Howzat for a summer set up? Cricket on the sandbar of Bay of Islands showcases the summer of Kiwiana

How to create the most kiwi "backyard" cricket game of all time?

Replace the backyard with a sandbar in the Bay of Islands – this requires a half-hour boat ride – and you can also boast of having a summer stunner.

The incredible Paihia man cricket set, Ted Grant, was featured at a Twitter exchange launched by former Australian cricketer Dean Jones.

Jones asked for photos of the best grounds in his garden and offered a signed copy of his book for what he considered to be the best.

Underwater cricket club El & # 39; Presidente & # 39; Ted Grant responded to the tweet with a photo of his cricket club.

"Twice a year in Bay of Islands, New Zealand," he writes.

"The locals are constantly referring to the area as our" backyard "."

Grant, whose day-to-day job is Fullers GreatSights, introduced the group as the "Submarine Cricket Club".

The aerial photo captured a group of people playing cricket on a sandbar connected to a small island in the middle of a crystal clear water.

Speaking to Herald About the ingenuity of the Kiwis, Grant said batting on unconventional terrain was an annual tradition since 2011 – and had recently become an event twice a year.

Two of his friends decided to create a cricket ground on site while handling a cold beverage.

"Rumor has it that cricket has been played on the sandbar for decades," said Grant.

"Nobody is really sure."

The team is now playing for the "underwater trophy," Grant said.

They gather friends and family and go to the island to play.

Anxious to encourage everyone in the favorite game of Kiwis, Grant said that they invited new participants whenever the games twice a year unfolded.

The faithful members of the team are painters, forestry workers and firefighters.

Each year, they also tried to get backpackers backpackers to "give them a taste" of how the Kiwis enjoyed the summer.

The island takes about 30 minutes to arrive by boat and the group nicknamed it "Rock Submarine", he said, because of its shape and appearance.

The sandbank is officially part of the Ngatokoparangi Islands.

Its partial immersion in the water made the installation of wickets very dependent on the tide.

"We have to time our games when low tide is low around the middle of the day," Grant said.

"Matches are timed for each team to win two one-hour runs with little drink breaks in between."

The underwater cricket club met twice a year, said Grant, just before the summer, in October or November, and then in February or March.

Jones' message has drawn more than a dozen other answers – though Grant is undoubtedly the most impressive.

The photos showed installations ranging from classic courts in the courtyard to street cricket images in Mumbai.