IF you aren’t into cricket, summer can be a barren time for the average sports enthusiast.

With the football season done and dusted and rugby also finished, the middle part of the year is often a time where fitness levels decrease and unwashed kit lies around gathering dust.

But look closer and there are a wealth of opportunities for those who want to keep in shape, or maybe just get out of the house once in a while.

Softball, for example, is one summer activity that attracts fans of the great outdoors, and the Swindon league is hoping to draw more players in for the start of the 2010 season.

As a sport, it’s essentially a cross between baseball and rounders, though more accessible than the former, but with more depth than the latter.

Don’t be fooled by the name. The ball itself is anything but soft, while the bat is similar to that used in baseball and is made of tough stuff.

I find this out when I join Nationwide Cyclones for a training session at Nationwide Pavilion.

A softball newbie, I am shown the basics by league chairman and Cyclones player Ian Luckhurst, while coach Dave Jones also takes me through the game’s idioms.

After some basic exercises I am thrown into a match, and though I don’t humiliate myself, it’s fair to say I have a way to go before matching the majority of those out there.

It all culminates in a play where I crack the ball some 60 metres, way beyond the majority of the fielders, only for it to drop straight into the glove of a covering fielder. As I say, work to do.

“It’s a really fun and social sport that anyone can play, and it doesn’t matter what level of expertise you have,” Luckhurst told me afterwards.

“It’s a game for all ages. I’m 43 now but I can still play on a level with someone who’s 23. There’s people in their 50s who still play.

“For those who don’t want to go straight into a high pressure game, we’ll look to hold training sessions throughout the summer and people can just come along.”

Currently, eight teams are due to take part in the Swindon Softball League this year, with the season due to start on Tuesday.

The league, which has been running for the best part of a decade, would like to attract more women, as teams are required to field a certain amount of male and female players in each match.

“If new teams want to come in then we can do something with those, whether it’s league matches or friendlies,” said Luckhurst. “If it’s individuals or teams, we can cater for anybody.

“When you play a league game you have six men and four women. Other leagues throughout the country are five and five and we’re gradually working our way towards that.

Luckhurst added that the league had plans to expand in the near future and was hopeful of running at least two divisions.

Anyone interested in playing softball should contact Ian Luckhurst on 07748 325555 or email info@swindonsoftball.co.uk.