Hants 481-9 dec & 224-1 dec Surrey 203 & 105-2: Ramprakash stumping has Surrey clutching at straws

Surrey are caught in their version of a Groundhog Day. For the second week running their pace attack looked like it needed dentures. Once again they had to rely on Mark Ramprakash. Yet again they were set an improbable 500-plus target for victory.

They got off to the worst possible start when Scott Newman was caught driving carelessly at James Bruce, but in the penultimate over Ramprakash was superbly stumped off the off-spinner Shaun Udal.

Ramprakash had been watchful with Shane Warne, although late on he did dance down the track and lofted the Aussie back over his head for six. The manoeuvre did not work with Udal and with the departing Ramprakash went any realistic hopes Surrey might have had of survival let alone victory.

Surrey's squad has talent like Arnold Schwarzenegger has muscle, but on the evidence of yesterday's flabby performance they will be lucky to avoid dropping straight back down into the Second Division.

After conceding a 278-run first innings lead they were subjected to another flogging as Michael Brown hammered a hundred, sharing in an unbroken, second-wicket stand of 138 with John Crawley.

Surrey's inability to take more than one wicket exposed their shortcomings in attack, exacerbated by some shoddy fielding, which added to captain Mark Butcher's frustration.

He had only lasted long enough on the morning resumption to turn his overnight 49 into 50 before becoming the first of Warne's five wickets followed by Alistair Brown, Rikki Clarke and Azhar Mahmood.

At least the tail managed to hang around long enough to allow Ramprakash reach the 89th hundred of his career and put a veneer of respectability on to the pitiful Surrey effort.