County Championship: Hampshire relegation fears increase as Surrey close on win

Hampshire sat on the brink of County Championship relegation after Surrey leg-spinner Rahul Chahar ploughed through them at the Utilita Bowl.

India spinner Chahar, in his first Championship appearance, made the most of a turning pitch to take 7-45 and see Hampshire collapse from 61 without loss to 148-9.

The south coast county need to avoid defeat to guarantee staying in Division One next season, but they struggled in their chase of 181.

Bad light stopped play at 16:35 BST, to leave them on tenterhooks overnight, with 33 runs still needed – and CricViz offering a 14 % chance of Hampshire managing it.

Surrey began the day with four wickets in hand, but Hampshire bumbled their way through the morning – setting up a wretched day – taking 23 overs and giving up 56 runs in the process.

It began fine, when Ali Orr pulled off a spectacular one-handed catch over his shoulder to see off Tom Lawes in the fifth over of the day.

The wicket also handed Kyle Abbott his fourth five-wicket haul of the season, and took his tally to 56 scalps, beating last season’s tally of 55.

Ralphie Albert reached 63 before hooking to long leg, but Matt Fisher scrapped and frustrated the hosts with Chahar and James Taylor.

Fisher safely batted for almost an hour and a half for 22 not out, with Chahar hanging around for half an hour before swiping to the leg side boundary rider, and Taylor blocked for 45 balls before James Fuller finally found an outside edge.

Hampshire had been a bowler light, after Washington Sundar split the webbing in his hand fielding a ball off his own bowling the previous evening, and were facing a tough chase.

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