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McGrath hungry for Australia recall

South Australia allrounder hopes impressive performances in Sri Lanka will boost her chances of a return to Australia's squad

South Australia allrounder Tahlia McGrath says her brief foray into international cricket last year has only increased her hunger to claim a more permanent spot at the highest level.

McGrath debuted for the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars in their fourth one-day international against South Africa last November, scoring four batting at No.9 and going wicketless in her first appearance at Coffs International Stadium.

The 21-year-old didn’t feature in the limited-overs series against New Zealand that followed in February, but has been given a chance to push her credentials with the Shooting Stars development squad, which is currently touring Sri Lanka.

Quick single: Shooting Stars clean sweep in SL

McGrath took six wickets, including 5-20 in the opening game, and posted knocks of 33, 20 and 0 as the Shooting Stars romped to a 3-0 clean sweep of their one-day matches against the emerging Sri Lanka squad.

“I’m loving the experience over here, it’s always good to come and play in different conditions,” McGrath told cricket.com.au.

“With the ball I’ve been really happy.

“It’s really good to bowl slower balls over here and get a bit of cut off the pitch.

“Batting has been a challenge with the conditions, I’ve got a few starts but I haven’t quite coverted one of those starts to a big score.

“So I’ve been a little disappointed there, but overall it’s been a good tour so far.”

Having had a small taste of life in the Australian team, McGrath said she was using the tour of Sri Lanka – which will also include three Twenty20 matches – to develop her skills with both bat and ball in unfamiliar conditions.

While Australia’s batting and spin stocks were overflowing with in-form players last summer, a mix of injuries and form has created opportunities for pace bowlers.

Quick single: King puts SL in a spin

With Australian selectors due to decide their final 15-player squad for the one-day Women’s World Cup in England over the coming months, the seam-bowling allrounder hopes she’s done enough to put herself in the running for the tournament.

“(Against South Africa) I learned what it’s like to play at the top level and, how much goes into game day and how professional all the players are,” she said.

“I loved it and I’m extremely hungry to get up to that level again.

“This Sri Lanka tour is just a chance for me to improve my overall game and develop as a cricketer in some very challenging conditions.

“So if I World Cup spot comes up after this I’ll be extremely happy, but I’m just looking to develop my game.

“I’ve really tried to focus on my bowling, just looking for more consistency and to be more attacking on the stumps.

“I’ve also brought in a few more change-ups, so my bowling has been my main focus.”

Quick single: Redmayne, McGrath lead Stars to victory

The chance to get outside her comfort zone on a tour where Shooting Stars coach Cathryn Fitzpatrick is actively encouraging her players to be bold has also been a valuable experience, McGrath explained.

“It’s all about development so I’m not afraid to try new things I’ve been working on,” she said.

“Experiences like this don’t come up often, so you’ve got to grab the opportunity and get as much out of it as possible.”

McGrath has also been impressed with the performances of teammates Heather Graham – a batting allrounder – and wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne, the pair scoring three half-centuries between them during the three-game one-day series.

“Heather Graham has really shown how good she is with the bat and the ball and with her leadership skills,” she added.

“Redmayne behind the stumps has been amazing, she’s hit some big scores and been very consistent.”