Australia and England made emphatic statements with convincing wins in a double-header at Boland Park in Paarl on the second day of the Women's T20 World Cup on Saturday.

Defending champions Australia crushed New Zealand by 97 runs, while England made light of a challenging target as they raced to a seven-wicket win over the West Indies with 5.3 overs to spare.

But their batters attacked the West Indian bowlers with a formidable display of power and aggression.

If England were impressive, Australia were even more so as they shone in all departments.

They overcame tricky batting conditions on a pitch showing signs of wear to make 173 for nine, the highest total of the first two days of the tournament.

Australia also looked by far the most athletic and aggressive fielding outfit of the six teams on display over the first two days.

Player of the match Gardner said the Australians were comfortable with their reputation as the best team in women's cricket.

New Zealand meet hosts South Africa in their next match at the same venue on Monday.

With both teams having already been beaten it shapes up as a contest which could effectively eliminate the losers.