Birmingham Bears posted a new T20 Blast record total of 261-2 on their way to a 55-run win over Notts Outlaws.

Elsewhere, Northants drew level on points at the top of the North Group with victory over leaders Lancashire.

And in the South Group, leaders Surrey maintained their unbeaten start with a seven-wicket win over Middlesex.

Surrey have now won seven of their eight matches in the competition this summer, with one no-result.

North Group

The story of the evening came at Trent Bridge, with the famous old ground treated to another feast of entertainment only three days after England’s thrilling final-day run chase to beat New Zealand in the second Test.

Rob Yates helped the Bears, who climb to third in the group, to a fast start with 53 off 29 balls before Hain and Hose took centre stage, sharing an unbroken stand of 173 off just 70 balls and hitting 15 sixes between them.

Hain brought up the first Twenty20 century of his career off 47 balls, while Hose, who hit 10 maximums, faced only 35 deliveries.

The Bears’ total was comfortably their biggest in T20 cricket, beating 242-2 against Derbyshire in 2015 when current England Test coach Brendon McCullum blasted 158 not out.

In reply, Notts lost Alex Hales early on, but 86 from Joe Clarke kept them in with a chance of pulling off a world record chase as the Outlaws kept up with the run rate.

Their pace slowed after he was dismissed by Carlos Brathwaite and the game turned decisively in the Bears’ favour when Danny Briggs removed Tom Moores and Steven Mullaney with successive balls as Notts slipped from 170-3 to 206 all out.

Leaders Lancashire Lightning were beaten for only the second time in this season’s competition as Northants Steelbacks cantered to a seven-wicket win over the Red Rose county.

Lancashire struggled to get going in their innings, with only Tim David’s four sixes off successive balls adding real momentum in their 153-7.

But that total never looked like being enough as 57 from Josh Cobb and 50 by Ben Curran helped second-placed Northants to their target with 22 balls to spare.

Yorkshire Vikings strengthened their grip on fourth place in the group with a routine 65-run win over Durham at Chester-le-Street.

An opening stand of 105 off 50 balls between Adam Lyth (81) and Finn Allen (48) laid the platform for Yorkshire’s 201-5, in which Tom Kohler-Cadmore also contributed 48.

Spinner Jack Shutt then took 4-35, including the wicket of top scorer Ollie Robinson (44) as Durham fell well short on 136-8.

Elsewhere, Leicestershire Foxes eased to victory over struggling Worcestershire Rapids by eight wickets for their fourth win of the group stage.

Callum Parkinson, Naveen-ul-Haq and Ben Mike each took three wickets as the Rapids were restricted to 116-9.

Arron Lilley then hit 68 off 38 balls as the Foxes cantered to victory with 47 deliveries to spare.

South Group

Surrey‘s march towards the quarter-finals continued at The Oval as they completed the double over London rivals Middlesex.

The visitors lost regular wickets after being put in and their 155-8 never looked like being enough against Surrey’s powerful batting line-up, boosted by the return of England centurion from the last Test, Ollie Pope.

And so it proved as 43 off 20 balls from Will Jacks was followed by an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 73 between Pope (37 not out) and Sunil Narine, who won the game with a six over long-on that also brought up his own half-century.

Somerset remain three points behind Surrey in second place after a seven-run win over West Country rivals Gloucestershire that was more comfortable than it looked.

Having been 1-1 after two overs, Somerset recovered to power their way to 184-6 thanks to an unbeaten 60 off 36 balls from Lewis Gregory and an equally rapid 54 from Rilee Rossouw, who passed 350 runs in the competition.

A sixth-wicket stand of 62 between Ryan Higgins and Benny Howell gave Gloucestershire hope but ultimately needing 24 off the final over – and 14 off the last ball – proved too much as they ended on 177-8.

Essex Eagles maintained their challenge with a high-scoring 11-run win over Sussex Sharks, which lifted them to third.

Batting first, Essex posted a new county record total of 244-7, beating the 242-3 they made in 2008 at Chelmsford which was also against Sussex.

Daniel Sams provided real momentum to Essex, striking six sixes and six fours in his 24-ball 71.

Mohammed Rizwan’s 66 off 32 gave Sussex a flying start in reply and although Tom Alsop (45) and Ravi Bopara (51) – the latter playing against his former club – did their best to keep the Sharks in it, the target ultimately proved just out of reach as they ended on 233-6.

Hampshire Hawks are also into the top four after winning their fifth game of the campaign and inflicting a seventh defeat this season on reigning champions Kent Spitfires.

Captain James Vince hit exactly 100 – his third T20 ton – from 54 balls to help his side to 221-3.

Kent lost two early wickets in reply and were never in the hunt, despite 49 from Joe Denly, falling short on 167-8 to lose by 54 runs.

Saturday fixtures

Chesterfield: Derbyshire Falcons v Yorkshire Vikings (14:30 BST)

Worcester: Worcestershire Rapids v Northamptonshire Steelbacks (14:30)

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Glamorgan (18:30)

Sunday fixtures

Edgbaston: Birmingham Bears v Derbyshire Falcons (14:30)

Chester-le-Street: Durham v Leicestershire Foxes (14:30)

Blackpool: Lancashire Lightning v Notts Outlaws (14:30)

Chelmsford: Essex Eagles v Somerset (14:30)

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Sussex Sharks (14:30)

Southampton: Hampshire Hawks v Surrey (14:30)

Lord’s: Middlesex v Kent Spitfires (14:30)