Oct 18, V7N- Australia's skipper Tahlia McGrath expressed disappointment after her team's unexpected exit from the Women's Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals, acknowledging that they were "a little bit off the mark" against a South Africa side that performed exceptionally well. Australia, the six-time champions, lost by eight wickets in Dubai, missing out on the final for only the second time in nine editions of the tournament.

McGrath, stepping in as captain for the injured Alyssa Healy, admitted that South Africa outplayed them. "In tournament play, you can't afford to be off the mark at all, and they were spot on," she said in the post-match press conference. After setting a target of 134 for five in 20 overs, Australia struggled to contain South Africa, who chased down the total with Anneke Bosch's commanding 74 not out leading the way.

McGrath added that while Australia believed they had a competitive total, South Africa's strong batting exposed their slightly misaligned bowling plans. "They made it look like a pretty good wicket when they batted," she said.

Despite the loss, McGrath highlighted positives from the tournament, noting that Australia, currently in transition following the retirement of key players, saw significant contributions from both younger and more experienced members of the squad. "We've had a lot of change, with some players stepping up into new roles, and different people standing up with bat and ball in each game," McGrath said.

She emphasized that while their semi-final performance was not their best, there were encouraging signs for the future as Australia adjusts to this new phase.

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