"Yes they got to play on TV and their families get to watch them on TV but you can only promote this equality Super Smash double header, giving the women and the men equal opportunity if you actually follow it through."
The majority of the crowd who turned up to watch the men's game, won by Auckland in a close encounter that came down to the final ball, remained to watch the women's game.
Wellington won the final by four wickets in a thrilling match also decided in the final ball.
Canterbury captain Frankie Mackay, who was yesterday named in the New Zealand T20 squad, told Radio Sport the players understood they didn't make money for their associations.
"We as women cricketers we're really understanding. We don't earn the money we know that, we don't bring in the sponsorship deals and people in through the gates paying for their tickets as well. We understand we're not making money for our associations,"
"The chance to play these games whether it's before or after the men has been fantastic and I really must commend all the associations in New Zealand Cricket and the men's teams as well for having such a short gap between the games. That's the most important thing, not have hours between them. That half an hour turnaround means people do stay on."
"When you put us on good wickets, good outfields, the cricket is of a really high standard so I guess it's been awesome to showcase that and open a few the eyes of a few people who might have had a negative view of women's cricket or might have had no idea at all."
Last year the Herald reported that Northern Districts Cricket was set to announce it would give its women cricketers equal pay during the domestic Twenty20 double-headers - a rate of $575 a game.
It had gone as far as preparing a press release about it, before New Zealand Cricket stepped in.
It is believed some associations recoiled when faced with the prospect of trying to match ND.
In October NZC spokesman Richard Boock said the organisation was in the preliminary stages of setting up terms of reference for the new women's MoU, which was likely to cover all professional women's cricket in New Zealand "and usher in an exciting new era for women's cricket in general".
"While there probably have been conversations around how ND's initiative could affect this, NZC would never challenge the autonomy of major associations, or their right to make their own decisions."
Other New Zealand codes have made substantial strides for gender equality in the last 12 months.
In March it was announced that the world champions Black Ferns rugby players would be rewarded with improved pay deals and annual retainers that could reach $30,000.
In what was thought to be a world first, this year it was announced the Football Ferns players will get the same pay, prize money and image rights fees for international games as the All Whites.
