Up until now I’ve been writing about places that I consider Hidden Gems, but I've decided to diversify and include activities which I consider less mainstream. I spoke about lawn bowls last month and today I’m going to bring up the age old game of – Bat and Ball.

An activity mainly reserved for the young (the young at heart is who this is aimed at), I remember playing this on the beach when I was a child, with a tennis ball and green bat and a very unenthusiastic younger brother. Once I moved down to Cape Town I was re-introduced to the fun that is bat and ball, and now consider it an integral part of a day spent on the beach.

Unlike tennis, the concept behind this game is to keep it going for as long as possible, not sending the ball sailing over your batting partners head is the challenge to be mastered. Bat Ball tournaments take up our beach days in the summer, which results in world class dives to keep the ball going, and very lady-like leaps into the air for just. One. More. Round...

You can usually see us playing on Clifton 2’s beach, in knee deep water to keep cool, and we are always on the lookout for fellow players to join the tournaments – so feel free to join us...