Kim Cotton of New Zealand made history on Wednesday, becoming the first woman on-field umpire to stand in a men's international match between two ICC full-member countries.

Cotton officiated the second T20I between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the University Oval in Dunedin on Wednesday.

The 45-year-old, who previously umpired in 16 women's ODIs and 44 T20Is, first marked her presence in men's cricket as a TV umpire during a tied T20I between India and New Zealand in 2020.

Kim Cotton becomes first woman on-field umpire in men's international cricket.
Kim Cotton becomes first woman on-field umpire in men's international cricket.IANS

The New Zealander was one of the on-field umpires for both the 2022 Women's World Cup final (50-over) and the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup final in February.

Previously, Claire Polosak was the first woman umpire in a men's international in 2019 when she stood in an ODI match between Oman and Namibia, both associate nations.

pink ball test
Reuters

Polosak had also become the first woman match official in a men's Test match as the fourth umpire during a 2021-22 Border Gavaskar Trophy Test match between India and Australia in Sydney last year.

(With inputs from IANS)

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