Mark Wallace (cricketer)

Mark Alexander Wallace (born 19 November 1981, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales) is a former Welsh cricketer; a left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper.

Mark Wallace

Personal information
Full name	Mark Alexander Wallace
Born	19 November 1981 Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales
Nickname	Gromit, Wally
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Batting	Left-handed
Role	Wicket-keeper
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1999–2017	Glamorgan (squad no. 18)
First-class debut	2 September 1999 Glamorgan v Somerset
Last First-class	20 September 2016 Glamorgan v Leicestershire
List A debut	6 September 1999 Glamorgan v Somerset
Last List A	1 August 2016 Glamorgan v Surrey
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20 Matches 264 205 136 Runs scored 11,159 2,736 1,534 Batting average 28.90 20.41 18.48 100s/50s 15/55 2/7 0/2 Top score 139 118* 69* Balls bowled 6 – – Wickets 0 – – Bowling average – – – 5 wickets in innings – – – 10 wickets in match – n/a n/a Best bowling – – – Catches/stumpings 707/56 184/45 53/30
Source: CricketArchive, 16 February 2017

Wallace made his second XI debut for Glamorgan at the age of just 15, and by 1998 he was in the England U-19 team that played Pakistan, as well as accompanying them to New Zealand the following winter and playing three one-day games against Australia U-19s in the summer of 1999, a year in which he won the NBC Denis Compton Award.

In September 1999, he made his bow in first-class cricket, appearing in the County Championship game against Somerset at the age of 17 years and 287 days – thus making him Glamorgan's youngest ever Championship wicket-keeper. Wallace took five catches in the match, and scored 28 from number nine in the first innings, and this was enough for him to keep his county place for the rest of the season. In an innings victory over Yorkshire, he made his first half-century: 64 not out, again batting at number nine.

After appearing in the U-19 World Cup in the winter, Wallace played no first-team county cricket for the first half of the season, concentrating on his A-Levels, but in August was appointed captain of the U-19s for a one-day series against Sri Lanka, though was unable to take up his appointment because of an injury to his hand. He did, however, recover in time to replace the (also injured) Adrian Shaw for Glamorgan near the end of the season.

After another U-19 tour, this time to India, Wallace established himself during the 2001 season as his county's first-choice wicket-keeper, and was selected to visit Australia with the ECB National Academy squad, an honour he repeated the following winter. 2002 saw him make his maiden first-class century when he hit an unbeaten 106 in Glamorgan's pipe-opener against Derbyshire, albeit in a losing cause. Wallace finished 2002 with 61 dismissals in first-class and 27 in List A games, the latter helping his side to the Norwich Union League title.

The 2003 summer brought Wallace both his county cap and his greatest success with the bat, as he hit 856 first-class runs at 29.51 including 117 against Durham in August and 121 against the same opponents a month later; on the second occasion, Wallace opened the batting.

Wallace has continued to be Glamorgan's first choice wicket-keeper in all forms of the game and captained the county for the first time against Somerset at Taunton on 30 August 2007. In 2008 Wallace was named the club's one-day player of the year and supporters player of the year with his most memorable performance being a match winning score of 48 off just 17 balls against Leicestershire in the Pro40 competition at Colwyn Bay.

In 2011 Wallace became the first Glamorgan wicket-keeper to ever score a thousand first-class runs in a season surpassing Jimmy Stone's record aggregate set in 1923 along the way.

Wallace is considered as Glamorgan's finest ever wicket-keeper/ batsman. He holds the record for the most first-class centuries by a Glamorgan wicket-keeper (15) with his highest score of 139 coming in the final game of the 2009 season against Surrey at the Oval. Wallace has 2 List A centuries coming in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Having previously held the position of vice-captain he was appointed Glamorgan captain for the 2012 season.

Having previously served as a players representative Wallace was elected as Chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association in 2013.

Club Cricket

2008

During 2008, Wallace played a handful of matches for Port Talbot Town in the South Wales Cricket Association when his Glamorgan commitments permitted, although he did not keep wicket in these games. This saw him link up again with former county colleagues Ian Thomas and Dan Cherry. He marked his debut in fine style making a match winning century at Llanelli, bringing up three figures with a six which also sealed a nine wicket victory. Another noted performance was his innings of 84 against a Pontarddulais side which included his county teammate James Harris. In all, Wallace played four matches scoring 204 runs at an average of 68.33.

2009

The left-hander continued his association with The New Mansel side into the 2009 season. After the disappointment of being dismissed by his Glamorgan colleague Robert Croft (en route to a match winning spell of 7/19 for Pontarddulais on 16 May), the first of three eye catching performances came at Ammanford on 20 June with an innings of 93 from only 75 balls. On 25 July, Wallace scored 116 from 126 balls with 14 fours and 3 sixes against Llangennech, an innings which was instrumental in Port Talbot's 109 runs victory. Another match winning performance followed at The Gnoll on 15 August where Wallace smashed 88 from only 59 balls to engineer an eight wicket success against Neath. By the season's end he had scored 382 runs in six innings at an average of 63.66 and an even more impressive strike rate of 111.04.

2010

Following Port Talbot's qualification to the inaugural South Wales Premier League, it was announced that Wallace and pace bowler Chris Ashling were to be assigned as the club's two county players for the 2010 season.

On 17 July, Wallace made a club record score of 216 not out against Swansea at The New Mansel in the South Wales Premier League. Batting at number 3, he faced just 145 balls and hit 16 fours and 13 sixes as Port Talbot rattled up their highest ever team score of 363/2 from their 50 overs. Mark shared in an unbroken third wicket partnership of 323 with former Glamorgan colleague and club captain Dan Cherry who scored 115 not out. The partnership, a record for any wicket for Port Talbot, was made from just 223 balls in 129 minutes. Wallace's 216 not out, as well as being his own career best score, was the highest made for Port Talbot Town in any competitive match surpassing the 208 by Alan Bushnell in a second team match against Hendy in 1991 and also Cherry's own 179 not out in a first team match at Dafen in 2006. Port Talbot went on to secure a winning draw in the match as Swansea replied with 238/7.

At Ynysygerwn on 14 August, Wallace again gave a remarkable exhibition of hitting by scoring 105 from only 58 balls. The innings included seven fours and eight sixes and helped secure an eight wicket win for Port Talbot. In only 5 innings, Wallace finished the campaign with an astonishing 388 runs at an average of 97 with the strike rate an even more remarkable 136.61.

2011

After scoring 68 in an opening day victory at Cardiff on 30 April, Wallace was once again in belligerent form against Ammanford on 14 May at The New Mansel making an unbeaten 103 from 89 balls in a nine wicket win. During the innings, Wallace shared in an unbroken second wicket stand of 155 with Glamorgan colleague Chris Cooke.

His remarkable run of form continued with an unbeaten 61 from 42 balls at Ynysygerwn and 71 at Mumbles, giving him an astonishing tally of 624 runs from his last six innings at an average of 208. This sequence was finally ended when he was dismissed for only 1 against Newport on 23 July. Wallace was subsequently named Port Talbot Town 1st team player of the season having recorded a total of 304 runs in 5 appearances at an average of 101.33.

2012

During the close season it was announced that Mark had been appointed as captain of Glamorgan succeeding Alviro Petersen. He was again chosen as one of Port Talbot's two county players for the 2012 season along with all rounder Alex Jones.

Career best performances

as of 9 November 2012

	Batting
	Score	Fixture	Venue	Season
FC	139	Glamorgan v Surrey	The Oval	2009
LA	118*	Glamorgan v Gloucestershire Gladiators	Cardiff	2013
T20	69*	Glamorgan v Warwickshire Bears	Rugby	2013

Personal life

He graduated from Staffordshire University with a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting in the summer of 2008 and is currently studying for a master's degree at UWIC. He has written regularly on cricket and rugby in the Welsh press[1]

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 December 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Mark Wallace at ESPNcricinfo
• Mark Wallace at CricketArchive (subscription required)
• Mark Wallace appointed as Glamorgan's Director of Cricket