In a letter to club members, Robert Lawson, the chief executive and secretary, reiterated that it was “vital to MCC’s reputation” that the club avoids a repeat of the scenes that marred the Women’s World Cup final in 2017. On that occasion, some 24,000 fans packed the stands for England’s thrilling nine-run victory, but the members-only areas at the pavilion end remained sparsely populated.

MCC attracted criticism at the time, from members and media alike. However, as the club hierarchy acknowledged during a Special General Meeting in July last year, at which ticketing arrangements for the tournament were discussed, the implications of a similar snub could be far more damaging this time around.

It took until 1998 for MCC’s membership to permit women to join the club, which had been an all-male preserve since it was founded in 1787. It currently has some 18,350 full members, however fewer than 3% of these are women.

The ICEC report had also noted what it described as the “truly appalling” fact that England Women have never yet played a Test match at Lord’s. That fact is due to be rectified next week, when England take on India in a historic first for the sport, however the club is already sufficiently concerned about the optics this weekend to issue a call to arms.

“On Sunday, we have the honour of hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final,” Lawson wrote in his letter to members on Wednesday. “Yesterday’s semi-final saw Australia continue their dominant run and we look forward to welcoming them to Lord’s this weekend. Tomorrow evening we will find out which of England or South Africa will join them.

“We can expect a very high-quality match this Sunday. I ask that you show your continued support for the game and for your Club by using your ticket(s) and coming to the match, regardless of which teams have made it to the Final.

“It is vital to MCC’s reputation that there is no repeat of the situation which occurred at the ICC Women’s World Cup Final at Lord’s in 2017, when there was a clear disparity between the Public Stands (visibly full) and the sparsely-occupied Pavilion. That same principle applies to the Members’ Friends’ Enclosures.”

Lawson concluded with a plea to those members with tickets to inform the club if they choose not to attend, “and we will do our best to fill the space you have vacated”.

The tournament as a whole has been enthusiastically attended, including at Lord’s, where a crowd of 27,000 watched the double-header that capped the group stages on Sunday. South Africa’s tense victory over Bangladesh was sufficient for them to progress, with India losing out to Australia in the afternoon fixture.

More than 160,000 tickets have been sold across the tournament, a new record for a women’s ICC event, and more than double that which attended the 50-over event in England nine years ago. This has included record attendances for women’s matches at Edgbaston (18,814 for India v Pakistan) and The Oval (21,018 for England v New Zealand).

“It’s been incredible,” Beth Barrett-Wild, the tournament director, said last week. “We set out on a mission to break women’s cricket into the mainstream and over the course of the last three weeks we’ve seen record-breaking crowds. I feel like we’ve definitely delivered.”