We wondered just how good this England team could be after they stumbled through this T20 World Cup, winning tight games from difficult positions to reach the semi-finals without ever producing the complete performance. Here, India provided the stiffest possible test at their spiritual home, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Could England pull another win out of the fire in one of cricket’s most intimidating cauldrons?
There was an answer of sorts, as India crashed England’s bowlers to all corners of a tight ground to record a monstrous 253, the biggest score against England in T20 history. England responded with yet another one-man stand – this time it was Jacob Bethell who delivered a blistering century from 45 balls – but the top order spluttered again. More importantly, their bowlers simply couldn’t contain India’s breathtaking firepower.
England had won the toss and sent India in to bat. The hosts embraced the challenge, launched by Sanju Samson’s brutal 89 off 42 balls. Harry Brook dropped Samson on 15 and India’s opener made the England captain regret it.
The lofty target did at least clear heads and focus English minds, with no option but to go out and go hard. They gave chase, and Bethell’s majestic century gave genuine hope of a historic win. It was his first hundred in the format, completing the set just a couple of months after his maiden Ashes ton. Even in a losing cause it was one of the great T20 innings by a 22-year-old who may well go on to become one of the great T20 players.
But crucial at the death was the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who both delivered brilliantly controlled overs when India most needed them to slow the chase. And while India have fielded woefully at times in this tournament, here it was a key point of difference. Both teams enjoyed the bat-friendly pitch. Both teams crashed relentless boundaries into the stands. But only one team took big catches at crucial moments.
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One player, in fact: Axar Patel took a brilliant running catch to dismiss Brook for 7, then pulled off an even better grab in the deep to remove Will Jacks, catching while charging towards the boundary and having the wherewithal to chuck the ball to Shivam Dube, standing nearby, as he tumbled over the rope.
India will head to Ahmedabad to face New Zealand in Sunday’s final. England will catch the next flight home. Could they have done any more? What next for Brendon McCullum? And will we ever see Jos Buttler in an England shirt again? There will be time to reflect on the bigger picture over the coming days as the dust settles on their tournament.
Certainly, this was an opportunity missed, and Brook will replay that drop in his mind. Samson miscued trying to hit Jofra Archer back down the ground and Brook giddily bounded across to his left, only for the ball to bounce out of his fingers.
Samson was already motoring but from there he freed his hands and began teeing off, smashing a variety of boundaries: punching through covers for four, carving into delirious fans on the off-side for six, heaving down the ground for six more. Ishan Kishan joined in the fun as India raced to 119-2 from 10 overs.
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Samson was magnificent and it felt a little unfair that he didn’t reach his century, caught near the boundary swiping at a wide-ish Will Jacks delivery on 89 from 42 balls. But the damage was already done. Tilak Varma and Hardik carried India home attempting to reach the stands with every ball.
England’s response stuttered at first as Phil Salt fell in the second over – his partnership with Buttler this tournament ends averaging 12 runs and lasting nine balls – before Brook was caught in the deep after being deceived by Bumrah’s slower ball. That appeared to be that. England were heading home.
What followed was a century that showed another glimpse of England’s future; their present, too. Buttler, when he does walk away, will leave a titanic legacy in English white-ball cricket. Bethell has already started building his own.
Gervonta Davis remains regarded as one of the most fearsome knockout artists in the sport, but there is one former world champion who is extremely confident of handing ‘Tank’ his first professional defeat, after having success in sparring.
Issues with the law continue to intervene with what should be the prime years of the 31-year-old Baltimore brute, who has now been stripped of his WBA lightweight world title, but it remains unknown when, or if, ‘Tank’ will make his return to the sport.
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Should he opt to return to the fight game, fellow former lightweight ruler, Keyshawn Davis, told Oblivion that he is confident of being able to ‘f**k Tank up’ after ‘easy’ sparring sessions in the past.
“I think that bro can fight, for real. His power is his best attribute, for sure.
“I have sparred him twice, I actually sparred him at the Floyd Mayweather Gym, the second time I sparred him.
“That sh*t was easy too. I don’t like to keep talking sh*t about Tank because I don’t wanna seem like I am d**k-riding him, but I would f**k him up for sure.”
In Part I of this series, we broke down how University of Houston senior Hudson Weibel builds speed off the tee by organizing pressure from the ground up. But speed alone doesn’t win tournaments. You also need to be a great iron player.
Today, we shift the focus from driving to iron play. Specifically, how Hudson manages his low point to create crisp, compressed iron shots.
How Hudson hits crisp irons
Hitting flush iron shots doesn’t happen by swinging harder. The real key is having elite low-point control.
Hudson’s iron play this season has been a separator and helped him win three times. When we train irons, we’re not chasing divots. We’re organizing pressure — once again we’re using a wedge under his foot to achieve that.
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At impact with an iron, three key conditions must occur. Your pressure must be forward, with the sternum slightly ahead of the ball, and the low point must be several inches in front of the ball.
When the low point sits behind the ball, the player is forced to flip the clubhead, add loft, lose compression, and ultimately deliver an inconsistent strike. Elite iron players don’t simply try to “hit down.” They move the bottom of the arc forward so contact with the ball occurs before the club reaches its lowest point.
Address
Joey Wuertemberger
Unlike the driver pattern discussed in Part I, where pressure loads more into the trail side, iron play demands forward control. With a wedge placed under the trail foot, Hudson’s swing is pre-organized to shift pressure forward earlier in the transition.
This simple constraint discourages hanging back, prevents early extension and makes it much harder to bottom the swing out too soon. Even at address, you can see his chest subtly favoring the lead side, setting the stage for a forward-moving strike.
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Top
Joey Wuertemberger
At the top of the swing, his pressure has moved into the trail side — but not excessively. This is one of the key differences between irons and driver. With irons, we don’t need massive tilt or exaggerated loading. Instead, we want a centered rotation that can transition forward efficiently. Hudson’s trail hip is loaded, but the upper body remains structured with no sway and no drift away from the target.
Impact
Joey Wuertemberger
This is the money frame. The lead leg is firm, the chest is covering the ball, and the hands are positioned ahead of the clubhead. The divot is ahead of the ball’s original position, confirming that the low point has moved in front of the ball.
Most amateurs attempt to “hit down” by aggressively pulling the handle from the top. That approach often creates excessive steepness, inconsistent face control, and thin shots that show up under pressure. Hudson doesn’t pull the handle. Instead, he shifts pressure forward and rotates through the shot. The low point moves forward because the body moves forward, not because the hands force it there.
How you can copy Hudson
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Place a wedge under your lead heel and hit 7-irons focusing on one simple thing. By the time your hands reach hip height in the downswing, feel pressure firmly moving into your lead foot. Don’t try to hit down on the ball. Instead, feel your chest rotating over a stable lead leg.
When this movement is organized correctly, the results show up quickly. Your divots will move forward, your contact improve, and the ball flight will be slightly lower with a more penetrating trajectory.
When pressure shifts forward and the body continues rotating, compression becomes predictable. Elite iron play isn’t built on timing. It’s built on structure. If you practice your swing with a wedge under your trail foot, you’ll be able to control the low point and create crisp iron shots just like the best golfers in the world.
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Divot Board
The Divot Board is a revolutionary golf training aid that gives golfers instant feedback on every swing. By showing exactly where your club contacts the ground, the Divot Board makes it easy to spot errors and correct them on the spot. Whether you’re practicing indoors or outdoors, this tool helps you improve ball striking, swing path, and low-point control. With consistent use, the Divot Board builds muscle memory so you can strike the ball cleaner, hit straighter shots, and lower your scores.
Instant Feedback for Faster LearningResearch shows that immediate feedback can accelerate learning by 50–70%. The Divot Board provides real-time feedback on your swing so you can make quick adjustments and refine your technique instantly.
Improve ConsistencyDid you know 70–80% of golfers struggle with inconsistent contact? The Divot Board reveals exactly where your club struck the surface, helping you identify flaws and build a repeatable, reliable swing.
Train AnywhereCompact and portable, the Divot Board can be used at home, on the driving range, or even in the office. Its high-quality construction ensures durability through countless practice sessions. Proudly designed and assembled in the USA.
Using a Divot Board consistently will transform your practice routine. It’s the easiest way to gain awareness, develop better ball striking, and see results faster.
Welcome to I Tried It, a GOLF.com series about golf items — apparel, gear, accessories and more — that we’ve recently taken out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest, no-frills takes on the latest and greatest golf or golf-adjacent items. So, scroll down to read about what we love about golf’s newest (or new to us) products.
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With all the testing I’m doing right now as part of Fully Fit 2026, seeing ball flight and getting launch monitor data at the same time is rare.
Seeing data indoors while I wait out a brutal northeast winter is one thing, but it’s tough to get that data whenever I do get to travel and play somewhere warmer.
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But as I just realized during a recent trip to South Carolina, the Garmin Approach R10 is the perfect companion to take with me.
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Garmin Approach R10 Portable Launch Monitor
Small and easy to move from home to the driving range, Approach R10 is the portable launch monitor that brings the course to you.
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What is the Garmin Approach R10
The Garmin Approach R10 has been out since 2021 and was the GPS and wearable giant’s first-ever launch monitor. Five years later, it’s still one of the best launch monitors at its price point.
What I think separates the R10 from some of its competitors in the sub-$500 market is its ability to capture spin data without radar-capture golf balls.
The unit itself has no data display, but all you need is a phone or iPad with the Garmin Golf app on it to take full advantage of the 14 different radar-captured metrics. My favorite use for it is taking it to the range just to check things when I’m trying a new club. I’m not trying to use it to fit myself, but what I can do is use it to confirm what I’m seeing with my ball flight matches what the numbers tell me.
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I prefer the center “Big Numbers” screen when I practice.
Garmin Golf
During my last trip, I was testing out a new shaft in my mini driver, and while I could easily see which shaft was better, it was nice to have the confirmation from the launch monitor that I was going in the right direction. There are a number of different view options, but with just my iPhone, I like picking three data points to display in big numbers while my phone lays on the ground.
I also used it to help out a friend who wasn’t getting the most out of his driver. I thought his ball seemed a bit spinny in the air, so we put him on the R10 and saw his angle of attack severely down with his driver.
While I’m not a golf instructor, we made a couple of simple tweaks to his setup and driver and the before-and-after numbers were quite jarring. It was easy to see we were going in the right direction, thanks to the R10 having both spin and attack angle measurements.
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Before data on the left. After on the right.
Garmin Golf
Traveling with the Approach R10
Not only is the R10 significantly cheaper than many big-name units out there, but it’s also significantly more travel-friendly.
It includes a case that takes up about the same space as a box of golf balls (a little smaller, but deeper), which I can easily toss in my backpack.
In my experience going through TSA PreCheck, I didn’t have to take it out of my backpack. The same can’t be said for larger units.
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Then once I actually get to my destination, all I need is six feet of flat space behind wherever I’m hitting balls to set it up, which I can do in seconds.
After that, I’m able to simply get numbers on the range, or if I wanted to, play a round of golf on the range through Garmin’s native Home Tee Hero app or any other compatible simulation app.
Bottom line
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Garmin Approach R10 Portable Launch Monitor
Small and easy to move from home to the driving range, Approach R10 is the portable launch monitor that brings the course to you.
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The Garmin Approach R10 fills a really nice hole in the market for an affordable and portable launch monitor that can measure spin and many other important data variables.
If you’ve been looking for a solid launch monitor that’s easy to use and won’t break the bank, it’s tough to go wrong with the R10.
The stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr has gone with an unconventional tactic, allowing On Display a display gallop at Caulfield Heath to prepare for her re-entry to racing.
Price commented that a Wednesday gallop before Saturday’s events is commonplace, although bringing the mare to a Wednesday city race meet three days before her comeback was deemed unusual.
The co-trainer detailed how On Display is packed with condition and will derive major benefits from the journey from Cranbourne.
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“I would gallop, at home, on a Wednesday, no trouble, but she has plenty of condition on her and after that she should be pretty right for Saturday,” Price said.
“She came into us and has been there at Cranbourne the whole time, and there was the opportunity to stimulate her, and adrenalise her, by bringing her here which was fantastic.
“It just sparks her ahead of Saturday and it was exactly what I wanted, along with a gallop on a beautiful surface.”
On Display faces her first race on Saturday since placing third in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last spring.
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Seamus Mills, major stakeholder in On Display, stated the mare’s itinerary depends on her effort at the next appearance.
Georgia’s Cate Hardin (22) gains control of the ball during the SEC Soccer Championship Game Sunday, November 5, 2023 at Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex. Georgia defeated Arkansas 1-0 for the win.
The Houston Dash signed former University of Georgia standout defender Cate Hardin to a one-year contract on Thursday.
Hardin, 22, was a non-roster invitee and made the initial preseason roster on Jan. 26.
As a senior at Georgia in 2025, Hardin was second-team All-Southeastern Conference after leading the Bulldogs in assists (four) while starting all 21 matches. The team captain scored one goal and was third in shots (31) and shots on goal (nine).
Hardin finished her four-year career as Georgia’s leader in appearances (81), starts (70), assists (eight), and minutes (5,864) across 81 matches (70 starts).
The comeback of Floyd Mayweather sent shockwaves throughout the world of boxing. Now, one of his former opponents has followed suit and announced his return to combat after hanging up the gloves four years ago.
Mayweather walked away from the sport after halting UFC icon Conor McGregor, in what seemed to be his 50th and final professional contest back in 2017, ending on a stoppage after seven consecutive decision wins.
The two icons are not the only ones looking to prove that they still have what it takes to compete for belts, as former world champion, Victor Ortiz, has today announced a move to BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing.
Now, the Kansas-born southpaw is eyeing up another title, in what he called ‘the purest, most intense version of the sport’, in a press release that confirmed his signature.
“I’ve accomplished so much in gloved boxing – from winning a world title to battling the best in the world.
“Now, bare knuckle is the next challenge. It’s the purest, most intense version of the sport, and I’m pumped to bring my power, heart, and experience to BKB.
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“I’m coming to win another world title and prove I’ve still got it. All glory to Jesus Christ.”
Ortiz retired from boxing in 2022, off the back of a super-welterweight triumph. If he can still make that weight, Filipino Rolando Dy is the titleholder that he will be eyeing up, following his BKB super-welterweight title win against Liam Rees back in December.
However, Dy is first scheduled to take on two-division boxing world champion Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday, May 16, in Manchester.
The Confederation of African Football has officially moved the dates for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for 2026.
The continental competition will now take place from 25 July to 16 August 2026. It was earlier planned to be played between 17 March and 3 April 2026.
CAF confirmed that the decision was taken after discussions with FIFA and other key stakeholders to ensure the tournament runs smoothly.
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According to the African football body, the change became necessary due to “certain unforeseen circumstances.”
CAF also assured that preparations for the women’s championship are already in progress and all parties involved remain confident that the competition will be successful.
Morocco was given the hosting rights for the 2026 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in October 2024.
England’s Sam Curran, right, and captain Harry Brook (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
India piled up a huge total of 253/7 against England in the T20 World Cup semi-final at Wankhede, thanks mainly to a brilliant knock from Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed 89 off just 42 balls, hitting eight fours and seven sixes, after already scoring an unbeaten 97 in the previous match. He built strong partnerships with Ishan Kishan (39 off 18) and Shivam Dube (43 off 25), putting England’s bowlers under pressure early in the innings.
Why India vs England semi-final match will be a nightmare for bowlers | T20 World Cup 2026
England captain Harry Brook had won the toss and chose to bowl first, but India started aggressively. Samson attacked from the first over, taking on Jofra Archer and other bowlers with powerful shots across the ground. He also got a lifeline early when Brook dropped a simple catch at mid-on. After that, Samson continued to dominate and reached his fifty in just 26 balls, adding 97 runs with Kishan for the second wicket.The momentum slowed slightly toward the end as England picked up a few wickets. Samson fell while trying to reach his maiden T20 World Cup century, caught by Phil Salt off Will Jacks. Suryakumar Yadav scored only 11, and Dube was run out after a mix-up with Hardik Pandya, who contributed a quick 27 off 12 balls. Tilak Varma also chipped in with a late cameo, hitting 27 off just seven balls.During England’s fielding struggles, former England captain Michael Vaughan joked on social media about their poor catching. “My fielding academy might have to open again,” Vaughan said on X.Despite the late wickets, India’s massive total left England with a very challenging target in the high-pressure semi-final clash.
A three-year-old hasn’t taken out the Canterbury Stakes in ten years, though co-trainer Tom Charlton feels Napoleonic is primed during his preparation to snap that sequence.
The previous success story from that age division against elder sprinters was Holler in 2016, trained by Charlton’s partner John O’Shea.
Those two both took the Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) at Flemington the previous spring, arriving at this Group 1 after a 1400m effort, an element Charlton deems crucial for Napoleonic Saturday.
“That should leave him in good stead this weekend,” Charlton said.
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“He’s got good form, he comes into this third-up and, we feel, ready to run the best race of his preparation, which should put him right among the chances.”
For Napoleonic, March 7 was long anticipated, with his second in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) locking in his feature.
Though the Randwick Guineas (1600m) lingered as a possibility for O’Shea and Charlton, the 1300m proved more suitable.
“We always had this race day as a plan, and we were just going to work out whether it was Randwick Guineas or Canterbury Stakes,” Charlton said.
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“His last run was excellent, but we concluded the best option would be coming back to the 1300, rather than try to stretch him to a Randwick mile.”
The Canterbury Stakes (1300m) lacks recent three-year-old triumphs, but Napoleonic runs alongside age-peers Beiwacht and Nepotism.
He bolsters O’Shea and Charlton’s lineup, joined by 2024 Randwick Guineas hero Linebacker and The Ingham scorer Yorkshire on return.
Doncaster Mile is their mutual goal, Yorkshire rebounding from a small knock that bypassed last weekend’s Liverpool City Cup, as Linebacker’s plan has centred on this race.
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