Northamptonshire 209 for 4 (Lynn 115*, Thompson 2-39) beat Warwickshire 208 for 7 (Webster 97, Barnard 40) by six wickets

Northamptonshire Steelbacks continued their storming start to the Vitality Blast with a six-wicket victory over Warwickshire Bears at Edgbaston.

The Bears were lifted to a hefty 208 for seven by Australian batter Beau Webster who hit a blistering 97 from 56 balls, supported by a sweet cameo from captain Ed Barnard (40, 25)

It was a tall total, but not tall enough. Chris Lynn's seventh T20 century, an unbeaten 115 (59), took the Steelbacks to 209 for four with four balls to spare and secured their fourth straight win which left the troubled Bears with a fourth straight defeat.

After choosing to bat, the home side started slowly, taking just one run from the first over for the loss of Rob Yates who steered David Willey to short third man. Zen Malik, on his Blast debut, injected impetus with 24 from ten balls, including successive sixes off James Sales, but then lifted the same bowler to third.

Sam Hain charged untidily as Calvin Harrison and was stumped but Webster and Barnard added 82 in seven overs. Sales, who took five for 21 against Gloucestershire on Friday, was left to muse on the great leveller that is cricket as he was socked for 27 in an over on his way to 4-0-63-2.

Barnard missed a lap at Sales and was bowled but Webster maintained the big-hitting. He smashed ten fours and five sixes one of which, clubbed off a Willey full toss, raised the 200, before lifting the last ball over an excellent last over (which cost just four runs) from Ben Sanderson to deep mid-wicket.

The Steelbacks required more than ten an over but were always up with the rate. Openers Lynn and Ricardo Vasconcelos (27, 25) added 69 from 30 balls before the latter perished to the last ball of the powerplay, run out by Barnard's direct hit from mid off.

Lynn passed his half-century from 23 balls and with Nathan McSweeney added 60 in seven overs. The latter hoisted Usman Tariq to long off but Willey (23, 11) kept the momentum high and when he was yorked by Jordan Thompson, the Steelbacks needed 43 from 22 balls.

Crucially, Lynn, having enjoyed more than his share of good fortune, was still there. He moved to 99 with a six far into the building site off Thompson and to his century (from 53 balls) next ball. Three successive fours off Chris Woakes left 16 needed off the last 12 balls and only eight of them were needed.