HAMPSHIRE’s Royal London One-Day Cup destiny is out of their hands going into their final south group match against Sussex at The Ageas Bowl.

Today’s defeat to Surrey at The Oval means James Vince’s side has to win Wednesday’s day-nighter and hope third-placed Surrey lose at Gloucestershire (who are level on points with Hampshire) by enough to pip the Brown Caps on net run rate (without Gloucestershire surpassing Hampshire’s run rate...).

Should that happen, Hampshire will get the top-three place they need to go into the knockout stage, where the second and third-placed teams will play off against each other for the right to join the group winners in the semi-finals.

But Sussex are a place and a point better off than Hampshire in fifth so will be just as determined to win ‘ElClasicoast’ - and the forecast for Wednesday is poor.

Hampshire are so up against it because Kumar Sangakkara’s classy unbeaten 124 helped Surrey to a comfortable 66-run Royal London One-Day Cup win under the Duckworth-Lewis method thios afternoon.

George Bailey had earlier scored a brilliant 145 not out as Hampshire fought back to finish on 271-8, but it was in vain.

“It was a bit of a grind, you start most of your innings thinking 300’s a big score but we knew we were under par,” said the Australian.

“We needed things to go our way but Surrey batted beautifully.

“I’m not sure we deserve to qualify but that’s the nature of the south group, everyone can beat everyone else. “We’ll rue the Glamorgan game if we don’t go through.”

When the rain arrived just before 6pm - bringing an end to proceedings - Surrey were closing in on victory at 238-2 from 38 overs, well ahead of the revised target.

Sangakkara added 93 for the second wicket with Mark Stoneman, who made 53 off 52 balls, and then a further unbroken 128 in 22 overs with Rory Burns (39 not out) as Surrey claimed victory.

Hampshire were seemingly down and out at 89-7 when Australian batsman Bailey was joined by former South Africa fast bowler Kyle Abbott to share an eighth-wicket stand of 152 in 25 overs.

Abbott made 56 in support of Bailey, who struck two sixes and 12 fours in a 132-ball effort which ended with him plundering 22 from the final over of the innings, bowled by Ravi Rampaul.

Some of Bailey’s powerful strokeplay was of the highest quality, while Abbott struck a huge six off Rampaul - his last scoring shot before being bowled by the former West Indies paceman, who finished with 4-61.

Rampaul had earlier claimed three for 22 in a brilliant seven-over spell, sending back Liam Dawson, Lewis McManus and Gareth Berg in quick succession to further undermine a Hampshire innings which had slumped to 35-3 as brothers Sam and Tom Curran wreaked havoc with the new ball.

A brilliant left-handed diving catch by wicketkeeper Ben Foakes accounted for Rilee Rossouw for five, off Tom Curran, and his brother Sam then removed Tom Alsop (eight) and James Vince (20).

Sean Ervine also fell cheaply to a catch behind off Stuart Meaker, in between Rampaul’s first two wickets - Dawson (17) and McManus (two).

When Berg followed in Rampaul’s next over, lbw for one, Hampshire were facing a difficult task to post a decent total.

Perhaps Surrey captain Gareth Batty should have kept Rampaul going because he was getting extra bounce and bowling with pace.

Against Batty’s off-spin and Scott Borthwick’s leg-breaks, Bailey and Abbott were able to rebuild Hampshire’s innings and had their eye in when the seamers were brought back.

In Surrey’s reply, Abbott made an important early breakthrough by removing Jason Roy for one but Stoneman and Sangakkara were soon in control.

Both reached their half-centuries in the same over - Stoneman off 48 balls and Sangakkara off only 32 - and fast bowler Fidel Edwards had taken some heavy punishment by the time he had Stoneman caught at the wicket in the 16th over. Sangakkara was then joined by Burns in the partnership which clinched the win.