In Pictures: Perfect conditions for ducks as cricket rivals battle on sandbank

The Solent took centre stage for its yearly role in cricket folklore as the Island Sailing Club took on Royal Southern Yacht Club in a match played on an exposed sandbank in the sea.

The fixture provides one of the most unusual locations for willow to collide with leather, with both teams taking advantage of low tide to play in a game like no other, with a decidedly difficult wicket for bowlers and batsmen alike.

The fear of being scuppered left both teams treading water as they vied for supremacy in conditions that were decidedly on the wet side in the stretch between the south coast west of Gosport and the Isle of Wight.

But the two teams made a splash with a fair wind for the annual nautical encounter.

The bowler had only a thin sliver of sand to pitch the ball while the batsmen had to wade to the other end as they completed a run with conditions far from ideal.

On a more positive note for the batsmen, when they did connect the fielders had to take the plunge if they were to pull off a catch unless the ball headed straight towards them.

There was not much movement off the pitch for the bowlers who might have considered trying a flipper or two as bait to reel in the batsmen.

It was not just the batsmen who got bogged down, with the scorers too feeling the south coast waters lapping around their feet as they tried to keep up with the ebb and flow of the match on what looked to be good conditions for ducks.

The maritime match was a magnet for boaters and photographers took up position just outside the boundary to watch the event, with a drone providing a good aerial view of the naval battle.

Fielders, having to navigate their way to retrieve the ball, were most at risk of unscheduled drink intervals.

When stumps were drawn, it was time to drop anchor and return ashore to perhaps a different kind of watering hole.