Pop-up baseball cages bring America's favourite summer sport to Auckland's Wynyard Quarter

Ryder Beard, 4, takes a swing in the baseball batting cage set up in Wynyard Quarter. Photo / Nick Reed

A slice of Americana has come to our watery backyard.

And yesterday four-year-old Ryder Beard was the latest to take a swing in the baseball batting cage set up next to the marina at Silo Park.

The pop-up cage has been a fixture for the last five weekends and is aimed at promoting the United States' favourite summer sport.

Ryder, helmet plonked on his head and little fingers gripped around a Stealth baseball bat, swung confidently as the bright yellow ball zoomed towards the plate at the Silo Park Slugger Baseball Festival.

The preschooler joined Aucklanders across the city who made the most of a lull in the damp weather that has been dominating late summer in the city.

Temperatures climbed through the afternoon to reach 27C at 4pm, and it was a mostly fine day across our biggest city.

Ryder favoured the bat, but pitchers were also catered for, with a second cage set up for those wanting to perfect their curve or fast balls.

Calories burned could be quickly replaced with ball park fare from the Silo Park Markets, and fanatics also enjoyed a special screening of the classic Kevin Costner baseball film Field of Dreams on Friday.