This week I have watched 4 live games from the Women's World Cup at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. The standard of cricket has been excellent with some very tight tussles going down to last ball deciders.

What has this got to do with you as a coach?

There are 3 things that have stood out over these matches which we can all learn from, irrespective of size, age or gender.

1. Using the depth of the crease

As I have highlighted previously, great players push back into the stumps to increase the distance between a back of a length ball and the contact area against spin, especially in sub-continent conditions.

This technique was prevalent at the Women's World Cup and the incidence of cut, pull and back foot driven boundaries was incredibly high as a result.

Few players missed out on turning the short of a length ball into a high scoring option; something for us all there.

2. Fielding in pairs

This simple idea is often discussed yet not applied with consistency.

The England and Australia teams always chased balls down in a pair, always closed the distance between fielders, running 10-15 yards to support your team mates diving stop anticipating a flick up in the inner circle and always backed up with 2 or 3 fielders at each end.

This made the fielding spectacle even more impressive.

The encouragement between team mates and supportive actions in the field was infectious and got me thinking of how I can use the ICC Women's World Cup as an example to add an extra dimension to my own fielding teams at Millfield School and further afield.

3. Play hard, share stories

The competitive nature of all the players was obvious throughout the tournament. Fierce rivalries were evident in each match that I watched.

Yet when the match finished, both teams sat together and discussed the days playand asked each other questions. It was great to see the players having pictures taken with each other or doing warm downs together even though they were in opposition minutes earlier.

I feel we have lost the ability to learn from each other, in sharing experiences with your opposition and learning in informal environments.

This tournament has shown me the value of getting players together after a game, even if it is only for 15 minutes.

So instead of sharing a drink or post match snack with your ever-present team mate, my challenge to you is to drop the bravado and see what you can learn from your fiercest rival.