THE world’s best marbles players rolled up for the annual championship on Good Friday.

Throwers gathered in the sunshine to see who would be crowned the best in the game.

The object is to see who can knock 49 target marbles out of the ring the fastest.

It takes place at the Greyhound Pub in Tinsley Green, near Crawley every year, with a brief hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

Players across the world travel to Sussex to play in the tournament.

Marbles have been played at Tinsley Green for hundreds of years, some say since 1588, when two local lads played for the hand of a young lady.

The formal championship dates back to 1932 and was originally held at the old Greyhound before the current pub was built in 1936.

Over the years, players from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Wales and the United States have participated alongside English teams.

The championships are organised by the British Marbles Board of Control and the version of marbles played is Ring Taw.