Kai Smith smashed a T20 career best unbeaten 65 to end Warwickshire Bears’ Vitality Blast campaign on a high in a thrilling five-wicket victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.

The Bears were unable to qualify for the knockout stages but dented the Steelbacks’ momentum ahead of their home quarter-final on Wednesday night.

Smith combined in a stand of 105 runs off 68 balls with Sam Hain (48 not out) after Warwickshire slumped to 49 for five chasing 154 to win, George Scrimshaw taking 3 for 36.

Earlier Saif Zaib top-scored with 35 as a lacklustre Steelbacks batting line-up stuttered amid a series of tame dismissals.

Bears captain Beau Webster took three for 30 as Warwickshire took three wickets in six balls mid-innings to leave the Steelbacks reeling at 95 for seven. They had Luke Procter to thank after his unbeaten 33 steered them to 153 all out. Jordan Thompson and former Steelback Richard Gleeson snared two apiece.

Vansh Jani got the chase off to a flier with a quickfire 26, striking three fours and two sixes but the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals before Smith joined forces with Hain.

Chris Woakes set the tone with just one run from the day’s opening over before Gleeson squared up Ricardo Vasconcelos who was caught at cover.

Chris Lynn (19) broke the shackles, pulling Woakes over midwicket before he was caught attempting another maximum off Webster. Nathan McSweeney scooped Woakes for six but slapped his next delivery straight to cover.

David Willey set about rebuilding with Zaib before Dan Mousley had the Steelbacks skipper caught at midwicket

Zaib picked up the pace, striking Taz Ali down the ground for six in a positive partnership of 38 with Louis Kimber.

But Kimber holed out at deep square-leg off Ali, sparking a mini-collapse. Next over Webster had Lewis McManus caught behind square and Calvin Harrison adjudged lbw.

Zaib then hit Gleeson straight to point, but Ben Sanderson scooped his former teammate and smashed through backward point before Gleeson knocked back middle stump.

Procter though struck Webster down the ground for consecutive boundaries, and while he was dropped at long-off off Gleeson, he scooped Thompson for four in the final over.

In the chase, Jani plundered 15 runs off Willey’s first over including a six over midwicket, but Zen Malik skied Sanderson’s first ball and was caught behind.

Jani pulled Sanderson behind square for six, but holed out at mid-on off Scrimshaw, who then had Webster caught in the same position in his next over.

Procter then removed Mousley caught at short-midwicket before Scrimshaw struck again to bowl Hamza Shaikh as he attempted to scoop.

Smith struck the ball firmly, pulling and driving the seamers and smashing a huge six over deep-midwicket off Scrimshaw. He comfortably outscored Hain who eventually unleashed a big six over deep square off Scrimshaw.

When Hain crunched Willey through cover in the 17th over, momentum was firmly in the Bears’ direction and victory soon followed.