Hain heaps praise on Steelbacks after Bears are overpowered at Edgbaston

Darren Lehmann's team closed in on a quarter-final place with a second successive high-scoring victory.

On Friday, the Steelbacks hit 237 for four to see off Derbyshire Falcons by 13 runs at the County Ground, and they went even better on Sunday, hitting a club record 240 for six, with the Bears being bowled out for 176 in return.

It was a second straight win after a run of five defeats on the spin had threatened to derail Northants' Blast bid, that had opened with six successive victories.

Matt Breetzke, who hit 93 in the win over Derbyshire, was in imperious form again, hammering six sixes and seven fours in his 85 from just 40 balls, while Ricardo Vasconcelos struck 56 from 27 balls and David Willey 54 from 30.

Hain top-scored with 50 from 29 balls but it was nowhere near enough, and the Bears batter admitted: "Sometimes you have just got to hand it the opposition.

"They played very well and put us on the back foot quite early.

"Perhaps we were a little bit slow to recognise what was required on that wicket and they put a good score on the board.

"Breetzke played beautifully up top and they set a very tall target.

"At the halfway stage we were slightly confident (Bears were 110-3) because we know we have the batting to chase anything, but chasing 240 you need everything to go your way.

"You need to take risks and sometimes that works for you and sometimes it doesn't and it wasn't our day.

"You need to build partnerships and every time we got one going we would lose a wicket which made it very difficult."

The win lifted the Steelbacks up to second in the North Group table, and their qualification for the last eight could be confirmed ahead of their final match at third-placed Durham on Friday night.

A win for the Steelbacks in the north east will secure a home quarter-final, regardless of other results.