Out for a duck? Spectacular drone footage captures cricketers playing their annual match in the middle of the Solent at this morning’s low tide
- The popular Bramble Bank cricket game takes place once a year on the Solent
- Rival yacht clubs Royal Southern Yacht Club and Island Sailing Club face off
- The sandbank appears just once a year when the tide falls low enough
- Teams arrive in a flotilla in the morning on Thursday and begin their game
Two rival yacht clubs faced off for an annual cricket game in the sand on a Bramble Bank, a sandbank in Solent, this morning.
The low tide saw the return of the competition between Royal Southern Yacht Club (RSYC) and their friendly rivals the Island Sailing Club (ISC).
Impressive drone footage documented the competitors dipping their feet in the sand as they took part in what is known as the Bramble Bank game, on a patch of land between Southampton and the Isle of Wight
Two rival yacht clubs faced off for an annual cricket game in the sand on Bramble Bank sandbank in the Solent on Thursday morning
The rival teams, Royal Southern Yacht Club, based in Hamble, and their friendly rivals the Island Sailing Club, from Cowes, dipped their toes in the sand for the annual game
The group arrive in a flotilla this morning were also joined by dozens of spectators who drove their boats along to witness the annual game
The competition can only takes place once a year when the tide is low enough and only last for around half an hour.
The drone captures the cricket players setting up their game on the sand and splashing through the water as the ball flies through the air.
Dozens of spectators, some of who travelled by boat to get there, watch the game unfold from the sidelines as the teams attempt to outrun eachother.
They play the game as quickly as possible before the tide rises and the sandy bank is engulfed by the water once again.
The game is played on a small arrow-head shaped piece of land which emerges in the water between Southampton and the Isle of Wight
The teams play the game as quickly as possible before the tide rises and the sandy bank is engulfed by the water once again – typically within half an hour
The annual game is so important a local reverend is even invited to attend to ensure the sanctity of the match
The players arrived in a flotilla at dawn to take part in the popular sporting event.
The area, named Bramble Bank, is an arrowhead-shaped sandbar around 200metres long in the central Solent which is uncovered at low tides.
Despite the fierce rivalry between the RSYC, based in Hamble, and the ISC, based in Cowes, the game’s winner is already predetermined.
This year’s winner was the Royal South Yacht Club.
The game is so important it even received a blessing in person by a local reverend to ensure the sanctity of the match.
The game is believed to have been first organised in the 1950s by British boat-maker Uffa Fox who was known for his eccentric exploits and adventures.
The boat-maker, alongside forming generation-spanning traditions was also the designer of the Britannia, the rowboat used by John Fairfax for his solo-rowing expedition across the Atlantic Ocean in 1969.
The yacht clubs were forced to cancel last year’s game due to coronavirus.