CHRIS Tremlett ensured Hampshire will have to wait before clinching top spot in the Friends Life t20’s South Group.

An inspired Tremlett took a career-best 4-16 as the Royals suffered a 38-run defeat at The Oval, capitulating to 113 all out in reply to Surrey’s 151-5.

Hampshire are assured a home quarter-final following Sussex’s win against Kent at Canterbury last night.

But their second defeat in 16 t20 games means they are not yet guaranteed to play the team with the worst qualifying record from the North Group in the last eight.

Hampshire restricted Surrey to the lowest first-innings t20 score at The Oval this season but their hopes of an 11th win in 12 games this year evaporated when Tremlett tore though the Royals’ top order.

The Royals would have been confident at the halfway stage – but Tremlett was at his best. After Yasir Arafat had Jimmy Adams caught behind in the first over of Hampshire’s reply, Tremlett responded with the wicket of James Vince, caught on the backward point boundary without scoring.

The Southampton-born England star had Neil McKenzie caught behind in his next over and celebrated like Imran Tahir when Sean Ervine guided a tame cut to point three balls later. Having reduced Hampshire to 9- 4 after four overs of their reply virtually single handedly, Tremlett had done the hard work.

Shahid Afridi was still there and he hit hit highest t20 score for Hampshire, a 26-ball 36, to restore some pride.

It included ten off two balls against Dirk Nannes, an adversary in the last two World Twenty20 tournaments – beginning with an outrageous six over cover.

But Hampshire were still well behind the eight-ball when Afridi holed out to deep cover against teenage slow left-armer Zafar Ansari at the end of the tenth over – with the Royals still requiring 92.

The stage was set for Liam Dawson, who was playing his first domestic t20 game for more than a year after being preferred to Benny Howell.

He put on 51 in six overs with Afridi after the first collapse but lost Dimi Mascarenhas to an incredible direct hit by Jason Roy before he found himself at the same end as Dominic Cork, run out out for a 26-ball 28.

After Stuart Meaker beat Danny Briggs for pace, Tremlett returned to bowl his final over – and yorked Cork two balls later. Tahir and Michael Bates added 24 runs but their partnership only delayed the inevitable.

With the Oval boundary rope brought in to nullify the threat of Hampshire’s spinners, neither Afridi or Briggs were at their best with the ball.

The efforts of Cork (2-23), Mascarenhas (2-23) and Tahir (1- 25) had given Hampshire hope. But Rory Hamilton-Brown (29) and Tom Maynard, who hit Afridi for a big straight six on his way to 47 (38 balls), set the tone for Surrey.

Then Tremlett bettered his four for 25 for Hampshire against Essex at Chelmsford three years ago with the best t20 return of his career to boost his new county’s quarter-final hopes.

Read more reaction in Saturday's Daily Echo