After an uneventful opening, Chelsea launched an innocuous-looking attack with Deco heading on a ball that hugely favoured the home keeper, but when James's kick met air instead of ball due to a large bobble off the turf, Drogba was able to run on and slot into the unguarded net.
Facing a tough target, Northants could not afford to hang about at the start of their reply and Afzaal and Lance Klusener were immediately on the attack against Caddick and new ball partner Gareth Andrew.
BBC: SPORT | Cricket | Counties | Afzaal aggression sinks Somerset
"Lee was fouled right on the edge of the box, I don't think it was a penalty but it's certainly a free-kick and within two seconds they've played the ball on the counter-attack and we're down to 10 men, " said Coyle.
St Mirren went back on the attack and Steven Thomson latched onto a through-ball and stabbed a shot towards goal, forcing Allan McGregor to make a last-ditch save.
There was a hiccup when, following his introduction into the attack, Monty Panesar's third ball trapped Mitchell lbw on the back pad, giving the left-arm spinner his 50th Championship wicket in his first season with Sussex.
However, Habana gathered his own clever chip down the left to score two minutes later when Gonzalo Olongo lost the ball in the tackle and the Boks pounced on the counter attack.
With Sunderland always looking sharp on the counter-attack, David Bellion surged his way to the dead-ball line.
Porto were pitiful in attack though late on Quaresma's shot saw Lehmann need two attempts to claim the ball.
Two minutes later, the stalemate was broken when Sheils broke free on the counter-attack and outran the United defence to round Zaluska and confidently bury the ball in the back of the net.
In attack, the Reds had a brief sight of goal early on when Milan Jovanovic slid a piercing ball to Babel only for the Dutchman's touch to let him down and the chance of a shot at goal quickly evaporated.
Fulham were soon back on the attack and Dempsey's deflected shot had Howard throwing himself to his left as the ball went past the post.
But an almighty hit by Muliaina on Bradley Davies knocked the ball out of the lock's grasp and set New Zealand away on another dangerous counter-attack.
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