Lancashire 239 for 6 (Jennings 84, Lehmann 77) beat Derbyshire 209 for 7 (Dal 52) by 30 runs

Lancashire won their fifth successive Royal London Cup game to close in on a top-three finish in the North Group and knockout qualification, with Derbyshire soundly beaten by 30 runs at Emirates Old Trafford.

A two-hour rain delay forced a 38-overs-per-side contest on a used pitch, which made acceleration challenging. Australian overseas debutant Jake Lehmann's unbeaten 77 off 67 balls was the feature of Lancashire's 239 for 6 before the Falcons were tied down against spin and finished on 209 for 7.

It means Lancashire sit second with 10 points from seven games ahead of their final outing at Warwickshire on Saturday.

The Red Rose last achieved this winning streak in 2013 when they won six 40-over games in a row. They last reached the knockout rounds of a List A competition in 2012.

Derbyshire, who have seven points from seven outings, may be out of contention by the time they wrap up the group stage against Worcestershire on Monday.

Steven Croft was the pick of the home bowlers with 2 for 20 from seven overs of offspin, while Rob Jones and Matthew Parkinson also struck.

Lancashire's innings was underpinned by fourth-wicket pair Keaton Jennings, who made 84 off 88 balls, and Lehmann, both of whom were measured as they shared 86 in 14 overs after Derbyshire won the toss. Haseeb Hameed and Croft, stumped off Wayne Madsen's offspin and caught in the deep off Ravi Rampaul, departed to leave the score at 42 for 2 in the eighth over.

Jennings and captain Dane Vilas shared 52 for the third wicket before the latter mistimed Luis Reece's first ball of medium pace to short cover, leaving Lancashire 94 for 3 in the 17th.

Then came the key partnership between left-handers Jennings and Lehmann, who has replaced compatriot Glenn Maxwell for the remainder of the RL50.

Lehmann swept Rampaul over long-leg for his only six and posted a 48-ball half-century, a milestone Jennings had earlier reached off 57. Jennings, on 29, was the subject of a disputed caught-and-bowled effort from legspinner Matt Critchley.

Jennings eventually fended a short ball from New Zealand overseas quick Logan van Beek behind at the start of the 31st over as the hosts slipped to 180 for 4 before Jones and Josh Bohannon fell to Scotland international Mark Watt late on.

Lehmann paced his innings nicely even though Watt and co limited any late damage. Lancashire fast bowler Liam Hurt fell awkwardly as he attempted to launch Watt for six in the last over, retired hurt and later did not take the field.

However, that forced the use of extra spin from Croft and Jones, and they were key in stifling the visitors, who slipped from 46 without loss in the 10th over to 122 for 6 in the 27th.

Reece and Alex Hughes were run out, while sandwiched in between Madsen was caught at long-on off Jones' legspin and Croft had Billy Godleman caught and bowled off a full toss for 42 and Tom Lace lbw, pulling, four balls later. When Parkinson had Critchley caught at midwicket, it was virtually game over with Derbyshire six down.

Anuj Dal played the day's most aggressive innings with 52 off 39 balls, but he had been left with too much to do and edged Graham Onions behind. Onions was left defending 35 off the last. Harvey Hosein was 41 not out.

Hampshire 355 for 5 (Markram 130, Alsop 124) Sussex 346 (Wiese 171, Brown 64, Crane 3-55) by

Hampshire edged out a high scoring thriller as Kyle Abbott and Mason Crane held their nerves after Sussex Sharks produced a second unbelievable Royal London Cup match in three days.

David Wiese scored an epic 171 to take Sussex within 13 runs of victory after they had slipped to 103 for 5 chasing a massive 356 to win. But Abbott's 10th over, the 49th of the match saw the game turn back in Hampshire's direction as he got rid of Wiese and Danny Briggs and only went for nine runs.

Crane took three wickets for 55, including two in the final over to put Hampshire on the brink of a knockout spot with a nine-run victory.

The result was as dramatic as the Sharks' one-wicket victory over Essex on Tuesday, which saw Will Beer and Laurie Evans put on a three-figure stand for the seventh wicket before No. 10 Danny Briggs scored the winning runs with a ball to spare.

On that occasion, the Sussex players had sung "The Great Escape" on their return to the dressing room. But at the Ageas Bowl, Hampshire sang the theme to the classic film.

It looked like a regulation Hampshire win was in order when Luke Wright fell in the third over as Abbott jagged a delivery into his middle-stump before Phil Salt flashed to Aneurin Donald at point. The slide continued when Garton was lbw attempting to reverse sweep Liam Dawson and Harry Finch pulled a James Fuller bouncer to deep square leg.

When Dawson bowled Evans, all appeared lost for Sussex - but Wiese and Ben Brown collided to swing the game towards the visitors.

Wiese had proven his batting prowess earlier in the tournament when he scored 93 not out to seal a chase against Surrey. Wiese went through the gears effectively as he reached his half-century in 57 balls, and then only needed 26 more to reach three figures, with six fours and three maximums included in the barrage.

Alongside Wiese, Brown was quietly accompanying with a pacy half-century of his own.

Wiese took the WASP from a 1% chance of victory to 81% as he moved past 150 in 120 balls. Brown departed for 64 with 21 still to win when he reverse-swept to Dawson at backward point.

But Abbott found Wiese rarely mishitting to long-on before Briggs chipped to Gareth Berg. And a crazy game was concluded when Crane had Beer and Mir Hamza stumped.

Earlier, Hampshire had put up what appeared an unassailable 355 after stand-in captain Sam Northeast won the toss and elected to bat. Hampshire were forced to reshuffle their top order with James Vince on England duty in Ireland, Donald moving up to open with Tom Alsop.

The pair put on 78, a best opening stand for the season, in a watchful manner, which prioritised running hard to boundaries.

Donald was well caught on the square-leg boundary, while pulling, but that didn't deter Hampshire as Aiden Markram joined Alsop. Again, the duo refused to take unnecessary risks but when they did they used their power to explosive effect - Markram pumping a pair of sixes over extra-cover a particular highlight from the stand.

Alsop looked steady while reaching a half-century in 71 balls. But it was Markram who brought the glamour often provided by Vince, with glittering drives - half of his 16 fours coming between cover and mid-on - and pressure-relieving punches. His fifty came from 48 deliveries.

Sussex's fielding was well-below par, and probably cost them a chunk of runs, with Markram and Alsop both shelled on the way to three figures. The partnership continued to blossom and took Hampshire to the last 10 overs just one wicket down before Alsop, having reached his century off 116 balls, picked out Garton at long-off, with the stand worth 184.

Markram continued his fun and reached his maiden ton for Hampshire in his penultimate fixture before the World Cup, from 73 balls.

Rilee Rossouw and Fuller were hoisted up the order to boost the run rate but both departed, alongside Markram, in the last five overs while attempting aggressive shots - as in the end Hampshire scored just enough.

James Harden's vision has improved and is expected to be completely clear for Game 3 of the Rockets' second-round playoff series against the Warriors on Saturday night, but the Houston guard continues to deal with pain after being accidentally hit in the face by Draymond Green.

"Nah, still tough," Harden told reporters before Thursday's practice when asked if the pain has gone away. "Especially in bright lights. But I can see y'all a little bit better, so that's all that matters."

Harden suffered contusions in both eyes and a laceration on the inside of his left eyelid when he was inadvertently hit in the face by Green a little more than five minutes into the Rockets' Game 2 loss to the Warriors on Tuesday.

After the Rockets' flight landed in Houston on Wednesday afternoon, Harden went straight to an eye doctor. Tests revealed no damage to Harden's corneas, and he said the doctor told him "I would be good" for Game 3, meaning his vision would be clear.

Harden said after Game 2, which put the Rockets in a 2-0 hole in the Western Conference semifinal series, that he could "barely see." He returned to the game in the second quarter, frequently squinting and shielding his eyes from the light on the court and during his postgame news conference. Harden said his vision in his left eye was especially blurry.

Harden's issues with his vision were not evident in his performance. He finished with 29 points and had his highest field goal percentage of the postseason (9-of-19, 47.4 percent), despite missing his first three shots before suffering the injury.

Harden participated in the Rockets' practice on Thursday and dismissed a question about his availability for Game 3.

"If I played barely seeing last game, what makes you think I'm going to sit out Game 3?" Harden said.

Brooklyn Nets point guard D'Angelo Russell was cited for marijuana possession after being detained Wednesday at New York's LaGuardia Airport following a baggage check, a spokesperson for the New York Port Authority Police told Newsday.

Russell was en route to Louisville, Kentucky, where he was raised.

The spokesman told Newsday that Russell was summoned for possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana and later released.

In a statement, the Nets said they were aware of the situation and gathering more information.

The 23-year-old Russell is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason.

He helped lead Brooklyn to 42 wins while making his All-Star Game debut this past season. He did so by averaging career bests in points (21.1 per game) and assists (7.0) as the Nets reached the playoffs for the first time since 2015, ultimately losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. Teammates and coach Kenny Atkinson alike had lauded Russell for his leadership, improved conditioning and professional approach to the game.

The former No. 2 overall draft pick of the Lakers, Russell has career averages of 16.5 points and 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point range over four NBA seasons.

TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks played in the outfield for the first time since being sidelined in early March by a strained left lower back.

Hicks threw out a runner trying to score Thursday, moving in to grab a fly in the fifth inning of an extended spring training game against Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguers. He made a perfect one-hop throw to the plate to complete an inning-ending double play.

"Things are going well," Hicks said.

Hicks played five innings garnering 3 hits, 1 home run and 1 walk in three at-bats. In his first extended spring game Wednesday, he went 1 for 3 with 1 single and 2 walks as the designated hitter.

Hicks is scheduled to DH on Friday and play seven innings in center Saturday at extended spring training.

There was no update on shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who left his second rehabilitation game with Class A Tampa on Wednesday night with tightness in his left calf. That is the same calf he strained last month and has kept him out since April 3. Tulowitzki singled to left in the first inning Wednesday but then was lifted for a pinch runner.

Third baseman Miguel Andujar is scheduled to play in his third game with Tampa on Thursday night and could rejoin the Yankees this weekend. Andujar has not played for the Yankees since tearing the labrum in his right shoulder while sliding into third base on a pickoff attempt on March 31.

First baseman Logan Morrison, signed to a minor league contract two weeks ago, continues playing in extended spring games.

The Boston Red Sox have followed suit with starting pitcher David Price and are no longer playing "Fortnite" in the home clubhouse.

Nathan Eovaldi told WEEI in a story published Wednesday that he hasn't seen the popular video game around all season.

"Usually everybody had it set up in their lockers, but I haven't seen it," Eovaldi said.

Players told WEEI that "Fortnite" had become a distraction for the Red Sox, who are 14-17 and in fourth place in the American League East. The slow start to their World Series defense may play a role in keeping controllers out of players' hands.

"Maybe if we were doing a little better, maybe we would be doing it, but you can't be losing and playing 'Fortnite' in the clubhouse," Eovaldi said.

Last season, Price was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The left-hander said video games might have contributed to the issue but weren't the primary source of blame. Even so, Price said last May that he wouldn't be playing "Fortnite" in the clubhouse.

The Red Sox aren't the only team to curtail the gaming. According to The Athletic, Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said in March that they have a pregame curfew on video games in their clubhouse.

NEW YORK -- This may have been Thor's most dominant bolt of brilliance yet.

Noah Syndergaard became the first pitcher in 36 years to homer and throw a complete game in a 1-0 victory, lifting the New York Mets over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

Syndergaard (2-3) struck out 10 and allowed four hits in his second career shutout, shaking off a sloppy start to the season with a do-it-all effort. He became the first Mets starter to get an out in the eighth this year and the franchise's first starter ever to hit a home run in a 1-0 complete-game victory.

"Thor" did his hammering in the third inning, driving a ball 407 feet to the opposite field off Tyler Mahle (0-4).

"I got that one pretty good," the left-handed hitter said with a smile.

"It looked like a righty hit it," manager Mickey Callaway said. "A power-hitting righty."

The previous pitcher to homer in a 1-0 complete game was the Los Angeles Dodgers' Bob Welch against the Reds on June 17, 1983, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Syndergaard is only the seventh pitcher to accomplish the feat since 1920.

A hard-throwing All-Star in 2016, Syndergaard entered with a 6.35 ERA this season. His velocity picked up a tick from where he'd been, topping out at 99.5 mph on his final pitch to freeze Yasiel Puig.

The right-hander had said chilly temperatures were making it difficult to grip the ball in previous starts. Working under sunny skies for a rare noon start, "Thor" busted out thunder and lightning in broad daylight.

"It was nice to be able to pitch in some nice weather," Syndergaard said.

Syndergaard's second homer this season was the sixth of his career, tying Tom Seaver for second among Mets pitchers, one behind Dwight Gooden's team record.

New York entered with three homers from its pitching staff -- including one each from Jacob deGrom and Wheeler -- which was tied with Arizona for the major league lead. The Mets' four homers matched the franchise season record set in 2016.

"They love to hit," Callaway said. "There's times we'll let them swing away in big situations when other teams might have their pitchers bunt. Our pitchers can get it done, so you want to give them a chance. They take it more seriously than most."

Syndergaard's shot was the 11th homer by a pitcher in the majors this season, on pace to easily surpass the 34 such drives in 2003 for the most since the introduction of the designated hitter in 1973. That comes as momentum has built recently to bring the DH to the NL.

"Am I a fan of the DH? I'm really not," Syndergaard said. "Really both sides. I like hitting. It's fun. It keeps me relaxed out there pitching. On the other side, a lot of other opposing pitchers don't really know how to swing the bat that well, so I just see it as an opportunity to get a couple extra strikeouts."

The game breezed by in 2 hours, 10 minutes, the fastest Mets game this season by over 30 minutes.

WAVING WINKER

Reds leadoff hitter Jesse Winker got an earful from Mets fans after waving tauntingly at the Citi Field faithful following a pair of victories earlier in the series. Winker was booed prior to his first at-bat and waved at sarcastically by fans after striking out in the first and sixth.

Jeers peaked in the ninth, when Winker was ejected arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Marty Foster. Kyle Farmer replaced Winker and struck out looking, with the punchout going on Winker's record.

"That's baseball," Winker said of all the heckling. "We're playing on the road. Fans always get on you. It's part of the game. It's fun. It's fan interaction. I think that's what the game wants."

PRETTY GOOD, TOO

Mahle delivered five solid innings, with the only damage coming on Syndergaard's strike. Mahle struck out seven with four hits and no walks.

The Reds entered with 99 runs allowed this season, tied with AL East-leading Tampa Bay for best in baseball. They allowed one run over the final 18 innings of the series.

"We knew he's a good hitter," Mahle said of Syndergaard. "And I just tried to throw a fastball away, figured to get ahead, and it wasn't a very competitive pitch and he made me pay for it."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: 1B Joey Votto was out of the lineup for rest but entered as a pinch hitter.

Mets: C Wilson Ramos took Winker's foul tip off his right knee in the third. He crumpled in pain and was visited by a trainer but remained in the game. ... 1B Pete Alonso was held out of the lineup to rest but pinch hit for Dominic Smith in the sixth.

UP NEXT

Reds: Return home for four games against San Francisco. RHP Sonny Gray (0-4, 3.64) entered Thursday ranked seventh in wins above replacement (1.1, per Fangraphs). He'll try for his first win against RHP Tyler Beede.

Mets: Begin a six-game trip with the first of three at Milwaukee. LHP Steven Matz (3-1, 3.68) will face Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (3-1, 5.17).

Kole Calhoun did not have a good 2018 season. He hit .208 with 19 home runs, and his wOBA of .294 ranked 178th out of 194 qualifiers. For one month, however, he was as good as any hitter in the game. He hit .322 in July with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs and had the fourth-highest OPS. Only Matt Carpenter had more home runs that month, and only Khris Davis had more RBIs.

Jonathan Schoop did not have a good 2018 season. He hit .233/.266/.416 with 21 home runs. But in July, he hit .360 with nine home runs.

Joc Pederson was better than Calhoun and Schoop, hitting .248/.321/.522 with 25 home runs in a platoon role. In June, he hit 10 home runs and slugged .867 in just 67 plate appearances.

Surely you remember Didi Gregorius' April. He hit .327/.421/.735 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs. He finished with 25 home runs and 87 RBIs, so more than a third of his production came in those first 28 games.

We can do with this with pitchers as well. Daniel Mengden went 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA in May. Sean Newcomb went 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA that month. Jake Arrieta beat both with a 0.90 ERA. Carlos Rodon finished 6-8 with a 4.18 ERA, but he went 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA in nine starts in July and August.

You get the idea. Players of all abilities can have huge months -- not just the superstars. But we notice the big months more when they happen in April because we see the names at the top of the stat leaderboards. It's a reminder of what makes the game so magical: Mike Trout is Mike Trout because he does it month after month, but for one month, Kole Calhoun was Mike Trout. The line between one of the greatest players of all time and a veteran having a bad season is much smaller than we sometimes realize.

With that in mind, let's look at some of the early leaderboard surprises and decide if they can possibly keep it up.

Tim Anderson, White Sox: .365 average (first in AL)

Anderson hit .240 last season, and the surprising aspect of his start is that his chase rate has climbed 4 percent from 2018, when he was one of the biggest free-swingers in the game. It defies logic that an even more aggressive approach has worked, but his underlying metrics are trending positively compared to last season: His exit velocity is up, his hard-hit rate is up from 27.9 percent to 36 percent, and his swing-and-miss rate is down. There has been some good fortune -- his expected batting average heading into Wednesday was .315 -- but in general, his quality of contact has been very good.

Still, he's riding a .413 BABIP and has drawn only two walks. Javier Baez has succeeded with this extreme approach, but Baez has freakish bat speed and raw power. Even if Anderson sustains some of his hard-hit improvement, I think the high chase rate will haunt him, and he will fall under .300 by season's end.

Jeff McNeil, Mets: .365 average (second in NL)

To think the Mets spent the offseason trying to find ways to not play McNeil after trading for Robinson Cano and signing Jed Lowrie, but injuries to Lowrie and Todd Frazier opened up regular playing time for McNeil, and he's not about to lose it now.

He's what we might call a throwback player, given the current devotion among hitters to home runs. McNeil focuses on putting the ball in play instead of launching it in the air and has a strikeout rate under 10 percent. While he has just one home run, don't be fooled into thinking he's a soft-contact guy. His average exit velocity of 90.7 mph is the same as that of hitters such as Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado. His expected batting average is .325, so he's hitting line drives and hard grounders. I would predict a .300 average, and given his doubles plus some walks, that's an effective hitter -- and a nice change of style in today's all-or-nothing game.

Trey Mancini, Orioles: .342 average (fourth in AL)

Mancini is hitting for both average and power (17 extra-base hits) after hitting .242 with 24 home runs last year. Where has that 100-point increase in batting average come from? In his case, it looks like it's all about launch angle:

He isn't hitting the ball harder, but he's hitting at more favorable angles. His ground ball rate has declined from 55.5 percent to 36.8 percent. That means more line drives and a higher BABIP. Mancini is not going to hit .342, but if he keeps the strikeout rate at 22 percent or below, he could be a legit .300 hitter.

Eddie Rosario, Twins: 11 home runs (tied for AL lead)

Like McNeil and Mancini, Rosario is 27. Is the age-27 peak season still a thing? Rosario has always had elite bat speed and hit 51 home runs the past two seasons, so it's not as if this power surge is out of nowhere. He also hit four of his 11 home runs last weekend in Baltimore. Some of Rosario's numbers are up: exit velocity and what Statcast calls "barrel rate" (a hard-hit ball at the optimal launch angle). He remains an aggressive swinger, and six games against the pitiful Orioles pitching staff certainly helped.

Rosario also has always been a streaky hitter. He hit .350 with 15 home runs in May and June last year, then hit .259 with four home runs in July and August. He hit 16 home runs in August and September 2017. I can see Rosario topping 30 home runs for the first time, but I'm not convinced that he has the consistency to get to 40.

Domingo Santana, Mariners: 30 RBIs (tied for AL lead)

Santana's overall batting line isn't anything special -- .284/.349/.470, six home runs -- and he strikes out a lot, so you might guess that he has been clutch with runners on base. He has! He's hitting .417 with runners in scoring position. To his credit, his overall strikeout rate is 26 percent, but it's just 9.5 percent with RISP, so he appears to be making a concerted effort to cut down on his swing in those situations.

Two players hit .400 with RISP last season -- Joe Mauer (.407) and Yuri Gurriel (.403) -- so maybe Santana can do this all season. And, yes, he could drive in 100 runs while slugging under .500. It happens all the time. Heck, Albert Pujols drove in 101 runs in 2017 while slugging .396 (thanks, Mike). Still, would you predict Santana to lead the AL in RBIs at season's end? No. We all know that will be Luke Voit.

Tyler Glasnow, Rays: 5-0, 1.75 ERA (tied for AL lead in wins, leads in ERA)

Glasnow was a popular breakout candidate heading into the season after he pitched pretty well with Tampa Bay down the stretch after the trade with the Pirates, but I wasn't so sure about that. He had a 4.20 ERA with the Rays and did start throwing more strikes, but he also allowed 10 home runs in 55⅔ innings and averaged just five innings per start.

Well, he's breaking out in a big way, and he's doing it basically with two pitches: an upper-90s fastball and a knee-breaking curveball. (He'll mix in a few changeups and sliders.) He has always had the big stuff but always made a mess of things with his inability to throw enough strikes. But now:

2018: 127th out of 140 pitchers in strike rate (minimum 100 IP)

2019: 18th out of 125 pitchers in strike rate (minimum 25 IP)

It's amazing what throwing strikes will do. I guess there's a chance the mechanics slip backward or something, but he looks like a Cy Young candidate.

Marco Gonzales, Mariners: 5-1, 3.28 ERA (tied for AL lead in wins)

The Gonzales bubble burst a little bit on Wednesday, as he had his first bad start and got knocked out in the second inning. Still, his ERA is a solid 3.28, and he has allowed just four home runs in 46⅔ innings. He might be even better if not for Seattle's league-worst defense, as his .313 BABIP against is a little high. His expected batting average allowed via Statcast data is .244; in reality, it's .273.

His cutter induces some soft contact, which helps make up for a mediocre strikeout rate, and he's pitch-efficient, which helps him go deeper into games without getting to 100 pitches. Wins, of course, are somewhat team-dependent, and as the Mariners' offense cools down, he's going to find those wins harder to come by. I think he'll beat last year's 4.00 ERA, even with that atrocious defense, but he is not going to beat last year's 13 wins.

Kirby Yates, Padres: 14 saves (leads NL)

Yates was dominant last season, and he's off to a great start, with one run in 16 innings (with 25 strikeouts). Here's all the evidence you need: While poking around some of the Statcast data, I saw that he has the third-lowest expected wOBA based on quality of contact. He doesn't light up the radar gun (93-94), but the fastball/splitter combo has worked in the past for pitchers who didn't throw 93 (think Koji Uehara). He's good.

IAAF president reacts to ruling on new female classification rules ahead of Doha Diamond League, where Semenya will race 800m

IAAF president Seb Coe has welcomed the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision which will see the introduction of new rules on female classification in athletics.

On Wednesday, the CAS dismissed the challenges from both two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya and Athletics South Africa (ASA) against the rules, which relate to restricting testosterone levels in female runners in certain events on the world stage.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Friday’s Doha Diamond League, where Semenya will race as a late entry to the 800m, Coe said: “I think this is pretty straightforward and it is very straightforward for any international federation in sport.

“Athletics has two classifications. It has age, it has gender.

“We are fiercely protective about both and I am really grateful that the court of arbitration has upheld that principle.”

His comments came on the same day that Semenya posted a couple of cryptic tweets, including one referencing “walking away” in a hint that she could be considering quitting the sport, or no longer fighting the ruling.

“Knowing when to walk away is wisdom,” reads the quote on a graphic posted by the three-time world gold medallist. “Being able to is courage. Walking away with your head held high is dignity.”

?‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/gCzZap740L

— Caster Semenya (@caster800m) May 2, 2019

The “IAAF Eligibility Regulations for Female Classification (Athletes with Differences of Sex Development)” (DSD Regulations) had been due to come into effect on November 1, 2018, but were suspended.

The regulations will now start on May 8, five days after Semenya races in Doha.

After that date, Semenya and other female athletes with DSD will need to reduce their natural testosterone level in order to take part in women’s track events from 400m to the mile in international competition.

Dan, do some research! Athletics’ categories are male & female. There are no defined “genetic advantage” categories. IAAF have acted to preserve the female category and fair female competition. They deserve credit since most other sports federations have been afraid to thus far.

— Paula Radcliffe (@paulajradcliffe) May 2, 2019

“I know that the IAAF’s regulations have always targeted me specifically,” read a statement from Semenya, who won both 1500m and 5000m titles at the recent South African Championships.

“For a decade the IAAF has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger. The decision of the CAS will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”

British number one Johanna Konta reached a career-first clay-court semi-final with victory over Hsieh Su-wei at the Morocco Open.

World number 47 Konta came from a set down to beat the Taiwanese second seed 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-4 in two hours and 13 minutes.

The seventh seed, 27, hit 48 winners and two aces to progress in Rabat.

Konta will play Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic in the semi-finals for their third meeting of 2019.

Tomljanovic - fourth seed in Morocco - beat Konta in straight sets in Brisbane before the Briton won in three sets at the Australian Open later in January.

It is her first semi-final appearance since her defeat by Daria Kasatkina at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow in October 2018.