ADAM Lyth scored a scintillating, record-breaking 161 to maintain Yorkshire’s hopes of quarter-final qualification in the NatWest T20 Blast by thumping Northamptonshire by 124 runs at Headingley.

Lyth’s 73-ball effort underpinned Yorkshire’s 260-4 after winning the toss.

Both totals were the highest individual and team scores in England.

Lyth’s was the third highest score by anyone in this format, with Chris Gayle’s 175 in the IPL in 2013 still the highest.

The Vikings fell just four runs short of breaking the world record score in an innings. It is the joint-second highest.

More importantly, Yorkshire have moved to second in the North Group table with 15 points from 14 games. But they must now hope other results go their way tonight for them to qualify for the last eight.

"I'm pretty speechless to be honest,” said opener Lyth, who later saw Azeem Rafiq take 5-19 in Northants reply of 136 all out in 14.5 overs.

“The power play went very well, and I kicked on from there. I kept on trying to clear the ropes. It was my night.

“The Championship stuff hasn't gone so well for me this year, but the white ball stuff has been very good. I showed what I'm capable of doing if I get through the first six.

"I'm over the moon with my performance, but the main thing is that we got the win. Hopefully results go our way and we qualify.”

Northants, one of four teams who can still overtake Yorkshire, raced out of the blocks in reply at 110-2 in the ninth over, lost their last eight wickets for 26 runs. Adil Rashid also claimed 3-31 as spin prospered.

Lyth shared 127 in 9.4 overs for the first wicket with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and 121 in a further 9.1 with ex-Steelback David Willey.

Kohler-Cadmore hit 41 off 24 balls and Willey 40 off 22.

Left-handed Lyth hit 20 boundaries and seven of 13 sixes, reaching 50 off 21 balls, 100 off 50 and 150 off 66.

Former Viking Ben Sanderson conceded 0-77 from four overs, the second worst analysis in T20 history.

Northants flew out of the blocks in reply as Richard Levi gave the Vikings something to think about with a 27-ball half-century. He made 65 off 32 balls.

At 85-1 after six overs, Northants were actually ahead of Yorkshire’s power play score score of 80 without loss.

But they subsided quickly from 110-2 in the ninth, with key man Levi handing Rafiq his third wicket when he found long-on.

Rafiq had earlier bowled Adam Rossington and had Josh Cobb caught behind.

When Levi and Ben Duckett fell in the space of two balls at the end of the ninth and start of the tenth to Rafiq and fellow spinner Adil Rashid, with the latter bowled reverse sweeping, Northants were goners at 110-4.

Rafiq then got rid of Steelbacks captain Alex Wakely and all-rounder Steven Crook in the space of three balls in the eleventh over to complete his five-for before Rashid helped to mop up the tail.

If Yorkshire qualify for the quarter-finals, it will be an away tie between next Tuesday and Friday. The draw is tonight.