Mark Wallace

Mark Wallace was the youngest wicketkeeper to play for Glamorgan when he made his debut in 1999 and has forged a long and successful career with the county, becoming a popular figure. He possesses alert glovework, deft catching and has been a steady run scorer. He was appointed captain in 2012, charged with rebuilding a side in transition. A year later he became chairman of the Professional Cricketers' Association, succeeding Vikram Solanki.

Wallace made history on September 2, 1999 at Taunton, when he made his first-class debut against Somerset at the tender age of 17 years and 287 days. His 2nd XI debut had come two years previously as he also became first-choice behind the stumps for England Under-19s, touring New Zealand and India and playing at the Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka and Malaysia in 1999-2000. The following winter he led England Academy in several matches in Australia.

He was an ever-present in Glamorgan's Championship side for 14 years (230 Championship matches in all) until a torn calf ruled him out of the final Championship match of the season against Northamptonshire in 2015. That represented a run of 230 consecutive championship matches stretching back to June 2001 when he was a late call-up to replace the unwell Adrian Shaw behind the stumps against Kent at Maidstone. "A bit of an old man's injury," he said ruefully.

2001 was the season he became first choice for Glamorgan and a year later he made a composed maiden first-class century against Derbyshire in Glamorgan's opening Championship match. He finished the summer with 61 dismissals, and was a member of the Glamorgan side that won the Norwich Union League title. He was named Glamorgan's Young Player of the Year in 2002 and his outstanding promise was recognised with selection again for the ECB Academy in Australia in 2002-03.

He helped Glamorgan to a second National League title in 2004 and a place in Division One of the County Championship where he continued to score runs despite his side's struggles. His returns in first-class cricket have been remarkably consistent but in 2011 he went a few hundred better than his usual tally and topped 1000 first-class runs in a season for the first time. 2011 was also the year he neared 500 dismissals in first-class cricket for the county, putting him fifth on Glamorgan's all-time list for wicketkeepers, and though he was unlikely to reach Eifion Jones' club record he had ambitions to be firmly established in the top three before he retired.

ESPNcricinfo staff