This impromptu game took place near the North Pole in April when the Royal Navy submarine HMS Trenchant broke through the ice.

The hunter-killer sub was training with two US subs – the USS Connecticut and USS Hartford – an exercise co-ordinated by the US Navy’s Arctic Submarine Laboratory. The trials were designed to test submariners’ skills in operating in the frigid climate of the Arctic Circle.

They also allowed the crew to test a range of equipment, notably sonar, against live ‘targets’ and to practice tracking and simulating attacks against other submarines.

Batting and bowling through freezing temperatures, the team enjoyed the clear blue skies in one of the coldest places on earth.
Photo: HMS Trenchant was one of three submarines that broke through the Arctic ice – triggering an impromptu game of cricket.