Australia has rediscovered its destructive best ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, defeating England and the West Indies in this week’s warm-up matches.

After topping their Ashes rivals over the weekend, the reigning champions defeated the West Indies by 35 runs in Dubai on Tuesday, with all-rounder Annabel Sutherland scoring 38 and taking 2-2.

The West Indies, who at one stage were cruising at 1-92 in pursuit of a 145-run target, suffered a horror collapse of 9-17 during the run chase, with fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck taking three wickets before leg-spinner Alana King ripped through the tail.

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“It was nice to get some time out in the middle,” Sutherland said after the match.

“I think it was one of the grittier performances for the team to hang in there, and for the lower order to get a chance out in the middle, I think that’s pretty vital in a practice match.

“The bowlers were put under the pump at different stages, but I thought we adapted really well and then got a run of momentum and capitalised.”

Phoebe Litchfield and Grace Harris missed the warm-up matches due to injury, with Cricket Australia expected to provide an update on their availability for this weekend’s tournament opener against Sri Lanka in the coming days.

Australia was far from its best during last month’s bilateral series against New Zealand, but it allowed Alyssa Healy’s side to dust off the cobwebs after a quiet winter.

The hosts showed signs of rust while facing their trans-Tasman rivals in Queensland, particularly during the second T20 in Mackay. Ellyse Perry’s dismissal was comical, Megan Schutt’s dropped catch was amateurish, while the lower-order collapse of 7-28 was statistically one of the worst in the team’s history.

Speaking to Sky Sports over the weekend, England batter Tammy Beaumont warned that Australia’s T20 side looked vulnerable ahead of the marquee tournament.

“I’m not sure (Australia’s) playing their best T20 cricket,” Beaumont said.

“It’s a great time for someone else to step up at that World Cup and really challenge them.”

Yet despite failing to put together a complete performance against the White Ferns, Australia still cruised towards a 3-0 series whitewash.

“We certainly haven’t produced an innings that we would like to just yet,” Australian coach Shelley Nitschke said at the time.

“We’re not quite at the top of our game, so to have these games to get that momentum and just start to get back into the swing of it, I think it’s critical for us.”

There were plenty of positives for Australia to take from the recent New Zealand series — spinners Ash Gardner and Georgia Wareham were superb with the ball, collectively taking eight wickets and earning player of the match honours in Mackay and Brisbane respectively.

Along with fellow tweaker Sophie Molineux, the spin trio will be crucial on the subcontinent’s dusty decks as Australia hunts for an unprecedented fourth-consecutive T20 World Cup title.

Australia’s depth of all-rounders is nothing short of remarkable — Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath weren’t required with the ball against the Kiwis, while rising star Annabel Sutherland has only batted higher than No. 7 once in her T20I career.

Meanwhile, having injury-riddled quicks Tayla Vlaeminck and Darcie Brown steaming in with the new ball was a reassuring sight for the Australian camp.

Australia is more than capable of retaining the T20 World Cup this month, but the defending champions have already acknowledged there’s room for improvement, most notably when setting targets.

Since the start of last year’s Ashes series, the Australians lost four of their eight T20Is when batting first, including defeats to South Africa, England, India and the West Indies.

“I think the benchmark for cricket at the moment is probably minimum 160, so to not have reached that (against New Zealand), I know there’s still a lot left in the tank,” Gardner said last week.

“We know that we can go hard at the top of the order, and then we have so many batters to come in after that.

“It’s an area that we’ve spoken about.”

Tahlia McGrath’s middling batting tempo is also cause for concern — the South Australian has a strike rate of 107.85 in T20s this year, comfortably the lowest among her national teammates. However, the Australian vice-captain showed promising signs against England on Sunday, scoring a 22-ball 31 in Dubai.

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The Australians, who will battle harsh heat and humidity over the coming weeks, can’t afford any early slip-ups in the UAE having been dealt a “group of death” for the marquee tournament, facing India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Australia’s opponents will be desperate to knock them off early, while the reigning champions don’t expect to receive much support in the crowd.

“I don’t think we’ve ever got anyone on our side; we find that with every tournament we’re in,” McGrath laughed when asked about support from neutral fans.

“I think the strength that we have is just the key moments, the clutch moments where the game’s on the line. We really thrive off that.

“That’s what sets those good teams apart; the high-pressure, tense situations. At times that’s when the crowd’s against you and at times it’s when the opposition’s flying, but we’ve always found a way to win those key moments.

“That’s going to be crucial for us heading over to the UAE, to still perform like we have been in those moments.”

As the sport continues to flourish courtesy of high-paying domestic leagues and full-time contracts, this year’s competition is predicted to be the closest-ever Women’s T20 World Cup. Without the reliable Meg Lanning anchoring the middle-order and leading in the field, it would take something special for Australia to add another T20 World Cup title to its trophy cabinet.

Australia will face Sri Lanka for its T20 World Cup opener at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, with the first ball scheduled for 8pm AEST.

Australia’s T20 World Cup Squad

Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck

Women’s T20 World Cup fixtures

All times AEST/AEDT

October 5 — Australia vs Sri Lanka, Sharjah at 8pm

October 9 — Australia vs New Zealand, Sharjah at 1am

October 10 — Australia vs Pakistan, Dubai at 1am

October 14 — Australia vs India, Sharjah at 1am

October 18 — Semi-final 1, Sharjah at 1am

October 19 — Semi-final 2, Dubai at 1am

October 21 — Final, Dubai at 1am