Charli Knott will swap Queensland sunshine for a Nottingham spring after signing to play for The Blaze in both the Vitality T20 Blast and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup this summer.
The 23-year-old Australia A all-rounder is due in the East Midlands in May, in time for the full Blast schedule and three 50-over matches in June. It will be her third straight season in England – she spent the last two with Hampshire and, before that, the Southern Vipers – so the quirky weather shouldn’t come as a shock.
“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 is uncapped at senior international level, yet she travelled with Australia to India for a three-match ODI series in the build-up to last year’s World Cup and has been a fixture across franchise leagues: two Hundred sides (Southern Brave and London Spirit) and, earlier this month, a maiden WPL stint with UP Warriorz. Her county form stacks up neatly, too – 235 Blast runs at 47.00 for Hampshire in 2025, plus 297 runs and eight wickets in the One-Day Cup.
Blaze head coach Craig Cumming believes that combination of input with bat and ball is exactly what his side needs. “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 returns for third term
Blaze supporters will see another familiar face: Ireland’s Orla Prendergast has agreed two One-Day Cup blocks, one early-season (April-May) and another in September once international duties ease. Like Knott, Prendergast is 23 and, crucially for the Trent Bridge outfit, comfortable slotting in anywhere from No. 3 to No. 6 while offering lively seam bowling.
“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.”
Adding Knott’s versatility to Prendergast’s all-round reliability nudges The Blaze towards genuine depth across both limited-overs formats. Whether that translates into silverware is another question, but, on paper at least, the squad’s balance looks better than it did a year ago.
