Middlesex 156 for 3 (Malan 91*) beat Gloucestershire 168 for 8 (Hammond 42, Finn 3-18) by nine runs (DLS method)

Dawid Malan's imperious unbeaten knock of 91 steered Middlesex to a rare Vitality Blast victory against Gloucestershire at Radlett as they climbed to second place in the South Group.

Middlesex had registered only one win in their previous seven home T20 games against the West Country side - but always looked in control as they triumphed by seven wickets in the ground's inaugural Blast fixture.

The Seaxes' skipper entertained a sell-out crowd of 2227 as he flayed the Gloucestershire bowling to the tune of 91 from 59 deliveries, including seven fours and four sixes. At 156 for 3, Middlesex still needed 13 from 11 balls when a heavy downpour descended on the Cobden Hill ground - but their nine-run lead under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system was enough to secure the two points.

Gloucestershire opted to bat after winning the toss and Miles Hammond immediately went on the offensive, hitting Tom Helm for successive boundaries and sweeping Mujeeb Ur Rahman to register the first six of the match.

The left-hander dominated an opening stand of 53 with Michael Klinger, but Toby Roland-Jones and Steven Finn, bowling accurately in tandem, put the squeeze on Gloucestershire as they picked off three wickets for 20 runs. Roland-Jones made the breakthrough with one that kept low and uprooted Klinger's middle stump, while Finn found the outside edge of Ian Cockbain before having Hammond caught on the boundary.

Former Middlesex allrounder Ryan Higgins picked up the baton with 19 from 13 balls, including two maximums off Nathan Sowter - who had the last word by taking the catch to dismiss him when he skied Finn to deep midwicket.

James Bracey and Jack Taylor both holed out after threatening to dominate the closing stages, while a late flurry from Graeme van Buuren guided the visitors to a total of 168 for 8.

Gloucestershire needed wickets in the Powerplay to stand much chance of defending that total, but they failed to collect any as Malan and Paul Stirling quickly made inroads into the target.

Stirling displayed an effective mix of power and placement, punching two boundaries off Van Buuren's first over and swinging across the line to slam David Payne for an enormous six over long-on. The opener had made 33 from 26 balls when he speared Chris Liddle into the hands of deep extra cover - but his departure was no more than a fleeting setback for Middlesex.

Malan took a particular liking to the bowling of Tom Smith, dispatching the left-armer back over his head for the six that brought up his half-century from 30 balls and following that by sweeping and reverse sweeping the next two deliveries for four.

Stevie Eskinazi became Liddle's second victim as he miscued to cover and Eoin Morga also perished before the heavens suddenly opened to bring the game to a premature conclusion.

Derbyshire 207 for 5 (Madsen 66, du Plooy 51) beat Yorkshire 152 (van Beek 4-17) by 52 runs

Derbyshire defended an imposing 208 target at Headingley to secure the Vitality Blast double over Yorkshire for the third successive season, winning by 52 runs.

The Falcons were fired to 207 for 5 by superb fifties for Leus du Plooy and Wayne Madsen, who shared a damaging third-wicket partnership of 87 in seven overs to advance from 55 for 2 in the seventh. Both hit fifties - du Plooy with 51 off just 23 balls and Madsen 66 off 37.

Overseas fast bowler Logan van Beek then starred with 4 for 17 in three overs as Yorkshire, for whom Jack Leaning top-scored with 36, were bowled out for 152 with 17 balls remaining.

The Falcons were bottom of the North Group coming into this clash, but won for the third time in eight to leapfrog a Vikings side who have now lost four in nine and only won once.

Derbyshire, having been inserted, were given a brisk start by captain Billy Godleman, whose 16-ball 28 included two of 11 sixes in the innings. Du Plooy and Madsen hit four apiece in their explosive, game-changing third-wicket stand.

Left-hander du Plooy targeted the short leg-side boundary towards the East Stand side from the Kirkstall Lane End. He hoisted fledgling left-spinner Jack Shutt, who had dropped a tough chance at third man with Madsen on 28, over midwicket on the way to Derbyshire's joint-fastest fifty in any format.

In 2015, Wes Durston also hit a 20-ball fifty, and he was present on the ground as part of the Loughborough Lightning coaching staff. They had played a morning women's Super League match.

The Falcons innings, however, was given real impetus when 45 came off the 12th and 13th overs combined, taking the score to 141 for 2. Du Plooy hit the lion's share of 32 off compatriot and former international quick Duanne Olivier in the 12th.

He hit the first ball of the over, a no-ball, for a straight six before depositing the free hit over wide long-on and out of the ground. A further six and two fours came off the rest of the over.

Typically inventive, Madsen reached his fifty off 31 balls shortly afterwards, but both fell lbw to David Willey and Tim Bresnan as the score reached 179 for 4 in the 17th. Bresnan, who had only bowled two overs in three previous Blast appearances this year, struck twice in the over to remove Madsen and Matt Critchley - caught at cover - on the way to 2 for 17.

Yorkshire's chase was subject to an early blow when captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore was caught at point off van Beek's third ball.

Adam Lyth and Willey both hit sixes to take the score beyond 30 in the third over, only for the latter to slice van Beek to third-man as the score fell to 31 for 2. Lyth was then caught behind off Ravi Rampaul, Jonny Tattersall was lbw reverse sweeping at Critchley's legspin and Bresnan was run out.

The Vikings remained afloat - just - as Leaning and Jordan Thompson both struck sixes and shared 45 in four overs. But when both fell in the 14th to van Beek, Thompson caught at cover and Leaning brilliantly caught behind by a diving Daryn Smit off the glove, Yorkshire were done for at 137 for 7.

Luis Reece then struck twice in the 18th over to help mop up the tail before a second run out.

Western Storm 143 for 7 (Wilson 40, Farrant 3-23) beat Southern Vipers 142 for 5 (Taylor 44*) by three wickets

Heather Knight moved to the top of the scoring charts, and Western Storm to the Kia Super League summit, as she lead her side to a nervy three-wicket victory over Southern Vipers.

Storm and England skipper Knight has scored 129 runs in the KSL 2019 so far after scores of 41, 50 not out and 38 here. She added 71 with India star Smriti Mandhana for the second wicket, before Fran Wilson's impeccable 40 off 30 balls took Storm above Vipers and Surrey Stars to the top of the table.

Both sides had come into the clash unbeaten in their opening two KSL fixtures but Storm's powerful batting line-up proved too strong in front of an almost 1500 strong crowd at the Ageas Bowl.

Stafanie Taylor, Tammy Beaumont and Suzie Bates had given Vipers 142 defend, on the same pitch Somerset had smashed 202 on in the Vitality Blast on Friday night.

In reply, Rachel Priest square cut Lauren Bell to the boundary before the fast bowler exacted her revenge by flattening the New Zealander's leg stump with an inswinger next ball. Storm motored in the third over as Mandhana's three boundaries helped take 16 runs off Bell, before Heather Knight slog-swept Taylor for six.

Mandhana and Knight cruised past a fifty partnership, from just 32 balls but the stand ended on 71 as Tash Farrant returned to the attack. Left-armer Farrant found Mandhana swinging to fine leg before Knight was castled four balls later to break the game open again.

But Sophie Luff and Wilson, who eased the pressure with a straight maximum, intelligently ticked off 58 of the remaining 66 runs before the former offered a simple catch to mid-off and Deepti Sharma was run out. With two needed off the last over, Wilson was lbw and Anya Shrubsole lbw to Bates before Sonia Odedra tip-toed Storm over the line with a ball to spare.

Earlier, Tammy Beaumont decided to bat after winning the toss, but Vipers lost Danni Wyatt to the second ball of the match, when Claire Nicholas bowled her with a loopy yorker.

Beaumont and Bates scored carefully in a 66-run stand for the second wicket, with the former the more attacking with a pair of sixes. Curiously the England star had only collected a single maximum in her first three KSL campaigns - she has seven now this year - although she fell attempting an eighth to the deep square rope.

New Zealander Bates was finding timing more difficult, with two boundaries in her 38-ball 33, before she slapped to midwicket and Thea Brookes was caught behind.

At 94 for 4 with just five overs remaining, Vipers needed a pick-me-up and Taylor's boundary hitting and Maia Bouchier's quick-running gave it to them. West Indian Taylor thrashed seven boundaries, including a pair of smartly struck sweeps and a beauty over mid-off, in her 44 not out off 28 balls.

Bouchier was run out off the last ball as the hosts posted 142 for 5, to set-up a record chase in the KSL at the Ageas Bowl.

Rafael Nadal reached the final of the Rogers Cup without playing a shot after Gael Monfils withdrew from their semi-final with an ankle injury.

Monfils had been hoping to face Spain's world number two some five hours after completing a rain-delayed quarter-final against Roberto Bautista Agut.

But the Frenchman hurt his ankle in that 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2) win and had to withdraw from the Montreal tournament.

Nadal will plays Russia's Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's final.

Sixth seed Medvedev beat compatriot Karen Khachanov 6-1 7-6 (8-6).

Serena Williams beat qualifier Marie Bouzkova to set up a Rogers Cup final in Toronto against Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu.

Bouzkova started strongly before being overpowered 1-6 6-3 6-3 by 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams.

Andreescu beat American Sofia Kenin 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in the other semi-final and is the first Canadian woman to reach the final of the tournament since 1969.

"I just felt like crying after because I'm just so happy," she said.

Czech Bouzkova, 21, had said before the match she would be playing her idol but she showed no signs of being intimidated, in what was her first WTA semi-final appearance, and took the first set 6-1.

Williams admitted she had to "make some adjustments, mostly mentally," after that first set.

She will now be seeking to win her first title since returning to competition in 2018 after the birth of her daughter when she faces Andreescu on Sunday.

The 19-year-old, competing for the first time since withdrawing from the French Open with a shoulder injury, won her maiden WTA title at Indian Wells in March.

Former world number one Andy Murray is to step up his return to singles by playing events in Zhuhai and Beijing.

The Briton will make his singles return at this week's Cincinnati Masters - seven months after fearing he might have to retire.

He has added the tournaments in China in September and October to his schedule but has not committed to playing singles at the US Open.

The final major of 2019 starts on 26 August in New York.

The tournament in Zhuhai starts on 23 September, with the Beijing event the following week.

"As I look to play more singles events later in the year, I'm happy to announce I'll be playing at the inaugural Zhuhai Championships," Murray said.

The Scot broke down in tears at a news conference at the Australian Open in January as he discussed a hip injury that looked likely to end his career.

The three-time Grand Slam winner had a resurfacing operation later that month and returned to doubles action in June.

He has since said he is pain free and feels the time is right to return to singles.

Murray's last singles match was a five-set loss to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in Melbourne.