diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/TestUtils.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/TestUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7304e4a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/TestUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2010 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.data.gemfire;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+
+/**
+ * @author Costin Leau
+ */
+public abstract class TestUtils {
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	public static <T> T readField(String name, Object target) throws Exception {
+		Field field = target.getClass().getDeclaredField(name);
+		field.setAccessible(true);
+		return (T) field.get(target);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/CacheNamespaceTest.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/CacheNamespaceTest.java
index 323e5e2b..cf84d99a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/CacheNamespaceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/CacheNamespaceTest.java
@@ -20,14 +20,13 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
-import java.lang.reflect.Field;
-
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.data.gemfire.CacheFactoryBean;
+import org.springframework.data.gemfire.TestUtils;
 import org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
@@ -47,30 +46,24 @@ public class CacheNamespaceTest {
 	public void testBasicCache() throws Exception {
 		assertTrue(context.containsBean("cache"));
 		CacheFactoryBean cfb = (CacheFactoryBean) context.getBean("&cache");
-		assertNull(readField("cacheXml", cfb));
-		assertNull(readField("properties", cfb));
+		assertNull(TestUtils.readField("cacheXml", cfb));
+		assertNull(TestUtils.readField("properties", cfb));
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testNamedCache() throws Exception {
 		assertTrue(context.containsBean("cache-with-name"));
 		CacheFactoryBean cfb = (CacheFactoryBean) context.getBean("&cache-with-name");
-		assertNull(readField("cacheXml", cfb));
-		assertNull(readField("properties", cfb));
+		assertNull(TestUtils.readField("cacheXml", cfb));
+		assertNull(TestUtils.readField("properties", cfb));
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testCacheWithXml() throws Exception {
 		assertTrue(context.containsBean("cache-with-xml"));
 		CacheFactoryBean cfb = (CacheFactoryBean) context.getBean("&cache-with-xml");
-		Resource res = (Resource) readField("cacheXml", cfb);
+		Resource res = TestUtils.readField("cacheXml", cfb);
 		assertEquals("cache.xml", res.getFilename());
-		assertEquals(context.getBean("props"), readField("properties", cfb));
+		assertEquals(context.getBean("props"), TestUtils.readField("properties", cfb));
 	}
-
-	private Object readField(String name, Object target) throws Exception {
-		Field field = target.getClass().getDeclaredField(name);
-		field.setAccessible(true);
-		return field.get(target);
-	}
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file