West Indies needed 15 runs off the last over with seven wickets down and Suzie Bates wanted the ball.
With the backing of captain Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr - with whom Bates forms an impressive White Ferns triumvirate - she took it.
Zaida James, in the middle of a crucial cameo for West Indies with a place in the T20 World Cup final on the line, crunched Bates' first ball through the covers for four. New Zealand were only allowed three fielders out due to an over-rate penalty. But this wasn't the first time Bates had been here, and it showed.
A dot ball followed by a fuller one that angled in and pegged back James' leg stump meant New Zealand were almost there. A single to Ashmini Munisar left Bates' fellow 37-year-old Afy Fletcher with 10 to get off the last two balls. When she managed just a single off the last, Bates was there to collect the ball, fired in by Kerr from deep midwicket, and slammed it into the stumps in triumph.
Some 14 years of waiting for another shot at the title was over.
"I looked at Suzie and said, 'Suzie I think you should bowl,' and she said to Sophie, 'bowl me, I want to bowl it,' Kerr said of that last over. "That's huge from your leader, your most capped player, to step up again in that moment.
"She's done it before for us, she's a bit of a last-over specialist and she likes to call herself Michael Jordan. I think that was a Michael Jordan moment."
It was reminiscent of Bates' over against England in March, the final one of the match in which she defended eight runs and took 2 for 4 to win it and keep their five-game series alive after two defeats.
Playing her 333rd international match, equalling Mithali Raj's record for appearances, in what could be her final campaign for New Zealand, Bates' solitary over against West Indies in Sharjah on Friday night was the ultimate complement to Eden Carson's efforts in the powerplay.
Carson, the 23-year-old offspinner, was Player of the Match for a second consecutive time at this tournament with 3 for 29 as New Zealand defended a modest total of 128 for 9.
She removed Qiana Joseph, star of West Indies' upset against England in their final group game, and Shemaine Campbell inside the first five overs. After six overs, New Zealand had sent down 19 dot balls between Carson, 20-year-old left-arm spinner Fran Jonas and seamer Rosemary Mair.
When Carson rearranged Stafanie Taylor's stumps in the ninth over with one that ripped past the bat to end a laboured innings of 13 off 20, West Indies were left with too much to do, despite Deandra Dottin's best efforts to chase down the target with her 33 off 22 balls.
It was Kerr who removed Dottin via a top edge to Jonas, who held on at short fine leg on a night when New Zealand put down five catches and missed two reviews that would have yielded wickets.
So there it was, Bates representing the old guard with Devine, Carson representing the future, and 25-year-old Kerr with 158 caps the bridge between two generations of White Ferns.
That all three came together at the perfect time following a difficult period since the last T20 World Cup was something no one on the outside saw coming at the start of the tournament but those on the inside believed in.
Since New Zealand crashed out in the group stages of the 2023 edition in South Africa, Devine has spoken of wanting to protect the likes of Carson, Jonas and Izzy Gaze, the 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter who scored a vital 20 not out off 14 balls on Friday, from any pressure.
That theme continued through series defeats to England at home and away and a 3-0 series defeat in Australia immediately before this tournament and now New Zealand, young and old(er), are seeing the benefits.
"It's been a tough year but I think it speaks volumes of the character and the people in the group," Kerr said of her side's achievement. "Those series were tough and they were against England and Australia, who are both two world-class teams.
"Losses can dent your confidence but coming to a World Cup you want to stay positive and believe that you can win any game and hopefully those losses made us better, which I think they 100% have. To stay upbeat and together just shows the character this group has."
While it's been almost impossible to completely shield the youngsters, as Carson revealed, they have been able to thrive.
Georgia Plimmer, the 20-year-old opener, is another example of New Zealand keeping the faith with a young player. After struggling through their tour of England, she rewarded them with a half-century against Sri Lanka in the group stage then top scoring in their eight-run win over West Indies with 33 off 31. That Plimmer's innings came as Bates battled her way to 26 off 28 was another sign that the future is bright for New Zealand.
"As a team we could have fallen into a bit of a hole with each other and getting a bit of stick from people online, but I think that just built us as a team," Carson said. "We've been a lot closer over the past year. We don't try speaking too much about the losses, we just speak about the learnings that come from that.
"The more experienced group, it has been tough on them as well. I know mentally and emotionally it has been draining for them but to be able to show up every day to training, to camps back in New Zealand, to now the World Cup on the big stage. Anything can happen at a tournament like this. In a series we can go 3-0 down like we did against the Aussies but I think those games, we took a lot out of those."
With England and Australia making shock exits in the group stage and semi-finals respectively, New Zealand now face South Africa in Sunday's title decider, guaranteeing a new champion. That seems apt for a side unearthing new champions within.