THE headline-grabbing antics of Paul Collingwood yesterday reunited two former RAF colleagues who hadn't seen each other for almost 50 years.

Prior to turning his overnight 105 into his highest first-class score of 153, Collingwood was contacted by a John Shreeves, who had read about him in the Birmingham Post.

The report mentioned that his century on Wednesday had been watched by his Consett-born uncle Derek Clark, a former Lincoln City footballer.

Shreeves realised that this was his old pal from National Service days and they were reunited in time to watch Durham build promisingly on Collingwood's 385 minutes of excellence.

"It was great to see him," said Derek, who still lives in Lincoln. "He even had some photos from our time together in Egypt."

Durham were also reacquainted with a rarely-seen friend - Lady Luck - as two of Warwickshire's top batsmen inexplicably ran themselves out in conceding a first innings deficit of 124.

Ian Hunter took the last three wickets to finish with a first-class best of four of 55, which had looked unlikely when he and Steve Harmison were contriving to waste the new ball.

The surprise element of a rare straight ball earned them a wicket apiece, however, as Harmison sent Michael Powell's off stump flying and the dangerous Nick Knight padded up to a full-length ball from Hunter. With the help of the two run-outs, Warwickshire slumped to 49 for five without having been unduly tested by the bowling.

They then threatened to recover as Durham had done from 58 for five, but after breezy innings from former skipper Neil Smith and wicketkeeper Keith Piper, plus a more sedate 45 from Dougie Brown, they were swiftly polished off by Hunter.

He had the satisfaction of winning the battle of the Sacriston boys, knocking over the off stump of Melvyn Betts, who wasn't called upon by Warwickshire in the morning until four other bowlers had been used.

He came on just before the new ball was due and immediately after he took it Collingwood was last out after scoring 48 of the 79 runs Durham added in the morning.

James Brinkley made three before edging to second slip, and Nicky Phillips was little help as he cracked a catch straight to gully when he should have been concentrating on keeping Collingwood company for as long as possible.

After hitting ten fours in his second 50, the only boundaries Collingwood added came off successive balls from Brown, which he pulled for four and six to move past his previous best of 130, made against Durham University last month.

Harmison also hit successive balls from Brown for four, from a pull and an off-drive, in contributing 17 to a last-wicket stand of 39.

Collingwood's 261-ball innings ended when he shaped to turn Betts' second delivery with the new ball to leg and it lobbed off a leading edge back to the bowler. A total of 329 was about 200 more than looked likely on the first morning and the turnaround was complete when Warwickshire began to self-destruct.

While Powell was probably beaten for pace, Mark Wagh was the only other member of the top five who was blameless as James Brinkley pitched one of his out-swingers in just the right place to knock out the off stump.

Brinkley was certainly the most accurate of the bowlers, with the other seamers giving Andrew Pratt's agility a thorough testing.

Harmison was bowling round the wicket to the left-handed David Hemp when the batsman pushed the ball between the stumps and Danny Law at mid-off and went for a run.

Hemp had to swerve round Harmison and was clearly short when Law hit the stumps. Umpire Graham Burgess consulted his colleague, David Constant, to make sure there had been no deliberate obstruction before giving Hemp out.

The in-form Dominic Ostler then risked a second to Harmsion at long leg and was well beaten by a good throw.

Smith clubbed 47 before he fell to Phillips' first ball, attempting to cut the off-spinner and edging to Pratt.

No-one noticed when Keith Piper made his maiden century against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994 because he reached the target shortly before the man at the other end got to 501 not out and Piper certainly wasn't calling the tune.

He threatened to lead Durham a merry dance yesterday with several cheeky strokes in an innings of 37, but Brinkley returned to have him caught at gully.

Hunter had Brown lbw with a ball which kept very low, then bowled Betts and had Alan Richardson caught by Pratt. There should have been time for 20 more overs, but as on the first day bad light intervened and only 1.5 overs were bowled.