Aaron Finch conceded Australia had been "totally outplayed" by England as the hosts stormed into the Cricket World Cup final on Thursday.
England secured an eight-wicket win at Edgbaston after bowling Australia out for 223, with Jason Roy's explosive 85 doing much of the damage in a chase that was completed in 32.1 overs.
Australia, who won what was considered a potentially pivotal toss, were on the backfoot almost immediately and Finch was among the early wickets to fall after failing to score.
"We were totally outplayed," said the captain after Australia's first World Cup semi-final loss. "The way they set the tone with the ball in those first 10 overs was a huge part in the game.
"You expect the new ball to seam a bit on any surface but they bowled a great length, hitting the stumps a lot.
"There are still a lot of positives to take out of the campaign and from the last few months – we've come a long way from where we were last year in ODI cricket in this country.
"You always want to win the trophy but there have been a lot of positives. A lot of hard work has gone in from a lot of people. I'm proud of how the group has progressed but this still hurts.
"We tried to change it up as much as we could but Roy and [Jonny] Bairstow are so dynamic when they are on top. We didn't execute as well as we could and got hurt by a very good England team."
It is the first time Australia have lost to England at a 50-over World Cup since 1992, which is also the last time the latter reached the final.
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