Australia are the only countries to play the four-day format.

Australia have enjoyed a similar dominance to their men over the years, wresting the Ashes back from England in 1984 (the only five-Test women's series) and retaining them repeatedly until England triumphed at Worcester in 2005 (subsequently enjoying the Trafalgar Square celebrations with the men).

Clare Connor's side then retained the urn down under in 2008, an even bigger feat.

This 2009 series consists of a single one-off match, which reflects the standing of the women's four-day game internationally. But it is important that with all the focus on the skills required for one-day cricket, the players are able to apply themselves to the different approach needed to building a Test match innings.

The cricket needs to be worthwhile for the series to be worthwhile.

England have got a stranglehold over Australia at the moment. After their tremendously exciting World Twenty20 semi-final victory at The Oval, Charlotte Edwards has led the side to a 4-0 drubbing of the Aussies in their recent one-day series - the first time in history that England have beaten Australia in four consecutive one-dayers. It could have been 5-0 but for a washout at Lord's last Tuesday. They had to hold their nerve for last ball finishes on two thrilling occasions as well.

It was a particularly good series for left arm spinner Holly Colvin, whose seven wickets have propelled her to the number one spot in the ICC World Rankings for the first time. England now have five bowlers in the world's top 10. Sarah Taylor was Player of the Series for her stellar performances at Chelmsford, which included an outstanding knock of 120 at a run-a-ball.

BBC Radio 5 Live will have a reporter at the Test providing updates from New Road, and then colleague Kevin Howells and I will be hot-footing our way to Worcester once the men's Test finishes in Cardiff and we'll commentate on the final day for Radio Five Live Sports Extra on Monday.

As captain Charlotte Edwards said to me at the end of the game, they've proved that their World Cup victory in Sydney was no fluke, and they've confirmed to the world that they are indeed the number one team in the women's game.

Add to that the fact that they hold the Ashes (to be contested again later this summer) and this England side is the most dominant ever.

Taylor's unbeaten 76 off 53 balls will go down as the innings of the tournament in the match of the tournament, as England overhauled Australia's 163-5.

Having made an unbeaten 39 off 32 balls to steer England to victory in Sunday's final, she was deservedly named player of the tournament for accummulating 199 runs in five matches.

New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins was the leading scorer with one run more, but it is the manner in which Taylor constructs her innings which is so impressive, displaying a calculated coolness befitting of someone who has a maths degree from Oxford.

Katherine Brunt's spell of 4-2-6-3 was magnificent in the final at Lord's. It was set up by Laura Marsh's opening over in which she combined with Sarah Taylor to have Suzie Bates stumped.

Marsh then kept up the pressure at one end, while Brunt capitalised at the other to return career-best figures, all with a bruising black eye from an accident during fielding practice that only added to her menace.

There must have been around 10,000 people at Lord's to see the ticker tape rain down on Charlotte Edwards and her team when they lifted the trophy.

That's by far the largest crowd ever to watch a women's game in the UK, and whilst the media coverage of the women's tournament can hardly be described as 'extensive', the ICC must be applauded for having the vision to stage the tournament alongside the men's.

The good thing is the women have another chance to impress in April next year, when the format of the World Twenty20 2010 will be exactly the same in the West Indies.

The line-up for the semis was confirmed on Tuesday when the Aussies beat a spirited South Africa by 24 runs to finish runners up of Group A and England finished undefeated as winners of Group B with a 63-run victory over Pakistan at Taunton.

They'll play each other at The Oval at 1300 BST on Friday - a day which could have seen God Save the Queen played out twice in one day, had Messers Duckworth and Lewis not had their wicked way with Paul Collingwood's side. The second men's semi follows immediately after at 1730.

They were completely outplayed by England on the opening day of the competition, suffering a hefty 10-wicket defeat.

The women's match-up at The Oval will be mouth-watering. Australia are England's bogey side in tournament cricket, and what's more, England's recent record against them is not great, as the current side have lost their last three games against the Aussies; most recently in a T20 warm-up prior to this competition, and before that at the World Cup in Sydney, albeit in a game which didn't matter to England in terms of the result.

Australia will be desperate to gain revenge for their poor showing on their home turf in March. They finished fourth after losing to India in the play-off. Many of England's current side remember only too well the pain of losing to Australia in the semi-final of the 2005 World Cup in South Africa.

The scores to be settled are many, and the memories run deep.

Here's hoping the crowd will take advantage of the double-headers at both The Oval and Trent Bridge and arrive in plenty of time to support the women's matches.

For the home fans it's a chance to help an England side make history by doing the first ever 50-over and 20-over World Cup double.

England has only hosted two Women's World Cup events previously, in 1973 and 1993. The home side won them both. An omen maybe?

The Bunbury Cricket Club is a pro-celebrity club, founded and run by the inimitable David English MBE, which has raised over £12m for different charities over the years.

It has also helped to produce a few England cricketers through the English Schools Cricket Association's annual under-15s Bunbury Festival - nine members of the 2005 Ashes-winning team took part in it.

Alongside the ESCA, other causes supported by the 'Bashes' include the Leukaemia Research Fund, the Crossroads Centre in Antigua (an alcohol and drug facility founded by Eric Clapton) and an orphanage in India called Joybells.

This was my first experience of a Bunbury do and I walked into the glitzy Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane day-dreaming about meeting Clapton and being invited to jam - I'd been practising Signe and Tears in Heaven all afternoon.

The dream was interrupted by the England women's team manager diving out of the hotel with a mobile phone in her hand. "I've gotta find the World Cup," she exclaimed.

She'd put the trophy in the boot of the taxi which brought her to the hotel but forgot about it when she got out and the taxi driver had driven off with it. Happily it was recovered and captain Charlotte Edwards could carry it on stage with her for the Loyal Toast (a toast to the Queen, that is, not to the World Cup).

As it was an Ashes Tribute night, a raft of legends assembled on stage for a Q&A after dinner. It was marvellous to see Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson alongside Rod Marsh, while the opposite corner was filled by Sir Ian Botham, David Gower, Allan Lamb, Andrew Flintoff and for 'Aussie bashing' value, Rugby World Cup winner Jason Leonard, who is an avid supporter of the Bunburys.

The major fundraising part of the evening was the charity auction, flush with such 'money can't buy' offerings as three days of fly fishing with Allan Lamb, becoming a character in a Jeffrey Archer novel, a day editing the Daily Mirror, country pursuits with the Bothams or joining Piers Morgan to help judge Britain's Got Talent.

Lord Jeffrey Archer was the auctioneer, encouraging 1,200 guests to part with the sort of sums that make you gulp.

I seriously considered bidding my entire savings on an Eric Clapton Fender Stratocaster personally signed by the great man (you could watch him sign it in front of you) but the bidding stretched just marginally beyond my budget. The whisper was that £21,000 was a snip compared to the £45,000 his guitar fetched last year.

The most amusing part of the auction was when Lot nine was called - "private dining with Beefy" Mike Gatting piped up and said he'd pay good money NOT to have dinner with Beefy and was immediately fined £500 for being rude to our country's greatest all rounder.

It didn't take long before Lamby also pledged £500 to avoid eating with Sir Ian, Flintoff followed, then Lillee and Thommo and before you knew it over £10,000 had been raised.

It was a fabulous evening for so many great causes. I felt privileged to be there, not least to play a small part in helping to support the Bunburys but to be reminded of the camaraderie and enduring friendships that cricket produces, both between those in different walks of life but also between the most fearsome competitors.

The sight of Lamb, Lillee and Thomson standing on chairs, arms around each other's shoulders, watching Clapton perform, was one of the great photo opps of the evening.

There are Bunbury matches taking place all over the country through the summer. If you turn up to support one, you never know who you might meet.

And no, my day-dream didn't come true!

Most had a very late night after the win over New Zealand on Sunday, but all managed to roll out of bed - albeit slowly - and into their smart 'number ones' (official team suits) for a photo call at 9.00am the next morning.

I'm not sure everyone felt 100 per cent as they hopped onto a small motor boat to take them across Sydney Harbour for a final photo-shoot near the the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, but no one really cared.

After that it was check out time and the hotel lobby was buzzing with hugs and goodbyes.
The trophy itself was tucked up inside a large silver box and a debate took place as to whether it should go in the hold, or whether they'd be able to take it on board with them.

In the end it was decided the box was too big and heavy to take into the cabin, but it didn't have a padlock and the trophy is rather pricey. Gemma Broad eventually came to the rescue with one of those mini suitcase padlocks.

Jenny Gunn and Isa Guha found out at the last moment that they would be flying back on their own, which was a bit of an oversight. They'd both come out separately from the rest of the squad in order to play cricket in Australia prior to the tournament, and apparently the ICC booked their return flight on the same airline, which was different to that of the rest of the England team.

Despite being World Cup winners, the players were all flying back economy class - you can't imagine the men's team doing that, can you? They fly business as standard.

The ECB did try to upgrade the squad, but there were only seven seats available in business and the decision was taken to keep everyone together.

Until there's more money in the women's game and sponsorship of these talented individuals, they'll be flying economy for some time to come. They'll also continue to share rooms on tour as they have been doing this last fortnight.

It is too soon to be calling for them to become full professionals though, as it would create a big gulf between England and the other nations, which wouldn't help the overall health of the international game.

The players though, are feeling under increasing pressure as they train and play, while continuing to try to hold down regular jobs. The particular problem with cricket is that tours are long. You're never just talking about a week or so at a time. It's more like a month, sometimes more.

Chance to Shine coaching contracts have been an immense help to a number of players and at least one more is expected to become available this summer. In the meantime, the ECB needs to use the profile gained by this victory to convince the commercial sector that these players are viable commercial assets, sporting ambassadors and marketable personalities.

They need the public - and girls in particular - to start recognising the faces of Charlotte Edwards (photo above), Isa Guha and Katherine Brunt and the others. And it needs to be done before the nation forgets the events of Sunday morning in Sydney.

It was a disappointing to see only three journalists (me included) at the official pre-final press conference at the SCG. The Australian media seem to have largely forgotten about the tournament now that the Aussies are out. Maybe I'll be proved wrong by the papers on the morning of the final, but certainly the nationals and even most of the locals I flicked through on Saturday carried nothing except one slim column I found quoting Australia captain Karen Rolton on "what went wrong".

Let's hope at least that the public turn out to watch Australia's two biggest rivals go head to head at the North Sydney Oval. Must be a tough one for them to decide who to support. Poms or Kiwis? The Aussies I've spoken to so far are (begrudgingly) plumping for the Kiwis simply on the grounds that they're southern hemisphere neighbours. Fair enough I suppose.

It's not exactly an event that is widely publicised though. Tickets are very good value, with a family ticket (two adults and two children) for $30. The Sydney Daily Telegraph ran an advert on Saturday morning to promote the final, whereby if you cut out the ad you got in completely free, so that might help. Numbers will be everything to make the final feel like the occasion it is.

It's been a hectic day for me previewing the match - providing material for BBC local radios, the World Service, Radio 5 Live, Radio One and fielding phone calls to finalise plans for coverage of the match itself.

I've also just got back from a meeting to select the ICC Player of the Tournament and Team of the Tournament. I was on a panel with former Australia captain Belinda Clark, ex-New Zealand bowler Danny Morrison and match referee Brian Aldridge.

We had an entertaining debate and I could tell you who we picked, but...you know the rest! If you've been following the tournament, maybe you've got your own ideas? I look forward to hearing them.

In the meantime, the England squad went out for a team meal on Saturday night. They've received good luck messages from Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, Tory leader David Cameron, England rugby union manager Martin Johnson, as well as the England men's team. A couple of the players have even sent personal e-mails and Facebook messages from the Caribbean.

Now all England want to do is to play.

Ps - Don't forget you can listen to ball by ball commentary of the final on 5 Live Sports Extra from 2255 Saturday night and follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

If you can, stay up all night on Saturday to listen to them trying to win the World Cup for the first time in 16 years, and I challenge you not to become absorbed (if you're reading this from Sydney, come and watch! It's only $15 per adult and $7.50 for a child).

I'll be hooking up with ABC radio to provide ball-by-ball commentary on Five Live Sports Extra and online in the UK, with the game starting at 11.00pm UK time. You can also catch updates from me on Twitter (search for BBCTMS).

Eight of the England squad here in Sydney played in the last World Cup in 2005 and now they form the backbone of a strong, cohesive unit, who clearly share a solid respect for each other, not only as teammates, but also - as batter Claire Taylor described the other day - as friends.

They have to get along well as there's not a lot of time to yourself when you're paired up sharing rooms for the duration of a tour and it speaks volumes that Claire, the oldest player in the squad at 33, can room quite happily with the youngest, Anya Shrubsole, who's just 17.

Women's cricket has come a long way since the last World Cup in 2005. On a global level it is now administered, like the men's game, by the International Cricket Council following a merger with the International Women's Cricket Council.

In England, the sport is growing like never before, and with a committed, determined Clare Connor, a former national team captain, as Head of Women's Cricket at the ECB, the game couldn't be in better hands.

Participation among women and girls at all levels increased by 45% from 2005-07. The increase in 2008 alone was another 49%, and there are some 450 clubs with women's sections compared to just 93 six years ago. This might be helped by the fact that the top 12 clubs can earn Premier League Performance Payments of up to £1,500 per year from the ECB if they meet certain targets regarding women's involvement.

At the highest level, Chance to Shine Coaching contracts, funded by the Cricket Foundation, have been a huge success, enabling England players to have a steady income, working 25 hours a week over an eight-month period, but having the flexibility needed for training and playing.

Six of this World Cup squad are on either full or part time contracts, including captain Charlotte Edwards, and there is money in place to widen that pool, with another contract possibly on offer next September.

While there's so much attention on the England team at the moment, Connor is anxious not to lose sight of the bigger picture, where the emphasis has to be on provision if they're to plan for the future.

"The challenge is firstly to provide enough cricket for women to play," she says. "Then identify talent, make sure the pathways are in place, and ensure that those pathways are visible and, importantly, high quality."

On the domestic front, the Super Fours competition was introduced in 2002 to bring together the best players in the country in four teams, and it continues to play a big part in bridging the gap between county and international level.

Sunday's World Cup final will be the culmination of a lot of hard work and will be the pinnacle of these players' careers to date. After the West Indies game when they secured their place in the final, the players belted out their team song from the dressing room - 'Never Forget' by Take That.

They started singing it when they were on a losing streak in India last year. It seemed to help turn their fortunes around, and they've been singing it ever since.

The only distraction to the England camp in this campaign has been the reporting of all- rounder Jenny Gunn for a suspected illegal bowling action following their opening game against Sri Lanka. They dealt with that superbly though, and Gunn's action was cleared just before their Super Six Game against New Zealand.

Behind the scenes, however, there was confusion within the ECB as to which regulations they were supposed to follow when it came to the analysis of Gunn's action. The problem is, there are no published ICC regulations concerning the review of women bowlers reported with a suspected illegal bowling action, and the ICC later said the ECB's regulations for testing didn't apply either, even though they were instructed to carry out the test.

I'm sure it's something which will come up at the imminent AGM of the ICC Women's Cricket Committee. It needs to be addressed.

The squad is a young one, with only five players over 25, but a core of eight all played in the World Cup four years ago.

I thought I'd draft a few notes to help people back at home, who don't normally follow women's cricket, get to know some of the England's key players - so here goes.....

She was named ICC World Women's Cricketer of the Year last September and having worked for Hunts County Bats for many years, is now one of six players in this squad who have Chance to Shine coaching contracts, funded by the Cricket Foundation.

Edwards's contract is full-time, meaning she is paid a salary for 25 hours work a week over eight months, allowing her time for training and touring, together with a reliable income. This is her fourth World Cup, but the first time she has reached the final. Her mum is over here, staying in an apartment in North Sydney, which enabled Lottie to pop over for a 'home' cooked meal the other night.

Claire Taylor (Berkshire) Age: 33

Bats at three, is the most experienced member of the squad, and has been a consistent scorer for England for a number of years. Her undisputed talent is reflected in the ICC rankings, in which she is number one batter in the World. She's the leading run scorer at the World Cup so far, the only player to hit a century, and her strike rate - a healthy 100.39 - means she's capable of turning a game on its head.

At the last World Cup she took a sabbatical from her job in order to train and prepare properly. Now she works as a management consultant at Reading University, and in a recent blog, admitted to not getting enough money from cricket to cover the time off work she needs. This is a serious issue for women cricketers.

Her talents also extend to music, playing the violin in Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the sacrifices she makes for cricket is that she often has to miss big concerts due to playing commitments.

Sarah Taylor (Sussex) Age: 19
Opening bat/ wicketkeeper. The dark-haired teenager, who has a cheeky personality, already has a hundred at Lord's under her belt and was the youngest ever player to score 1,000 one-day runs. Winning the World Cup though, is her ultimate goal and shee hit her straps in the Super Sixes game against the West Indies with a sparkling 78.

Sarah's schooldays saw her play 1st XI boys cricket at Brighton College and she believes it's easier to keep wicket in the men's game, because the ball doesn't tend to come on as much in the women's.

Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire) Age: 23
Opening bowler. When you hear the blonde-haired Barnsley girl in an interview, she is sweetly spoken and sounds as if she wouldn't hurt a fly. When she gets the ball in her hand and marks out her run, however, you can't help but liken her attitude to that other fast bowler from Barnsley, Darren Gough. She holds her shoulders back, struts and glares, and is always entertaining to watch.

She's a very good bowler too, one of the quickest in the women's game. She's not tall, but she has a mean bouncer up her sleeve, and admits that channelling her aggression is something she's been working very hard on. Brunt, like Edwards, is on a full-time Chance to Shine contract.

Laura Marsh (Sussex) Age: 22
Off-spinner. Marsh is the leading wicket taker in the tournament so far, with 13 wickets going into Thursday's game against Australia. She was a seamer until about a year ago when she switched to spin and has been working closely with assistant coach and former Test off-spinner Jack Birkenshaw.

She's a student at Loughbrough University studying Sport Science, but it's proving a big challenge to juggle academic work with international cricket. She missed exams last February to compete in the Ashes in Australia, so she sat them before flying to the World Cup (a year late) and passed, despite the course changing some of the content without her knowing! She'll resume uni in January 2010, but by then all the friends she started with will have graduated.

Holly Colvin (Sussex) Age: 19
Left-arm spinner. The small, pony-tailed figure of Colvin first appeared in Test cricket at the age of 15 - the youngest player ever to do so - and she helped England win the Ashes in 05 and then retain them down under in 08. She flights the ball beautifully and tends to return miserly economy rates together with wickets.

She's one of these incredibly gifted but hard-working people - she got straight As in maths, biology, chemistry and Latin from Brighton College, despite all the time she puts into cricket. Her gap year has coincided perfectly with the World Cup, enabling her to go out to Australia early to join state side New South Wales Breakers.

Isa Guha (Berkshire) Age: 23yrs
Seam bowler and number one in the ICC world rankings. A skiddy bowler with less pace than Brunt, Guha relies on swing and took nine wickets in the Ashes Test against Australia a year ago. She's a biochemistry graduate from the University of London, but has been spending this winter playing Premier League cricket at Bankstown in Sydney.

She did, however choose to spend three days a week at a research lab at the University of Sydney to keep in touch with a future career. Guha is the first Asian woman to play cricket for England, and got interested in the game through playing back yard cricket with her older brother as she was growing up in High Wycombe.

In case you were wondering, the Super Sixes sees each team plays three more games against the countries who qualified from the other group. There are two points for a win and one for a tie or no result and the top two will go through to compete in the final on 22 March, with the others taking part in play-offs for third, fourth etc.

Pakistan were weak opposition in their final game, with England winning by eight wickets, so Edwards's side has yet to be genuinely tested in this tournament

England's last two games have been played at the North Sydney Oval, which is a picturesque ground with palm trees peeking out from behind green tin roofed stands, one of which - the Bob Stand - used to be at the SCG.

It's a small ground, but it has an historic feel. With it's picket fence and grassy hill, it's the sort of place you wish you could watch cricket all the time. It must also be one of very few grounds in the world with a stand named after a female player.

The Molly Dive stand honours the former Australia women's captain who played seven Tests between 1948 and 1951. One of the ends, meanwhile, is named after the giant fig tree, whose thick, gnarled branches lean over the outfield like a kindly grandfather.

During England's game against India the crowd swelled as the day went on. There wasn't the 1,300-odd who watched Australia lose to New Zealand two days earlier, but a band of England supporters started up some good humoured Barmy Army chants and a number of India fans beat a catchy rhythm on the Dohl drums, creating an atmospheric buzz which the players seemed to enjoy.

Many commentators who have not watched top level women's cricket for some time have been impressed by the standard on display here, not least Pakistan great Wasim Akram, who admits to being genuinely surprised by the top teams.

For me, seamers are bowling faster and with better direction than four years ago, the fielding is faster and sharper - fewer relay throws are being employed - and the quality of some of the timing and stroke play of some of the batters is a joy to watch.

England's Claire Taylor is something of a run machine and I'm looking forward to watching Australia's Karen Rolton from close quarters. Then there's Rolton's 18-year-old team mate Ellyse Perry who grabbed headlines by hitting a straight six into the stands at the MCG during a Twenty20 game against England last year.

No arguments about small boundaries there.

.

In fact, the women's World Cup first took place back in 1973 and this is the ninth tournament, but it's the first under the auspices of the International Cricket Council, who took over the running of the game in 2005, following a merger with the International Women's Cricket Council.

As in the UK, however, the newspapers and news channels here in Australia are full of the repercussions of the attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore. The attack has had a profound effect on every member of the cricket community, and the world's leading women cricketers are no exception.

The captains of both the Pakistan and Sri Lanka women's sides spoke to the press today as part of planned media activity.

Reporters were keen to ask some simple questions about how they felt about the attack, particularly after hearing how many of the Sri Lanka men's team have worked closely with the women, offering coaching advice.

Unfortunately, we were told by team management not to ask anything relating to the Lahore attack and the players themselves had been told not to comment. However, the message obviously hadn't reached former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy, who hosted a Q&A with the captains as part of the ICC Welcome Ceremony later in the day at Luna Park.

The first thing he asked in front of a room full of people was how news of the attack had affected them. Both answered thoughtfully and eloquently, making reporters wonder why we had not been allowed to pose a similar question earlier.

Shashikala Siriwardene of Sri Lanka said they were shocked, and admitted that to begin with, it had made them scared for their own safety here in Sydney. She then went on to say that their thoughts were with all those wounded or killed in the attack.

Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz Khan - a forthright, likeable character, judging by first impressions - added similar sentiments but stressed the need for their national team to continue playing, whether it be away from home or at neutral venues.

Pakistan's women are at this World Cup for only the second time and it is crucial they continue to play matches against top cricketing nations if they are to continue their development.

West Indies pulled out of a tour only recently on security grounds, and the Lahore attack now means Pakistan's women are going to be even more reliant on overseas trips to find the competition they need.

Tours cost money, but it's something the Pakistan Cricket Board are going to have to find funds for if their women's team are to appear at future World Cups.

As for the cricket, it all starts on Friday night UK time, with England playing Sri Lanka and Pakistan in action against India from 2300 GMT.

I'll be providing live updates every half an hour on Radio Five Live, with other reports on the World Service, Radio One, Radio 4 and the Asian Network.

The eight countries are split into two groups of four who all play each other once (Group A: Aus, NZ, SA, WI / Group B: Eng, Ind, SL, Pkn). The top three in each group progress to the Super Sixes, from where the top two teams play-off in the final on 22 March at North Sydney Oval.

The top four nations are defending champions Australia, England, India and New Zealand. However, the gap between the top four and the rest is much narrower than it was four years ago when I covered the last World Cup in South Africa.

The fact that women's cricket is now managed by each country's cricket board means it is run more professionally and there is more financial backing across all teams, evident in the number of backroom staff here who simply didn't exist four years ago.

England, led by Charlotte Edwards, have gone undefeated in their last 14 ODIs and have a great chance of winning here but Australia, in their own back yard, are favourites to lift the Trophy for a sixth time.

There are in-depth tributes written elsewhere on this site, so I will keep this brief and say rest in peace Bill. You made scoring an art form, and will be remembered as a legend.

As the youngest member of the BBC cricket team, I listened to Bill on the radio for many more years than I worked with him, but I feel lucky to have overlapped at least a few years with the Bearded Wonder.

During the second Test in Mohali, the start of play was delayed nearly every morning because of a wintery fog which clung to the ground like thick soup.

We could see nothing out of the commentary box window except a dense white blanket, and Bill delighted in picking up his binoculars and posing for me, staring out into the void. It was typical of his humour, and he will be greatly missed.

The English reporters were certainly pleased with the way day two of the first Test went for England against India in Chennai, but at that moment those smiles were definitely generated by Swann.

He is an eminently likeable and amusing character, sincere and generous hearted, yet never far away from a joke.

And after believing he was the first player ever to do so, Swann was endearingly disappointed to learn that Richard Johnson had done it on debut against Zimbabwe in 2003 - although he was quick to quip that 'as it was Johnno, it was all right '.

I come from Swann's home county, Northants, and I've known him for a few years now. I had watched and reported on him before I first met him personally in the living room of a mutual friend where he was trying to learn the guitar.

I showed him a few chords and he sang along to a verse or two of Wonderwall by Oasis.

He remained as friendly and down to earth as he was that day, even after the move to Nottinghamshire (which he describes as "the best thing ever to happen to me") and now playing for England.

When Swann first got news of his selection for the first Test, he said his dad would be ecstatic. It was a pointed remark because his father, a former player himself, has been a constant source of encouragement in both of his sons' cricket careers - the elder Swann brother, Alec, played for both Northants and Lancashire.

Ray Swann is a teacher so one can only hope he hadn't left for school before his youngest son's dream opening over began. He and wife Mavis were glued to the TV in their Towcester home from 0400 on the first day of the match.

Swann's first experience of a senior England cricket tour was in South Africa under Duncan Fletcher back in 1999/2000 when he was a 19-year-old who had still to mature either as a person or a player.

He made his one-day debut but didn't ingratiate himself with the coach by famously missing the team bus. With 15 ODIs and a Test debut, he'll continue to use two mobile phone alarms to wake himself up every morning.

As a spinner there can be no better place to make your Test debut than India, particularly on a wicket such as this in Chennai which will turn even more as the match goes on.

It is too early to judge how far Swann's career will go in terms of challenging for the spinner's spot back home in less friendly conditions or indeed abroad in South Africa, West Indies or Australia, but whatever happens be sure he will enjoy the ride, and all cricket fans should enjoy it with him.

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England were given a decent target to chase, as the Mumbai team made a modest 222-7, but Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood were both guilty of poor shots, which set the tone of the innings. Bell hung his bat outside the off stump and was caught behind when it looked as if he intended to leave it, while Collingwood chipped meekly to mid-on. Their team-mates weren't any better though. Samit Patel, Graeme Swann and James Anderson were the only batsmen to make it into double figures in what was an embarrassing batting display.

On a more positive note, what this match has served to do is show again how well James Anderson bowls with the new ball. He claimed an early wicket with a good away swinger, after wicketkeeper Matt Prior had missed a chance off his bowling in the very first over. Anderson has already said since arriving in Mumbai that he feels he's in a fight to regain his place, having been dropped for the Stanford match in Antigua.

Unfortunately for Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright, both missed out on chances to stake a claim. Bopara was out for nine, caught behind driving, while Wright made just one, playing on to a delivery from Kshemal Waingankar, a 23-year-old seamer who has played just one first-class match. Waingankar ripped through England's batting and celebrated a five-for with understandable jubilance.

Stuart Broad missed the warm-up game with a sore knee, but Pietersen believes he'll be fit for the first one-day international on Friday. However, if England stick with two spinners in Patel and Swann, Broad could possibly be the one to miss out.

Ryan Sidebottom is still a doubt with his Achilles problem, so things aren't too rosy for England as they head to Rajkot to take on an Indian side still buoyant after their Test series win over Australia.

At least that's what I was led to believe from reading several travel novels about India. In fact I found the smell much less pungent than I expected. What struck me first as I pushed my luggage trolley into the dazzling yet hazy sunshine was the line of quaint, black and yellow Fiat taxis with bench front seat, waiting hopefully in line for their next passengers.

They are the most quirky cabs I've ever seen and I immediately fell in love with them and what they represent.

Take the New York yellow cab, the London black cab, and the red paintwork and silver roof of the taxis in Hong Kong. Each is the same and they are a symbol of their city. Here, the taxis are also part of Mumbai's heritage, and in a quirk of Indian contradiction, all are the same, yet each is different.

Drivers take great pride in their yellow roofed vehicle, and every single car has a stamp of individualism about it, whether it be the red hub caps, the decorative mud guards over the rear wheels, the swirling pink letters painted onto the side, the fully carpeted interior or the colourful stickers adorning the bonnet.

Some are lovingly held together with brown package tape, either to hold the bumper in place or repair a broken window, but they add to a sense that individualism and creativity must thrive in a city where it would be so easy to blend in and just become a population statistic.

Unfortunately though, thousands of Mumbai residents aren't a population statistic at all. The other day, several journalists accompanied five of the England players to an afternoon of sporting activity with children who live in slum areas of the city.

Nearly 100,000 families live in slums and pavement communities on government port land in Mumbai. These communities are illegal and simply not recognised, even though some have existed for 50 years.

The afternoon was arranged by Magic Bus, a not-for-profit organisation who believe in a child's right to play and who use sport as a means of developing the life skills of children, who might otherwise have no opportunity to do so.

The journey to the sports ground was an eye-opener in itself, as the car squeezed along a muddy, pothole-ridden road, past a never-ending line of huts made of cardboard and hardboard, some with tarpaulin roofs, some with corrugated iron for protection.

We pulled into a dusty field, about the size of a football pitch, with a course covering of grass and a couple of football goalposts. You will hear more about this experience in one of the intervals during the one-day series on Test Match Special.

All I will say for now is that the children were delightful, the players were very good sports, and Magic Bus are doing some admirable, rewarding and much much needed work.