Local table tennis statisticians were left scratching their heads after a record-breaking event in a Division Two match in the Hastings & District League.

Owen Hatter (Tackleway TTC) faced up to Kieran Gibbs (Hollington TTC) with the opening game finishing at an incredible 28-26 in Owen’s favour.

Since 2001, table tennis games have been played to eleven points (rather than twenty-one) with the proviso that, if the game reaches 10-10, it continues until one player leads by two points.

It is believed that the world record was set at the 2016 Olympics and stands at 33-31.

What is for sure is that this is the longest game in Hastings since the League started using the TT365 website in 2011, the previous highest score being 25-23.

The contrast between the two players is that Owen is a ‘super-veteran’, who won the Hastings Over -60s title three times between 2006 and 2010 while Kieran has just turned nineteen.