When James Tomlinson knocked out Pedro Collins's off stump at 4.30pm yesterday and was mobbed by jubilant team-mates, Hampshire, who had come into this match as relegation candidates, went top of the first-division table. Less than two months previously, they were bottom, a place now occupied by Surrey, whose relegation is a virtual reality, even if mathematically they are not yet down.

If Hampshire beat Nottinghamshire in their one remaining encounter, and other results go their way in the final two rounds of matches, the championship pennant could yet go to the Rose Bowl.

It was Tomlinson, continuing his annus mirabilis, in which he is the leading wicket-taker in the country with 64 victims, who condemned Surrey to defeat with a fine spell after Usman Afzaal and Saqlain Mushtaq threatened to salvage a draw. The seventh-wicket pair had survived for 23 overs while adding 67, and there were only 25 overs remaining when Tomlinson bowled Saqlain off an inside edge and pad after swinging one back. He then switched to around the wicket to have Shoaib Akhtar well held low at slip, and with the last ball of the same over, beat Collins neck and crop.

If Tomlinson administered the coup de grâce, Dimitri Mascarenhas's outstanding bowling with the new ball undermined Surrey fatally. After quickly defeating Matthew Spriegel with a late inswinger, he applied pressure by conceding only two runs from his first eight overs before claiming three wickets in 19 balls.

James Benning was pinned in front by Mascarenhas, who had Scott Newman well held at second slip after completing an ebullient 66-ball fifty. The formidable figure of Mark Ramprakash remained, however, but having been driven imperiously through extra cover for four, Mascarenhas had him brilliantly taken low at short leg by Michael Brown.

Two more good catches, both in the slips, were held off Chris Tremlett as Jon Batty and Alex Tudor, who bagged a pair, were dismissed. In the space of nine overs, Surrey had collapsed from 61 for one to 75 for six. Surrey had lost their last three first-innings wickets in 50 minutes before lunch to follow on 270 behind. Hampshire finished the innings by employing spin at both ends. Liam Dawson began by having Jade Dernbach taken at slip before the excellent Imran Tahir bowled Ramprakash sweeping.

The former Pakistan A leg spinner, with miserly figures of four for 29 from 22 overs, took his season's tally to 36 wickets at an average of 17, a key factor in Hampshire's three wins in their past four matches. Sadly for them, he is expected to be unavailable for the match at Trent Bridge as he is contracted to return to South Africa to play for Titans.

Shoaib, with three sixes and a four in one over from Dawson, secured a batting point but thanks largely to the time he takes to bowl an over, Surrey were docked one point for their slow over rate in the Hampshire innings.

Hampshire: First Innings 480 for 8 dec (N Pothas 137 not out, A D Mascarenhas 99, M J Lumb 72)

Surrey: First Innings (overnight 171-7)

*M R Ramprakash b Tahir 61

J W Dernbach c Ervine b Dawson 3

Shoaib Akhtar not out 27

P T Collins c Tremlett b Dawson 4

Extras (b 13, lb 3, nb 2) 18

Total (69 overs) 210

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-78, 3-78, 4-123, 5-126, 6-162, 7-164, 8-175, 9-183.

Bowling: Tremlett 16-5-47-0; Mascarenhas 12-6-35-1; Tomlinson 15-4-51-2; Tahir 22-8-29-4; Dawson 4-1-32-2.

Second Innings

S A Newman c Ervine b Mascarenhas 51

M N W Spriegel lbw b Mascarenhas 4

J G E Benning lbw b Mascarenhas 6

*M R Ramprakash c Brown b Mascarenhas 11

J N Batty c Benham b Tremlett 2

U Afzaal not out 40

A J Tudor c Ervine b Tremlett0

Saqlain Mushtaq b Tomlinson 24

J W Dernbach c Pothas b Tremlett 4

Shoaib Akhtar c Lumb b Tomlinson 2

P T Collins b Tomlinson 0

Extras (lb 1, w 1, nb 2) 4

Total (64 overs) 148

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-61, 3-66, 4-75, 5-75, 6-75, 7-128, 8-137, 9-148.

Bowling: Tremlett 13-5-28-3; Mascarenhas 12-8-13-4; Tomlinson 14-3-58-3; Tahir 15-5-34-0; Dawson 7-4-10-0; Ervine 3-2-4-0.

Umpires: N J Llong and N A Mallender.