THE BRIT OVAL

(Final day of four: Surrey won toss)

Surrey 210 & 122-6 (AD Mascarenhas 4-13) v Hampshire 480-8 dec

Lunch

Surrey lost their last three wickets inside 50 minutes, and were inevitably asked to follow on still 270 runs behind Hampshire as they fought a seemingly lost battle to avoid relegation from Division One.

Imran Tahir, the former Pakistan A leg-spinner, claimed the all important wicket of Mark Ramprakash, whom he bowled trying to sweep for 61, and finished with the excellent figures of 4-29 from 22 overs.

Liam Dawson took the other two wickets to fall, but not until Shoaib Akhtar had crashed the young left arm spinner for three sixes and a four in one over to take Surrey past 200, thereby gaining them a batting bonus point.

When they batted again, Surrey soon lost Matthew Spriegel who was beaten by a fine in-swinger from Dimi Mascarehnas.

Surrey surprisingly sent James Benning in at No.3 ahead of Ramprakash, and the second wicket pair got through to lunch.

Scott Newman was fortunate to survive an edge off Chris Tremlett on 20, Chris Benham apparently failing to pick up the ball as it flew past his right shoulder.

Tea

In a disastrous afternoon session for Surrey, the Londoners slipped from 61-1 to 75-6 before the seventh-wicket pair of Usman Afzaal (22 not out) and Saqlain Mushtaq (14 not out) held out for the hour before tea.

Surrey’s main tormentor was Dimi Mascarenhas, who took three wickets for nine runs in the space of 19 balls after lunch.

Mascarenhas began by having James Benning leg before for six and, not long after, claimed the vital wicket of Mark Ramprakash, whom he had caught at short leg by an excellent effort low down from Michael Brown.

After Jon Batty was caught at third slip off Chris Tremlett and Alex Tudor was held at second slip off the same bowler, Surrey had lost three wickets on the same score of 75.

Mascarenhas had already removed the dangerous Scott Newman, who was well held low at second slip, having completed a positive fifty off 66 balls with ten fours.

Saqlain and Afzaal did at least give the home side some hope of saving a match they must draw to have any realistic chance of avoiding relegation.

Conversely, if Hampshire manage to win, they will leap to the top of the table, the most unlikely of scenarios after they slumped to bottom place when Sussex beat them in mid-July at Arundel.