Charli Knott signs with The Blaze for 2026 Blast & One-Day Cup, Orla Prendergast returns for third season

Australia A allrounder Charli Knott has signed to represent The Blaze in this year’s Vitality Blast and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. The 23-year-old will join the squad in May for the full T20 Blast campaign and will also be available for three One-Day Cup matches in June.

This will be Knott’s third consecutive summer playing in the UK, having previously been based at Southampton with Hampshire and their predecessors, Southern Vipers. While she has yet to earn a full Australia cap, Knott was part of the squad that toured India for three ODIs ahead of last year’s World Cup.

"I can't wait to get back over to England and represent The Blaze. 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,” said Knott as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

In addition to being a regular in the WBBL, Knott has represented 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 an average of 47.00 in the Blast for Hampshire and contributed 297 runs along with eight wickets in the One-Day Cup.

“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,” said The Blaze’s head coach Craig Cumming.

The Blaze have also confirmed the return of Ireland international Orla Prendergast for a third consecutive season. Prendergast will feature in two separate spells during the One-Day Cup, initially in April-May, and then for the conclusion of the tournament in September, subject to her international commitments.

"I'm thrilled to be coming back to The Blaze for another season. 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,” said Prendergast.