We might have spent Waitangi Day at the cricket, but we didn’t lose sight of the significance of the day. We weren’t allowed to. And we were grateful for it.

The Tino Rangatiratanga flag fluttered proudly centre stage on the middle flag pole at Bay Oval – flanked by the New Zealand and South African flags. A Nice touch. The ground announcer regularly nudged us by referencing Waitangi Day and Te Kapa Haka o Ngati Ranginui gave a lunchtime performance that fired the national spirit in us all.

Right behind us on the embankment two or three young Pakeha women were competent and inclusive enough to sing along in Te Reo. These may be divisive times in New Zealand but certainly not at the cricket test. A couple of Poms sitting alongside were quite overcome by their immersion in our culture. ‘That’s what sets us apart,’ we told them.

Thank you New Zealand Cricket. You got things so right on Tuesday and made us proud to be Kiwis.

Ian Goldsmith, Otūmoetai.