Chahar haul increases Hampshire relegation fears
Surrey signed India spinner Rahul Chahar for the final game of the season at Hampshire
- Published
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Utilita Bowl (day three)
Surrey 147 & 281: Albert 63; Abbott 5-72, Wheal 3-58
Hampshire 248 & 148-9: Orr 48; Chahar 7-45
Hampshire (3 pts) need 33 more runs to beat Surrey (3 pts) with one wicket remaining
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.
The previous highest successful chase at Utilita Bowl this season had been the 148 they chased five down against Yorkshire in the opening fixture.
A tricky over before lunch, which saw Fisher get so close to Orr's outside edge that he thought it had been tickled through to Ben Foakes, was negotiated.
Orr rode his luck when he was put down at short cover, but largely he and Fletcha Middleton appeared comfortable as they ticked off the runs.
The first 50 runs flowed in 12 overs, with Orr especially fluent, and fears of the drop eased. But then they stuttered, the ball started to rag and the grey clouds of relegation gathered.
From 61 without loss, Hampshire lost eight wickets for 60 runs – with Dan Lawrence and Chahar running amok on a pitch now turning.
Middleton inexplicably missed a straight full toss, before Nick Gubbins was lbw to a Lawrence delivery that spun sharply and didn't bounce.
Chahar turned a ball from straight into the top of off stump to dislodge Toby Albert before Ben Brown was lbw to Lawrence and Orr missed a googly to depart for 48.
Liam Dawson chased a wide ball from Chahar but drilled straight to short cover before Sundar edged a half-volley to slip and Abbott under-edged to the keeper after tea as the malaise continued.
Fuller had provided some resistance but now had to shepherd No.11 Brad Wheal, often turning down runs as Wheal blocked 22 deliveries to keep Hampshire alive.
The tension was extended overnight as gloomy conditions got too bad even for spin from both ends, meaning Hampshire need 33 runs in the morning or hope Yorkshire beat Durham to avoid dropping into Division Two.
Match report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay
- Published16 August
