South Africa allrounder Nadine de Klerk returns to The Blaze for 2024

De Klerk was a standout performer for The Blaze in 2023, taking a competition-leading 15 wickets in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and a further 13 wickets in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

South Africa international Nadine de Klerk will return to The Blaze for 2024.

The allrounder is due to be available for the entire season, with the exception of any international commitments.

At present, South Africa's last confirmed fixture prior to the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Bangladesh in September and October, is an ODI against Sri Lanka on April 17. The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy gets underway on April 20.

De Klerk was arguably The Blaze's best player in 2023, helping them reach the final in both competitions. There was a noticeable drop off in their 50-over form when she was unavailable, with five of their eight wins across the competition coming in the seven matches she played.

^{De Klerk's availability will depend on her South Africa commitments [Lee Warren/Getty Images]}

^{The Blaze will be hoping she can replicate the blistering half-century she scored in The Hundred in addition to her wickets [Clive Rose/Getty Images]}

In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, she scored 104 runs, with a high score of 43, and collected 13 wickets with an economy of 3.96.

She was the leading wicket-taker in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, picking up 15 wickets with an economy of 6, as well as contributing 83 runs at a strike rate above 115 from the middle order.

In 2024, however, The Blaze will be hoping for a greater contribution with the bat after watching her smash 51 not out off just 25 balls for Oval Invincibles against Trent Rockets in The Hundred.

"I'm really excited to get back with The Blaze," de Klerk said. "It was a pleasure to be part of the group last season. We gelled well and put together a lot of good performances.

"We set the marker for where we want to be and what we want to achieve having got to the final of both competitions, and I know everyone will be focused on going further next year to win titles.

"It won't be easy with the quality of the competition but by building on what we did well last year and improving in certain areas I am really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish."

Head coach, Chris Guest, added: "It's a huge coup to have Nadine back for the season. She had a brilliant season on the field last year and played a big part in us adopting a winning mentality.

"She has shown she can adapt well to English conditions and is really enthusiastic about being with us, buying into what we are trying to achieve.

"We're keen to build upon the foundations we put in place last summer and, with Nadine, we believe we are well placed to compete in both formats in 2024."