Charli Knott, the Australia A allrounder, has signed to represent The Blaze in the Vitality Blast and Metro Bank One-Day Cup this year.
Knott, 23, will arrive in May for a full T20 Blast campaign, as well as being available for three One-Day Cup games in June. This will be her third successive summer playing in the UK, having previously been based at Southampton with Hampshire and their predecessors, Southern Vipers.
“I can’t wait to get back over to England and represent The Blaze,” Knott said. “Playing in England before has been great fun and a real learning experience for me.
“I know how good a squad The Blaze have from playing against them in the past, and I’m really excited to contribute as we aim for success in 2026.”
Knott has yet to win a full Australia cap but was part of the squad that went to India for three ODIs ahead of last year’s World Cup. As well as being a regular in the WBBL, she has played for two teams in the Hundred (Southern Brave and London Spirit) and made her WPL debut for UP Warriorz earlier this month.
Last season, she scored 235 runs at 47.00 in the Blast for Hampshire, as well as contributing 297 runs and eight wickets in the One-Day Cup.
Craig Cumming, The Blaze’s head coach, said: “We’re really pleased to add Charli to our squad, and we really believe in her qualities with bat and ball. Charli has a lot of experience across formats, and she’s put up some very impressive numbers so far, so we can’t wait to welcome her.”
Prendergast back at Blaze
The Blaze have also secured the return of Ireland international Orla Prendergast for a third successive season. Prendergast, 23, has signed for two separate spells in the One-Day Cup, initially in April-May and then for conclusion of the competition in September – pending international commitments.
“I’m thrilled to be coming back to The Blaze for another season,” Prendergast said. “We’ve got a really strong team capable of pushing for success, and I’m excited to be part of that again.
“I’ve really enjoyed the chances we’ve had to play at Trent Bridge in the past, so the fact we have more fixtures there than ever before in 2026 is another hugely exciting thought.”
