The last time Shane Warne played at The Oval he was on the wrong end of an emotionally-charged finale to the 2005 Ashes epic. Yesterday he came out on top – just – after an astonishing finish to a day’s play that contained scarcely any less drama, albeit of less global significance, than that day of days 19 months ago.

Midway through the afternoon, Hampshire, having dominated for three and a half days, looked to be minutes away from opening their championship season with a win. By 5.30pm Warne was helpless. His bowlers could not part Ian Salisbury and Azhar Mahmood, who put on 177 for the eighth wicket.

To make matters worse, Shaun Udal, Warne’s spin twin, was carried off on a stretcher with a suspected broken ankle after falling innocuously in the field. With allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas off the field injured, the wind had been taken out of Hampshire’s sails and the remarkable possibility of a Surrey victory hove into view. With Salisbury, having just reached his third first-class hundred, and Mahmood in full flow, they needed only 43 to win with nine overs and three wickets remaining. Had they been successful, it would have been the highest fourth-innings run chase in championship history.

It was not to be and Surrey were condemned, as they had expected all along, to a second successive championship defeat of the season. Mahmood was eighth out when he belted a drive straight back at the face of James Tomlinson, the left-armer, who managed to parry the ball instinctively and catch the rebound. Warne snaffled his fellow leggie Salisbury with a beautiful floater that enticed the batsman, on 103, to give him the charge. Nic Pothas did the rest behind the stumps. Last man Mohammad Akram was yorked and Hampshire had their win.

The prospect of having Warne available for the entire season must be a mouth-watering one for Hampshire supporters. But if he has to strain every sinew, as he did here bowling 44 overs in Surrey’s second innings, then even his ageless enthusiasm might start to wear come September.

The likely loss of Udal will be a blow to Warne and Hampshire. Warne and Udal bowled 19 overs in tandem in the first hour of the day’s play, the sort of work rate surely not seen in these parts since Laker and Lock were winning seven championships in a row in the 1950s.

Udal, 38, has had his tell-the-grandkids moment. He can never hope to better the experience in Mumbai 13 months ago when he dismissed Sachin Ten-dulkar and spun England to a rousing series-levelling win against India. Playing with Warne had given him a second wind but he had a poor 2006 season. He was impressive yesterday, spinning the ball hard and yielding four key wickets. The way his day ended was undeserved. He lay motionless on his side for the best part of 10 minutes while Surrey groundstaff searched for a stretcher.

Hampshire’s main impediment earlier had been a century stand between Jon Batty, the Surrey wicketkeeper, and Mark Butcher, the captain. Batty, a former captain, is an unremarkable cricketer but an extremely accomplished one. It is bizarre that a decent gloveman who has opened the batting successfully on and off for the past five years does not even merit a mention in the interminable England keeping debate.

There was no real sense that Batty’s hundred was doing anything other than delaying the inevitable. When he was out, walking for a caught-behind off Udal, three more wickets fell soon after. Butcher’s dismissal was the first of three wickets for six runs in six overs. Butcher, who had made a classy 72, was caught off a leading edge at silly point off Udal; Alistair Brown hit a run-a-ball 24 before nicking Warne to the keeper; and Rikki Clarke slogged Udal to backward point.

Mahmood and Salisbury played without care or pressure, showing the dangerous depth of this Surrey batting lineup. When Salisbury pulled James Bruce, the opening bowler, for a four and a six through mid-wicket in the final hour, you could see the Hampshire shoulders droop.

The spirit of their side’s rear-guard will please the Butchers, coach Alan and captain Mark. But their lightweight bowling has been exposed. Their hopes rest now on the arrival of a 32-year-old New South Welshman. Matt Nicholson, who played one Test for Australia eight and a half years ago, has been held up back home because his wife gave birth prematurely to twins.

Nicholson was Northamptonshire’s leading wicket-taker in the championship in 2006 but his 46 wickets came at 31 apiece so Surrey should not get too excited. It could be a long season for Surrey, on their return to the first division. It could be a long season for Warne too. But if many of his matches are this entertaining, it will be worth watching.