Dimitri Mascarenhas is waiting to hear if Rod Bransgrove, his Hampshire chairman, will still allow him to return to play for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League semi-finals in a fortnight's time. In the meantime, he needs to keep his full attention on this scrap at the Rose Bowl.

Yesterday, in a day cut short by 26 overs due to bad light soon after tea, Mascarenhas found himself caught in the middle of a batting collapse that undid much of the hard work put in by Michael Brown and Michael Lumb. Their third-wicket partnership of 133 is by some distance the highest of the match.

At 146 for two, Hampshire had weathered Jimmy Ormond's two new-ball strikes and were in a position to take command after bowling out Surrey for 278 on Wednesday. In the next 17 overs, however, that ambition dissipated as five wickets fell for 28 runs.

Surrey's bowlers must take a large slice of the credit, with 19-year-old Chris Jordan claiming Brown and Lumb and Saqlain Mushtaq winning reward for wheeling away skilfully all afternoon from the Pavilion End with the wickets of Chris Benham and Mascarenhas.

When Pedro Collins then swung one in and through an airy drive from Sean Ervine, it left Hampshire licking their wounds on 177 for seven at tea. Moreover, although Brown's fierce concentration did finally slip after almost 3½ hours, with a loose shot outside off stump, it was Mascarenhas and Ervine who were most culpable. The Hampshire captain lifted a loose drive to be caught and bowled on two when caution was required.

Mascarenhas's IPL involvement has so far sidelined him for only one championship match, but he would also miss Hampshire's next fixture - against Kent, starting on May 30 - if he returns to India.

Scoreboard

Surrey: First Innings 278 (C T Tremlett 5 for 67)

Hampshire: First Innings (overnight 9-1)

M J Brown c Batty b Jordan 66

J H K Adams c Batty b Ormond 0

M J Lumb lbw b Jordan 60

C C Benham b Saqlain 1

S M Ervine b Collins 15

*A D Mascarenhas c and b Saqlain 2

G A Lamb not out 24

†T G Burrows not out 6

Extras (b 2, lb 8, w 4, nb 10) 24

Total (7 wkts, 72 overs) 204

C T Tremlett and J A Tomlinson to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-13, 3-146, 4-147, 5-152, 6-162, 7-174.

Bowling: Collins 17-3-55-1; Ormond 12-4-39-2; Nicholson 12-2-29-0; Jordan 14-2-39-2; Saqlain Mushtaq 17-4-32-2.

Umpires: B Dudleston and R T Robinson.

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