Saqlain Mushtaq snared his second five-wicket haul of the match as Hampshire neared certain defeat on day three at The Oval.

Pakistani Saqlain took six for 115 as Hampshire descended to 303 for eight in their second innings - still 83 runs short of making Surrey bat again.

The Division One leaders resumed play on 410 for five, and centurion Ali Brown was the first batsman to fall when he was removed by Shaun Udal, who took four wickets, for 135.

Martin Bicknell (24) and Ian Salisbury (27) played supporting knocks, but 'keeper Jonathan Batty was mostly responsible for Surrey's score reaching the levels it did.

Batty was the last man to fall, for 89, a fine knock that boasted 10 boundaries and a six, when trapped in front by Lawrence Prittipaul.

Each of Hampshire's top four batsmen got starts but none could pass 40, and a fair start that saw the visitors to 142 for two was soon a memory when Saqlain stepped in.

The off-spinner, who took five for 59 in the first innings, was the sole destroyer as Hampshire lost four wickets for 25 runs to virtually end their hopes of saving the match.

Surrey seemed on course to wrap up the game within three days, but an unbroken 56-run stand for the eighth wicket between Dimitri Mascarenhas and James Hamblin frustrated them.

Mascarenhas was in particularly good fettle, hitting eight fours and two sixes to reach 75 not out at the close.

Surrey: I J Ward, J N Batty (Wkt), M R Ramprakash, N Shahid, A D Brown, A J Hollioake (Capt), S A Newman, M P Bicknell, Saqlain Mushtaq, I D K Salisbury, J Ormond.

Hampshire: N C Johnson, J S Laney, W S Kendall, R A Smith (Capt), J D Francis, N Pothas (Wkt), L R Prittipaul, A D Mascarenhas, S D Udal, J R C Hamblin, J A Tomlinson.

Umpires: N A Mallender and A G T Whitehead