On a sweltering night in Manchester the White Rose posted 236-6 – their highest total against Lancashire and the highest Blast total at Old Trafford.
Roses debutant Will Luxton made a career-best 90 not out after adding 167 for the second wicket with Bairstow, who made Yorkshire’s highest T20 total in a Roses encounter.
The 35-year-old registered his fifth T20 century in his 314th innings, beating his previous best of 114 with the aid of 10 sixes and eight fours before holing out to Phil Salt at deep square off Chris Green, who ended with 4-34.
James Anderson came in for some treatment, finishing with 0-51 from his four overs including a couple of sixes from old England pal Bairstow.
Keaton Jennings (19) went early in reply but Salt made 38 from 20 and Jos Butler brought up his 100th T20 half-century from 31 balls, the fifth player in history to do so, before skying to Bairstow off Jordan Thompson to leave Lightning 124-3 in the 12th over.
James Wharton produced a stunning diving catch to oust Luke Wells and Yorkshire took control from there, eventually restricting their hosts to 217-7 for a 19-run win and a third straight Roses victory to keep their own qualification hopes alive.
Notts kept their qualification hopes alive with a seven-wicket victory over North Group leaders Durham.
Australian seamer Daniel Sams took 4-26 and spinner Matt Montgomery a career best 4-30 as Durham were bowled out for 156, with Graham Clark cracking 44 from 27 deliveries.
Chasing 157 to win on a slow pitch, Jack Haynes steered the Outlaws home with an unbeaten 55 from 40 balls with two sixes, backed up with 43 apiece from Moises Henriques and Joe Clarke.
Bears took a big stride towards the knockout stages with a comfortable 23-run win at New Road which all-but ended their rivals’ top-four hopes.
The Rapids reeled in the visitors late on, dismissing Bears for 176 with Sam Hain making 44 and George Garton a late unbeaten 36, while Ben Dwarshuis took 3-30.
Bears sent down 22 dot-balls in the six-over Powerplay to smother their hosts, who were 15-1 after five overs. Adam Hose made 51 from 39 balls but Danny Briggs (3-37) helped oust them for 153 in reply.
Breetzke blazed 93 off 45 balls to reignite Northamptonshire’s campaign by setting up a 13-win over bottom-placed Derbyshire.
The South Africa Test batter hit nine fours and five sixes in a partnership of 125 in 10.4 overs with skipper David Willey (53) while Saif Zaib smashed an unbeaten 53 from 20 balls as the Steelbacks finished with 237-4, equalling their highest ever T20 score.
Derbyshire looked on course to chase down the target and post their highest ever T20 total as Donald smashed six sixes and eight fours in his 71 off just 22 balls in an opening stand worth 112 in just 7.4 overs with Caleb Jewell (39), but a run of 66-5 from the next 7.5 overs saw their hopes fade despite Harry Came’s late unbeaten 35.
