Rahul Chahar delivered a sensational spell of leg spin to lead Surrey’s fightback at Utilita Bowl, ploughing through Hampshire to leave them on the brink of relegation while collecting his career-best bowling figures.
Chahar, in his first Championship appearance, made the most of a turning pitch to take his first-class career-best seven for 45 and see Hampshire collapse from 61 without loss to 148 for nine.
The south coast county need to avoid defeat to stay in Division One next season, but in their chase of 181, they struggled to 148 for nine.
Bad light stopped play at 16:35 BST, to leave them on tenterhooks overnight, with 33 runs still needed.
“It makes a difference if your partner (Dan Lawrence) is bowling well at the other end and stopping runs!” 🙌
BBC London’s Mark Church caught up with debutant Rahul Chahar after taking seven wickets on Day 3. 🗣️
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/uQI5Die8Ny
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 26, 2025
Surrey began the day with four wickets in hand, but Hampshire bumbled their way through the morning, taking 23 overs and giving up 55 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 spin and the grey clouds of relegation gathered.
From 61 without loss, Hampshire lost eight wickets for 59 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 Washington Sundar edged a half-volley to slip and Abbott’s 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 drop into Division Two.
