CLOSE, DAY THREE: Surrey are 102-2 (Batty 49*, Ormond 0*) after being set 503 to win.

Hampshire took the crucial wicket of Mark Ramprakash in the penultimate over of the day as they closed in on their first win of the season.

James Bruce had taken the wicket of Scott Newman in his first over of the innings.

Bruce had the left hander caught by Jimmy Adams at third slip when Newman (3) drove loosely outside off stump in the second over of Surrey's second innings(8-1).

But Ramprakash continued his fine first-innings form, lofting Dimitri Mascarenhas for six over long off and into the first tier of the pavilion.

His battle with Warne was fascinating. After Jon Batty slog swept Shaun Udal into the Peter May stand for six, Ramprakash lofted Warne for a maximum over long off.

But he was brilliantly stumped by Nic Pothas for 43 after a Shaun Udal off break turned sharply and bounced steeply down the leg side.

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Michael Brown had reached his third Hampshire championship hundred during the afternoon session before Shane Warne declared the second innings at 224-1, setting Surrey 503 to win.

Only playing because of a knee injury to Michael Carberry, Brown reached his ton from 124 balls when he lofted slow left armer Nayan Doshi over long on for the seventh of his eight fours.

He held his arms aloft in acknowledgement of the applause from a generous Oval crowd.

His 115* (135 balls) was his first championship hundred for three years and he shared an unbroken second-wicket stand of 138 with his fellow Lancastrian John Crawley (66 from 93 balls) before Warne declared.

Brown's opening partner Adams (29) had missed out against a poor Surrey attack when he top edged an attempted sweep against the leg spin of Ian Salisbury (86-1).

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Shane Warne had earlier taken 5-45 as Hampshire took control during a fascinating morning session.

After resuming on 127-2, Surrey folded in the face of high-class bowling from Warne and James Tomlinson and were all out for 203, a first innings deficit of 278.

Despite the huge lead, Warne continued his policy of not enforcing the follow on.

But it is difficult to argue with a genius who began the day with two big wickets in his second over.

Mark Butcher (50), his former Ashes adversary, top edged an attempted sweep against the first ball and Pothas held on to his third catch of the innings when the ball ballooned off the left hander's front pad (133-3).

Two balls later, Ally Brown (0)was trapped lbw offering no shot to a leg break from the Hampshire captain (133-4).

Warne was on top of his game and his battle against Mark Ramprakash continued to fascinate.

Ramprakash made 133 in his final Ashes Test - also at the Oval - at the end of the 2001 series and rekindled those memories by striking Warne for a straight six into the OCS Stand.

But Tomlinson responded by taking his first wicket of the match, trapping Rikki Clarke lbw in the next over(150-5).

Surrey were unhappy with both lbw decisions with Clarke (8) believing he had got an inside edge.

But there was no doubt about the next one. After cutting Warne for a boundary, Mahmood (5) was completely bamboozled by the next delivery, which skidded straight on to pin him in front (157-6).

Ian Salisbury (18) played on to Tomlinson as he tried to run the ball down to third man (192-7).

Ramprakash continued to impress, reaching his 89th first class hundred (134 balls) with a single off Warne into the covers.

His maiden first-class century against Hampshire means that Ramprakash now needs hundreds against Derbyshire, Essex and Durham to complete his county set.

But more brilliance from Warne, and a stunning slip catch from Chris Benham, saw off Jimmy Ormond (0).

Bowling wide of the crease from the Vauxhall End, Warne lured Ormond into a tentative nudge and Benham dived low to his right at first slip to hold on (195-8).

Benham nearly took another blinder in Warne's next over, but just failed to hold on following an edge from Nayan Doshi.

No matter. Following an excellent spell from Tomlinson (10-4-29-2), James Bruce took the wicket of Doshi in his first over of the day from the Pavilion End.

Doshi flashed outside off stump and Jimmy Adams dived to his right to take a stunning two-handed catch at third slip (200-9).

And in the next over Ramprakash was left unbeaten on 107 after Warne completed his 13th five-wicket haul in the championship for Hampshire by trapping Mohammad Akram lbw, before holding the ball aloft (203 all out).

Hampshire bowling: Mascarenhas 13-4-39-1, Bruce 9-0-48-2, Tomlinson 20-7-53-2, Udal 3-0-10-0, Warne 15-2-45-5.