Debutant Rahul Chahar wrapped up a 20-run victory for Surrey at Hampshire to confirm Surrey as Division One runners-up
Hampshire were all but relegated to Rothesay County Championship Division Two to complete a miserable two weeks for the county.
If Durham and Yorkshire draw, as seems exceptionally likely, then Hampshire will be playing in the second tier next season for the first time since 2014.
Indian spinner Rahul Chahar did the premium damage by taking eight for 51 – the most by a Surrey debutant – to give his side a consolation victory after Nottinghamshire had ended their three-year reign as county champions.
It has proved a nightmare 16 days for Hampshire, in which the club lost three finals, was given an eight-point deduction and almost certainly been relegated.
Adi Birrell, who didn’t deserve relegation as his red ball legacy after seven years at the helm, also announced he was leaving during that bogey fortnight.
Required 33 runs to beat Surrey, 32 runs – ie a tie –  would have been enough to see them remain in Division One.
James Fuller and Brad Wheal were the only Hampshire batters left – the former had shaken off the collapse and dealt with Chahar carefully for 29, while Wheal had stoically blocked 22 balls before bad light brought an unsatisfactory end to the third day, and left plenty of sleepless nights.
Chahar bowled the first over of the day and almost edged the first ball, a swept four eased the nerves, before Wheal nicked his first delivery to first slip – but it narrowly fell short.
Fuller and Wheal looked at ease, albeit turning down a bounty of singles, until Fuller attempted to cut Chahar and edged behind to Ben Foakes to the 42nd ball of the day.
Only Kemar Roach’s eight for 40, and Martin Bicknell’s nine for 45 were better since the turn of the Millennium, in Chahar’s Championship debut. He also took ten wickets in the match.
Hampshire were 20 runs from safety and join Worcestershire in relegation.
Following Vitality Blast heartbreak and anguish in the finals of the men’s and women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup, having their 11-season run in the top tier will take the longest to heal.
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