Tense finish ends in draw (ECB Match Report)
 
Michael Brown's battling 94 and a five-wicket haul from Saqlain Mushtaq both proved in vain as Hampshire and Surrey had to settle for a draw in a thrilling match at the Rose Bowl.

All four results remained feasible deep into the final hour of this LV County Championship Division One contest, in which both teams were pushing for a first win of the season.

But in the gathering gloom of a day which was cloudy throughout, it was injured strike bowler Chris Tremlett and reserve wicketkeeper Tom Burrows who ended up batting out 29 balls to ensure the stalemate.

Hampshire closed 34 runs short with just two wickets intact, after Surrey captain Mark Butcher had set them a teasing target of 281 in 75 overs.

Brown's fourth half-century from five championship innings was Hampshire's guiding force.

The compact opener helped his team to within 93 runs of victory, before he became a third lbw victim for Saqlain (5-74) with 18 overs remaining.

It was therefore down to Sean Ervine (51), Dimitri Mascarenhas and the tail to try to get the hosts over the line - but Saqlain and Jimmy Ormond, bowling his off-spin, had other ideas.

Hampshire, who at one stage might have been fancying a three-day victory, suffered a near immediate setback after Surrey closed their second innings on 229 for eight shortly before lunch.

Michael Carberry was gone by the end of the session, caught behind off a good ball from Pedro Collins.

But Brown's understated accumulation had already begun and was to last through the afternoon and beyond tea.

Even after Saqlain had broken a 96-run second-wicket stand with Jimmy Adams and then followed up with a second lbw verdict against Michael Lumb, Brown was unmoved.

Chris Benham was Saqlain's third wicket, caught behind off an attempted sweep - but Ervine helped Brown add another 46 at the required tempo before the latter finally fell, back in his crease to the Pakistan off-spinner.

In light regularly threatening to deteriorate to an unacceptable level, Butcher had forsaken his pace bowlers on a pitch which had favoured them for three days but seemed to have lost its life.

Ervine, who had earlier taken 4-42 with his medium-pace, hinted at a match-clinching all-round performance with some neat timing and effective running between the wickets in a 59-ball innings which contained only two boundaries.

But when the Zimbabwean thumped a full toss from Ormond straight into the hands of extra-cover, the match was still there to be won, lost, tied or drawn.

Mascarenhas proved his renowned capability as a big hitter with a six out of the ground over midwicket off Saqlain, only to mis-sweep high to deep backward-square to depart to the very next ball.

Greg Lamb made it clear Hampshire still had an eye for victory, with another six off Saqlain.

But when he was eighth out, lbw trying to reverse-sweep Ormond, the only question remaining was whether the hosts could hold out - which they did, with Tremlett defying his back spasms to keep Surrey at bay.

Hampshire had not begun the final day auspiciously, as Surrey tailenders Matt Nicholson (73) and Ormond (64no) each completed unlikely fifties in the first hour.

Nicholson and Ormond - who had rescued Surrey from a hapless 75 for seven - extended their stand to 140, the former augmenting his first-innings 40 not out.

In Tremlett's continued absence, Hampshire appeared to have no answer as the eighth-wicket pair scored quickly - having resumed on an overnight 151.

There was little to lift the mood in home ranks as Hampshire not only struggled to find a breakthrough but also leaked runs.

Mascarenhas found it hard to raise a smile. But the Hampshire captain could be forgiven some frustration when Nicholson mis-pulled him so badly that the ball fell just behind him, in the bowling crease as he followed through.

From the next delivery, Nicholson's timing was again off - but he still counted his fourth four with a faulty hook down to fine leg to bring up his 80-ball half-century.

Ormond followed the Australian to the milestone and went on to a career-best - just after Nicholson had finally gone, to an upper-cut to third man off Ervine.

Butcher called time shortly afterwards, thereby setting up the tensest of finishes with an expert declaration.

Surrey 278 & 229/8d

Hampshire 227 & 247/8 (75.0 ov)

Scorecard

If you want to watch exclusive highlights of the final days play click here

Match highlights are courtesy of Surrey TV and will be available approximately 90 minutes after the close of play.

Hampshire's next match is on Sunday 18th May in the Friends Provident Trophy against the Glamorgan Dragons at Cardiff.

Hampshire's next home match is a floodlit Friends Provident Trophy match against the Worcestershire Royals.  

The gates open at 12:30pm and the match starts at 2:30pm

Tickets are available on the gate at £20 per Adult (£15 Senior/Student) and £5 per Junior.

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Mascarenhas congratulates Ervine on taking Matthew Nicholson's (73) wicket, caught by Benham (Photo - Getty Images)

James Ormond made 64 not out at the end of Surrey's second innings (Photo - Getty Images)

Pedro Collins claimed opening batsmen Carberry (2) caught by Batty (Photo - Getty Images)

Adams (31)  (Photo - Getty Images)

Brown (94) piled on the runs (Photo - Getty Images)

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