SCOTT Borthwick and Paul Collingwood continued their rich veins of form as they piled up the runs against hapless Northamptonshire this afternoon.

Borthwick followed his 176 at Lord’s last week by reaching 125 at tea, when Collingwood was on 77 out of a total of 277 for four.

They came together at 110 for four when Ben Stokes edged Neil Wagner to first slip to depart for 13, but the only scare since came when Borthwick was dropped on 82.

It was a regulation shin-high chance to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington off one of Maurice Chambers’ better deliveries.

Generally he sprayed the ball around, while Wagner conceded runs at six an over, which was the rate at which the fifth-wicket pair scored in the first ten overs of their partnership.

A straight drive off Andrew Hall gave Borthwick his sixth four and took him to 50 off 87 balls. He then enjoyed a purple patch in racing to 78, culminating in two high-class fours off successive balls from Wagner from a straight drive and a pull.

Following his two half-centuries at Lord’s, Collingwood reached another one off 64 balls when he clipped Chambers to the mid-wicket boundary and followed up with a straight drive for his seventh four.

Borthwick slowed up either side of being dropped, but on 97 he eased Azharullah through backward point. He was always going to run three, but was handed four when Chambers, who had run round from third man, dived over the ball.