The Annual Bramble Bank Cricket Match

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 2: In an aerial view at sunrise of the annual cricket match in The Solent, played on the Brambles sandbank which appears briefly at low tide on September 2, 2023 near Southampton, England. This strange and ‘quintessentially English’ cricket match on the Brambles Sandbar takes place between the Royal Southern Yacht Club, based in Hamble, and Cowes Island Sailing Club. Players and spectators travel in small boats from the Isle of White and Southampton to wait for Bramble Bank to appear at low tide, with play continuing until the tide returns. Another unusual aspect is that the match winner is decided before the match, with teams taking alternate turns at winning. This year, it was the Cowes Island Sailing Club’s turn after Royal Southern team won in 2021. The 2022 match was cancelled as a mark of respect following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. (Footage by Chris Gorman/The Big Ladder Photographer/The Wright Archive/Popperfoto via Getty Images)