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Well, it was Brendon McCullum who stole the headlines on another action-packed Friday night in the T20 Blast.

A stunning 69-ball 158 from the New Zealand captain helped holders Birmingham Bears to a 60-run win over Derbyshire.

McCullum's frenetic innings, which included 13 fours and 11 sixes, is the biggest score made in English domestic T20 cricket.

He was well supported by Varun Chopra (51) and Laurie Evans (16) as he sent the Derbyshire bowlers around the park.

Derbyshire started aggressively in reply to the Bears' 242-2, with Hamish Rutherford (39) striking three sixes, but they were unable to come anywhere near Birmingham's mammoth score as they finished 182 all out.

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Lancashire made it a Roses double over Yorkshire, winnings a high-scoring contest at Old Trafford by 29 runs.

Without Australia all-rounder James Faulkner because of a disciplinary issue, Lancashire posted their highest total in T20 cricket.

Ashwell Prince and Karl Brown both hit fifties in a mammoth score of 231-4.

In reply, Stephen Parry dismissed danger men Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell in the same over, and despite a late half-century from Tim Bresnan, the home side secured a comfortable win to boost their chances of qualification.

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Surrey powered to an eight-wicket victory against Middlesex thanks to a fine display with bat and ball at The Oval.

Despite Dawid Malan reaching 40, including three fours and a six, Zafar Ansari (3-17) led Surrey's bowling charge as Middlesex slumped to 105-9.

Despite losing openers Tom Curran (16) and Jason Roy (21) within the first six overs, Surrey made easy work of their chase.

Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara (40 not out) and Gary Wilson shared an unbeaten third-wicket 69-run partnership as they coasted to victory.

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Jacques Rudolph excelled with bat and ball as Glamorgan won by 23 runs at Hampshire.

Rudolph struck 77 from 45 balls, an innings that included 13 fours, in Glamorgan's total of 181-7.

Hampshire looked well set to chase down that target with Michael Carberry at the crease, but the home side's chances of victory seemed to disappear once he departed for 70 off 46 balls.

Rudolph claimed 2-8 from his two overs as Hampshire fell 23 runs short, ending on 158-6.

Mitchell Claydon and Alex Blake prospered as Kent easily overcame a below-par Sussex at Hove.

Asked to bat first, Sussex could only muster 136-8 from their 20 overs, with their last four batsman all falling for single figures.

Kent's reply got off to a wobbly start when Daniel Bell-Drummond (4) fell in the first over.

However, some composed hitting from Blake (52) and Sam Billings (39) guided Kent home with 34 balls to spare, finishing on 137-3.

Alex Hales made an explosive start, but couldn't fire Nottinghamshire to victory over Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore led the way for the visitors with the bat, striking a career-best 75 from 39 balls as the Rapids set Nottinghamshire 174 to win.

England batsman Hales raced to 47 from 29 deliveries, but his dismissal, caught attempting to heave Daryl Mitchell for his fourth six, shifted the momentum back towards Worcestershire.

Australia all-rounder Dan Christian struck a quick-fire 20, but it wasn't enough to prevent the hosts from slumping to their fifth loss in six games in the T20 Blast.

BBC Newcastle's Martin Emmerson at Chester-le-Street:

It turned out to be a comfortable night for Durham as they defended their total of 163-5 with ease.

Mark Stoneman starred with the bat with a career-best 89 not out in a partnership of 65 with Usman Arshad, who made 28. Arshad (3-18) then took three wickets for the first time in a T20 match, while team-mate John Hastings got three as well.

Leicestershire were poor in the field and with the bat. Ben Raine went for 56 runs in four overs without taking a wicket, the joint-third worst figures in the competition's history, while Stoneman was dropped three times.

And the Foxes just never got going with the bat as they were stifled by some very good Durham bowling, backed up by tight fielding.

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Gloucestershire eased to an eight-wicket win over local rivals Somerset at Taunton.

A 156-run stand between openers Hamish Marshall (93) and captain Michael Klinger (58) helped the visitors cruise to victory as they reached their target of 175 with four balls to spare.

Jim Allenby and Johann Myburgh made a fast start to Somerset's innings but the momentum was lost when they both departed.

Some late hitting from Luke Ronchi and Tom Cooper got the home side to a respectable 174-6, but their total was overhauled fairly easily as Gloucestershire pair Marshall and Klinger made light work of the run chase.

What an evening of T20 Blast action! Have you caught your breath yet?

By our reckoning, it's time we took you all through a wee recap of everything that's gone before during the last four hours or so...

Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris on Twitter: Brendon McCullum!!!!!! #blockingit

Styris wasn't exactly shy with bat in hand, of course, having once struck the equal third-fastest century in T20 cricket against Gloucestershire back in 2012.

Leicestershire captain Grant Elliott:

"Our out-cricket was not up to our usual standards. A couple of catches went down which we would normally expect to take and we let them get 15-20 too many.

"We tried to keep going to the end for run-rate purposes."

BBC WM 95.6's Richard Wilford: "None of us have seen anything like that before. It was the sort of thing you expect to see in a computer game. It was one of the most extraordinary T20 innings that's ever been played in the world.

"The atmosphere was reminiscent to one of those semi-finals you used to get in knockout competitions. The fact you saw it in a group game was really exciting."

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Durham captain Mark Stoneman:

"I felt we were about 15 ahead of a challenging score. It was a tough night for Ben Raine, he's been the hero one week and the villain the next, but that's T20 cricket. It turns round very quickly."

Gloucestershire batsman Hamish Marshall:

"It's always nice to get runs in a local derby. As usual it was a pretty good pitch at Taunton and it turned out to be our day.

"If you get in and play good cricket strokes you get value for your shots here because the outfield is so quick. Somerset tried to get us out with slower deliveries, but we threw our hands at the ball and it came out of the middle.

"Michael Klinger is such a professional to bat with and it was another great knock from a quality player, who is having a brilliant summer."

BBC Sport's Nabil Hassan at Taunton: "Dust settling here in Taunton as the Somerset players keep their young fans happy with an autograph session. A bizarre sight overhead, with around 100 seagulls circling the pitch, looking for scraps. I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere."

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Nottinghamshire assistant coach Wayne Noon told BBC Radio Nottingham:

"After Alex Hales was out the momentum shifted back to them and all of a sudden the pitch looked like it was hard to score on.

"At halfway everyone was happy in the dressing room and we dragged it back nicely from what was looking like a 200 score at one stage.

"But we let the rate get too high too quickly, which happened the other night against Derbyshire.

"With Peter Moores coming in now, we'll get some fresh eyes. It's disappointing, we have a very strong side on paper and it's not happening."

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And that's that - a win for Glamorgan to wrap up the evening's action.

Captain Jacques Rudolph was the Welsh side's key man, with bat and ball, as they beat Hampshire by 23 runs at the Ageas Bowl.

The South African made 77 in his team's total of 181-7, with Craig Meschede's late cameo proving crucial.

Rudolph then took 2-8 and also the catch that dismissed the dangerous Michael Carberry, who hit a blistering 70 for the hosts.

BBC Sussex's John Lees: "It was a pretty convincing victory for Kent, with 34 balls to spare, and they were much the better side. If you're put in you have to make a good score, and 136 by Sussex was simply not enough."

So we're down to our last game of the evening. Hampshire need 34 off the final over. Are we in for a grandstand finish?

It's game over in what turned out to be a fairly sedate seaside clash at Hove, as Kent win by seven wickets.

Sussex's batting never really fired and once Luke Wright went the team seemed to go with him.

Despite Kent's early wobble, Sam Billings and Alex Blake were excellent. Billings struck a huge six and a four from the penultimate Chris Liddle over, before Blake registered 50 from just 29 balls.

Kent replace Sussex at the top of the South Group.