New Zealand men registered their first Test win on Indian soil in 36 years with an eight-wicket victory over Rohit Sharma and Co. in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Later in the evening, the women too stood up and defeated South Africa comprehensively by 32 runs in the Women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai, winning the crown for the first time.

For sure it turned out to be a memorable day for New Zealand cricket.

In the final at the Dubai International Stadium, New Zealand, put into bat on a slow wicket, rode on the contributions from experienced opener Suzie Bates (32 off 31 balls), No.3 batter Amelia Kerr (43 off 38 balls) and Brooke Halliday (38 off 28 balls) to post a competitive 158/5.

The 57-run fourth-wicket stand between Kerr and Halliday, coming in seven overs, was crucial to New Zealand women, also known as White Ferns, breaching the 150 mark after they had slipped to 70/3 in the 11th over. Such was the slowness of the track that just one maximum could be hit in the entire final, coming off the blade of New Zealand’s Maddy Green, who remained not out on 12 off six balls.

In reply, South Africa were solidly placed at 51 without loss in the seventh over, thanks to their captain Laura Wolvaardt (33) and Tazmin Brits (17). But once Fran Jonas picked up Brits and Kerr accounted for both Wolvaardt and the in-form Anneke Bosch, the South Africans just couldn’t recover thereafter.

They somehow limped their way to 126/9, with Kerr and Rosemary Mair picking up three wickets each.

“It’s pretty unreal. We’ve been through lows in the last 18 months, but stuck together and got through,” medium pacer Mair said.

Brief scores: NZ Women 158/5 in 20 ovs (Amelia Kerr 43, Brooke Halliday 38; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2/31). South Africa Women 126/9 in 20 ovs (Laura Wolvaardt 33; Rosemary Mair 3/25, Amelia Kerr 3/24). NZ Women won by 32 runs.

Written with PTI inputs