The thwack of leather on willow resounded around Durham this week under the shadow of the city's famous cathedral.

To the casual observer it could have been a scene from any cricket pitch in

any corner of England.

But organisers of the country's first festival for women's cricket hope

it will be the beginning of a new era in the game.

While our test team battle in vain to topple the Aussies a new breed of young women are becoming fascinated by the sport.

Teams from Yorkshire, Surrey, Sussex, Durham and Scotland battled it out in a

week-long event.

Organiser Deborah Holmes said: "Women's cricket is taking off in a big way with more and more girls becoming interested in the sport.

"They are finding that sports which were once dominated by men are now open

to them.

"The idea was to raise the profile of the women's game in this first year but

we hope it will become an annual event."

Gill McConway, National Women's Cricket Development Officer, said: "This is an important new national event.

"The festival is a wonderful vehicle to help the development of women's

cricket.

"I am sure this will encourage a surge of young people taking up the game."