d, interim manager Brian Snitker likes his teams

1890: The first Championship From 1873, several counties had started playing ad-hoc matches across the summer. There was no formal league, and the title of champions was awarded by popularity, much like a prize-winning marrow at a village fete.A points system was introduced in 1890 - a point for a win, minus one for a defeat, nothing for a draw. Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Surrey, Sussex and Yorkshire were the founding fathers, and on May 13, WG Grace led his Gloucestershire side in to bat with his brother Edward against Yorkshire at Ashley Down, Bristol. It was the first County Championship match, and Yorkshire did what they would mostly carry on doing for the next 125 years - winning, by eight wickets.It wouldnt all go their way, though. After 14 matches Surrey were the champions, led by the 113 wickets of blue-eyed George Lohmann - who, like Grace, could bowl medium-pace spinners to devastating effect - and the 704 runs of pocket-sized Bobby Abel, whose unbeaten 357 against Somerset in 1899 remains Surreys highest score 116 years later, out of reach of Hobbs and Sandham, of Barrington and May, of Thorpe and Stewart, of Ramprakash and Butcher.1957: The Invincibles The greatest Championship side of all time? A few can lay claim: Yorkshire of the 1930s, powered by the record-breaking openers Percy Holmes and Herbert Sutcliffe; the Yorkshire side that collected seven titles between 1959 and 1968; or Middlesex, led by Mike Brearley, who won four Championships in seven seasons from 1976 with a meticulous balance of spin, pace, style and substance.But in this land of giants there is one that looks down on them all. Surreys seven consecutive titles in the 1950s - an era that was a rare peak for English cricket - remains one of the greatest periods of dominance in domestic cricket. From 1952 to 1958 they won 121 out of 196 matches, as Laker, Bedser, May, Stewart and Barrington made imprints in history.Of all of their titles, 1957 was their most dominant. They started their season as they meant to go on: with an innings victory over Glamorgan. Only 11 times in 55 innings did Surreys opponents pass 200, and never 300. The champions won 21 of their 28 matches, nine by an innings, and took the title by a staggering 94 points. 1984: The closest finish The final round of matches: reigning champions Essex won their game inside two days against Lancashire at Old Trafford. It put them top, but their attention turned anxiously to second-placed Nottinghamshire, facing Ian Bothams Somerset at Taunton. A win for the visitors and the title would be theirs.Nottinghamshire declared 52 runs behind. Botham, always game for keeping matches alive, set Nottinghamshire 297 from 60 overs: Championship or bust.Chris Broad and Tim Robinson put on 70 for the first wicket, while Paul Johnson, Richard Hadlee and Bruce French added rapid 20s. But when Clive Rice was caught by 12th man Richard Ollis for 98, it appeared the game was over. That was until Mike Bore, in at No. 10 but more a No. 12, hacked them closer.The final over of the season, 14 needed, one wicket in hand: Bore hit the first two balls, from Stephen Booth, for four, and then collected two. Four from three. The fourth, blocked. Then, on the seasons penultimate delivery, Bore launched Booth towards the stands, towards the title. It dropped just short, into those pesky hands of Ollis again. The title, by a couple of feet, was Essexs. And how did they thank Ollis? The following season, John Lever had him caught for a duck.1992: Enter Sachin Has there ever been a more photographed sportsman than Sachin Tendulkar? Not just the iconic shots but the millions taken by fans and curious onlookers as the autograph era crossed over into the smartphone era. Out of this vast catalogue, there is one that retains its discordant power even now: Tendulkar, 19, a bat in his right hand, a pint of bitter in his left, a brown flat cap upon his head, a Yorkshire tracksuit keeping the English chill out.Yorkshire had been without a title since 1969. Things had to change, and it began by bringing to an end their policy of only picking players born within the countys boundaries. This meant, for the first time, Yorkshire were searching for an overseas player. Craig McDermott was chosen but he was injured ahead of the start of the season. So they signed the best young batsman on the planet.Courteous, charming, polite, with a gaggle of girls who would turn up wherever his sponsored car - a Honda Civic - was parked, Tendulkar gained instant respect in the dressing room.Despite top-scoring in his first two Championship matches with 86 and 92, Tendulkar struggled in a damp early summer. In August the runs started to come, and across five days he hit his two centuries for Yorkshire - 107 against Lancashire in the Sunday League and, in the Championship, a match-winning hundred against Durham. Yorkshire finished third from bottom but Tendulkar topped 1000 runs, and finished the season by inviting the entire squad to his wedding in Mumbai. 1999: The end of one division After 109 seasons, one became two. Small scale (rather than sweeping) change is part of the Championships breathing apparatus. So when it was announced that the 1999 season would be the last with a single division, it felt as if a hacksaw had been taken to the final vestige of the Victorian era.There was, of course, strong opposition. But two divisions would mean elite v elite and an end to the graveyard of dead games. The top nine at the end of the season would form Division One in 2000 and the bottom nine would become the great unwashed. Inevitably the final round of games produced a mid-table scramble between Sussex, Warwickshire, Hampshire and Derbyshire that involved declaration bowling, accusations of cheating, and suspicious pitches.Sussex captain Chris Adams, whose side finished on the wrong side of the dividing line after being bowled out for 99 by Warwickshire on the resultest of result pitches at Edgbaston, accused his opponents of blatant cheating and that they deserved to be relegated. He got his wish. With that game over in two days, Derbyshire and Hampshire, facing each other at Derby, knew exactly what was required. The home side needed just two batting points, eventually achieved after Hampshire batsman Giles White made a suspiciously rare bowling appearance. Hampshire achieved the win they needed by just two runs, booking their place on the County Championships brave new frontier. Trae Young Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Dominique Wilkins Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. https://www.cheaphawks.com/ . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Kent Bazemore Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Sidney Moncrief Jersey . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. NEW YORK -- If the New York Mets wind up reaching the NL wild-card game, at least they wont have to face Julio Teheran.They might actually prefer going up against All-Star ace Madison Bumgarner or Carlos Martinez -- heck, even Juan Marichal or Bob Gibson.Teheran shut down the Mets once again, pitching seven sparkling innings as the last-place Atlanta Braves blunted New Yorks bid to extend its wild-card lead, holding on for a 5-4 win Tuesday night.Every time I face them, Ive got a plan, Teheran said.And whatever it is, it works.Hes good. Hes an All-Star. Its not just us, Mets cleanup man Curtis Granderson said.The Mets dropped into a three-way tie with San Francisco and St. Louis for the two NL wild cards. New York nicked the Braves bullpen for three runs in the eighth but couldnt complete the comeback.The Braves have the worst record in the NL, yet have a four-game winning streak. They beat the Mets for the second day in a row and have taken five straight at Citi Field.Teheran (6-10) gave up five hits and left with a 5-1 lead, retiring 15 of his last 16 batters. Dating to the final time he saw the Mets last season, hes 3-0 with a 0.73 ERA in five starts against them.The 25-year-old righty improved to 7-3 lifetime against the Mets. In June, Teheran threw a one-hit shutout at this ballpark, and the two-time All-Star is 2-0 in four starts against New York this year.As for Citi Field, before I didnt like it. Now, its one of my favorites, Teheran said.Teheran struck out a season-low one, but a couple of fastballs up and a couple more inside early in the game seemed to serve their purpose and keep the Mets off the plate.Strikeouts dont matter to me, he said.Jim Johnson pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances. He struck out Yoenis Cespedes with a runner on first to end it, fooling the slugger badly with a sharp curve.Granderson hit an RBI double during the Mets three-run rally in the eighth.Freddie Freeman walked and doubled, giving him a 40-game on-base streak and a 24-game hitting string. Mattt Kemp got his 100th RBI and Adonis Garcia hit a three-run homer in the seventh that made it 5-1.dddddddddddd.The Braves have at least eight hits in 20 straight games, matching their longest run in a single season since moving to Atlanta in 1966.Robert Gsellman (2-2) lost in his fifth major league start. The rookie took a 1-0 lead into the sixth before a misplayed flyball cost him.After Atlanta loaded the bases with one out, Kemp lofted a catchable fly to right-center, but Granderson and Jay Bruce both backed off at the last moment and the ball fell for an RBI single. Josh Smoker relieved and walked Nick Markakis to force home the go-ahead run.The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the third when Jose Reyes led off with a triple and Asdrubal Cabrera doubled.ASCENDING ATLANTAThe Braves current winning streak began with two victories at home over NL East-leading Washington. With a 60-91 record, interim manager Brian Snitker likes his teams approach.Were playing like were fighting for the division, he said.ITS A STEALCabrera singled in the first inning and stole second with Tyler Flowers catching. Flowers has thrown out just one of 57 runners who have run on him this season.TRAINERS ROOMBraves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz, out for more than a week after being hit on the left calf by a line drive, could throw a bullpen session in the next couple of days. Snitker would like to see him make a couple of limited starts before the season ends.Mets: LHP Steven Matz (shoulder tightness), sidelined since Aug. 14, possibly could start Friday night at home vs. the Phillies. ... INF Wilmer Flores (wrist) got another injection Monday. Manager Terry Collins hopes for a speedy return.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Ryan Weber (1-1, 5.46 ERA) is set to make his second start in the majors this year.Mets: RHP Bartolo Colon (14-7, 3.14) leads the team in wins. The 43-year-old is 5-1 with a 2.21 ERA in his last nine starts. ' ' '