Kim Cotton becomes first female on-field umpire in ICC full-member men's international cricket

Women referees and umpires judging in men's competitions is extremely rare. Scripting a new chapter in history, Kim Cotton of New Zealand became the first female on-field umpire to stand in a men's international match between two ICC full-member countries. 

She stood as an on-field umpire in a T20 match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at the University Oval in Dunedin on Wednesday. 

Cotton, 45, is not new to the profession of a cricket umpire as she has umpired in 16 women's ODIs and 44 T20Is.

She also marked her presence in men's cricket as a TV umpire during a T20I match between India and New Zealand in 2020.

Her name is included in some of the elite umpires as she has been 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.

Before Cotton achieved the rare feat, Claire Polosak became the first female umpire in a men's international cricket in 2019 when she stood in a Onedayer between Oman and Namibia.

But they are associate nations and not full-time ICC members.

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