County Championship: Surrey close on title despite Brown defiance for Hampshire

Tom Lawes claimed 5-27 as Surrey took three of the five points they need to be crowned county champions for the second year in a row.

All-rounder Lawes rolled through the Hampshire middle order for his third five-for of the season, with Kemar Roach picking up 3-41.

Hampshire built their below-par 219 around Ben Brown's positive 78 before Mohammad Abbas pinned back Surrey, who ended the day on 47-2, a deficit of 172.

All Surrey now need to do is avoid defeat to prevent Essex from overtaking them - but scoring at least 300 and picking up two batting points will be enough in any event.

Early morning rain saw the toss delayed by an hour before Surrey choose to bowl, with Jamie Smith and Will Jacks likely to boost their batting line-up later in the game once they return from England duty.

It took until the ninth over for Surrey to open up the Hampshire top order as Toby Albert jabbed unconvincingly at Roach to edge to second slip Jamie Overton.

In the West Indian's following over he had Nick Gubbins chopping on from a floaty ball outside off stump.

Point one of five was chalked off in the 18th over when James Vince's back-foot swish was gobbled up by Overton to give Lawes his first wicket with his fourth ball.

The pitch did not appear to have any demons, but Hampshire's batters struggled to impose themselves on accurate Surrey bowling.

Fletcha Middleton was a fine example of that as he battled hard for 52 balls before losing the battle of patience against Jordan Clark, who cleaned out his off stump.

Lawes had been forced to wait until senior bowlers Roach, Dan Worrall, Clark and Overton had had their go, but the 20-year-old outshone them all.

The pace bowler claimed 5-105 against Northamptonshire last week and tore apart Hampshire's middle order.

After Vince, Tom Prest was Lawes' next victim when last week's century maker followed his captain in wafting on the back foot, this time Ben Foakes grabbed the simple catch.

The match-winner in Hampshire's victory over Essex last week, which put the title within Surrey's grasp, Liam Dawson failed to replicate his heroics as he drove to second slip.

Ian Holland stuck around to put on 33 with Brown, who was starting to get into his work, before Roach returned to strangle him down the leg side.

Brown was forced to guide the tail through proceedings to get the score toward respectability, with stands of 55 and 45 with James Fuller and Kyle Abbott.

The wicketkeeper has had a disappointing season with the bat in the Championship, with this only his third fifty of the campaign - his 10 boundaries all came square or behind the wicket as he made a 63-ball half-century.

Fuller fell after a nicely-crafted 25 when he was lbw to spinner Cam Steel before Brown gave a fourth wicket to Lawes and a fourth catch to second slip Overton.

It meant a third point in the bag for Surrey and Abbas was the last to fall for a four-ball duck when Lawes pinned him leg before.

Surrey had 20 overs to bat out under the now clear skies at the Ageas Bowl, but Abbas had other ideas as Dom Sibley faintly edged behind and Rory Burns played on to his own stumps before Ryan Patel and Sai Sudharsan carefully guided the visitors to the close.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.