Brown (66) and Lumb (60) rescued the hosts from 13 for two in a stand of 133, before the loss of five wickets for only 28 runs in the afternoon put Surrey back in control of this LV division one match.

Hampshire had to battle through cloudy conditions on a pitch which continued to favour the pace bowlers, on the way to a teatime 177 for seven in reply to 278.

They lost out-of-form Jimmy Adams for a duck in only the fourth over of the day, the left-hander nicking a Jimmy Ormond outswinger behind.

Brown and Lumb, therefore, had much work to do to get their team out of trouble but met the challenge posed by a four-strong pace attack, with sensible and unflustered batting.

The only significant alarms in a largely uneventful morning session were suffered by Lumb, off the bowling of Pedro Collins.

The number four was hit on the helmet as he aborted a planned pull shot at a bouncer – and in the ex-West Indies Test bowler's next over, Lumb offered a tough chance to second slip which Chris Jordan could not accept as he dived to his right.

Compact opener Brown accumulated without fuss and was notably deft off his legs on his way to a 122-ball 50 which came up shortly after lunch.

Lumb followed him at a slightly quicker tempo in an alliance which served the hosts very well until Brown followed a short-of-a-length ball outside off stump and edged young seamer Jordan behind.

Wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty might have had his fourth catch of the innings from the very next ball but was unable to hang on to new batsman Chris Benham's mis-hook, after racing 30 yards towards long leg.

Jordan did not have to wait long for his second wicket, though, Lumb falling lbw.

The left-hander slightly lost his balance as Jordan's inswing did the trick – and with Benham bowled for only a single, Hampshire were back in an awkward spot.

Captain Dimi Mascarenhas went cheaply too, chipping a return catch back at Saqlain, and Sean Ervine played on to Collins.

Surrey were therefore restored as strong favourites.