An eighty-ninth first-class century by Mark Ramprakash, who looked the picture of serenity and poise while all around him were floundering yesterday morning, was the singular plus point as far as Surrey were concerned on an otherwise sorry third day against Hampshire at the Brit Oval. But the departure of the former Middlesex man with eight balls to go appears to have put paid to any hopes the hosts may have harboured of saving this match.

As expected, their principal destroyer was Shane Warne, who picked up 5-45 as his side took a firm grip on proceedings. After resuming on 127-2, Surrey's response to the visitors' 481-9 declared fell away badly. The hosts lost their last eight wickets for 70 runs in the space of twenty overs with James Tomlinson also chipping in to claim the wickets of Rikki Clarke and Ian Salisbury. But despite a Hampshire lead of 278 at the halfway stage, Warne spurned the opportunity to enforce the follow-on.

Butcher and Brown departed in the Australian leg-spinner's fifth over, the former England number three edging an attempted sweep to the keeper via his front pad. Two balls later, Alistair Brown was adjudged leg before offering no shot. Ramprakash then struck Warne straight down the ground into the OCS Stand for six, but Tomlinson responded by trapping Clarke leg before; although the Surrey vice-captain clearly felt some bat was involved.

There was no doubt about the next wicket. After cutting Warne for four, Azhar Mahmood was pinned on the crease by one that hurried on. It was not long before Salisbury was bowled trying to run the ball down to third man.

Ramprakash moved to his first first-class century against Hampshire since moving to the Oval, in 134 deliveries. The former Middlesex man now just needs hundreds against Derbyshire, Durham and Essex to complete his county set as a Surrey batsman.

Bowling wide of the crease from the Vauxhall End, Warne lured Ormond into a tentative nudge and Benham dived low to his right at first slip to hold on. Following Tomlinson's ten-over spell, which produced figures of two for 29, James Bruce had Nayan Doshi flashing and caught at third slip. In the next over Mohammad Akram was trapped lbw to leave Ramprakash unbeaten on 107.

For the hosts, it was a similar story in the field. With the exception of Ramprakash, their ground fielding was sloppy to say the least. A spread field restricted Hampshire to just sixteen boundaries in 47 overs. However, it did not prevent them racking up 224 for the loss of Jimmy Adams.

Michael Brown reached his first championship half-century of the season in 61 deliveries. John Crawley, employing the sweep on a number of occasions, did likewise, except his fifty took slightly longer, at 67 balls. In the very next over, the 42nd, Brown's hundred arrived when he hit Doshi over mid-on for his seventh four.

Warne's declaration eight minutes before tea was scheduled presented the hosts with a target of 503 to win in four sessions, which looked even more academic when Scott Newman, driving, was caught at third slip in the second over.

Batty and Ramprakash saw their side to three figures. Batty, who finished the day with an unbeaten 48, swept Shaun Udal for six in the 29th over. Ramprakash, having hit Dimitri Mascarenhas for a straight maximum in the 17th over, did likewise to Warne in the 32nd. But just when it looked as if Surrey would be taking nine wickets into the final day, the former Middlesex man succumbed not to Warne, but Udal, whose first wicket in the match could well prove to be one of the most significant.

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