Women's test cricket is dire but tonight's 20/20 is a chance to make amends

Tonight, starting at 7pm, England's women cricketers play Australia in a must win match for them at Hove.  If they lose then Australia regain the women's Ashes.
The match is covered live by Sky, and there is also full commentary on test match special. Most encouraging of all, the match is a sell-out. It obviously helps that it is on a Friday evening at the beginning of the Bank Holiday weekend, but it is to the credit of the two teams, and Sussex County Cricket Club's marketing department, that there will be a capacity crowd.
The shortened version showcases women's cricket at its best. There will not be as many boundaries but there should be good entertainment and that atmosphere that only a capacity cord can generate. 
Sarah Taylor, the England (and Sussex) wicketkeeper is superb behind the stumps, standing up to the medium pacers and bravely (madly?) not wearing a helmet. Meg Lanning, the Australian captain, is the best batsman in the world, and there are echoes of Dennis Compton in Ellyse Perry - not only does she open the batting and bowling for Australia, but in the winter she plays for national football team as well.
Any comment which suggests that women's sport lacks a certain merit in comparison to the men's version risks being misinterpreted. Nowadays though I do not have to be quite so careful. I am genuinely looking forward to tonight's match but if it was a test match that was scheduled I would give a wide swerve. 
As part of the Ashes series the women played a test match at Canterbury. It was also covered - for the whole 5 days - by Sky and Radio 5. Australia won the game in the final session on the 5th day, which suggests an entertaining match. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The world watching paint dry competition would have been more interesting. The run rate was consistently less than 2 runs an over. The batters made Geoff Boycott look like a reckless dasher.
I cannot believe that anyone apart from relatives of the players, or someone with a bet riding on the result (my excuse!), could have stuck it out for more than 2 hours.
Women's cricket is on the up. Lots of money has been put in. The coaching has been professionalised (they are all men funnily enough - as are the umpires?) but this could backfire if the product is rubbish. The test match was a dire backwards step but the one day matches have been good.
Under lights in a packed ground at Hove is a real chance for the women to showcase the game. I am looking forward to it.
Oh and if you want a financial interest I recommend backing Australia. They are the 20/20 world champions and until Wednesday's defeat at Chelmsford had beaten England 16 games in succession. It's unpatriotic I know but you can back them at a generally available 4/5 which seems good value to me. I am pretty sure that is what Farringdon would do.