ABERGAVENNY Cricket Club will host a special match at Avenue road on Sunday 30 June (starting at 2 pm) when the current Glamorgan team will take on a 'Glamorgan Legends' side, comprising seven former England players – Matthew Maynard, Hugh Morris, Steve James, Steve Watkin, Robert Croft, Simon Jones and Alex Wharf.

The match is part of various events being held in different parts of Wales in support of current Glamorgan captain Mark Wallace's benefit year.

Raised in Crickhowell, Wallace came through the junior and youth ranks of Abergavenny Cricket Club before becoming a professional cricketer.

Born in Nevill Hall in November 1981, Mark first played cricket in primary school, and thereafter for his secondary school, Powys schools, Gwent Young Cricketers and Wales at different age groups. At the age of 13 Wallace had already earned a place in Abergavenny CC's second XI.

Wallace made his debut for the Glamorgan second team as wicketkeeper at the age of 15, against Northamptonshire in Swansea in 1996 and subsequently became involved in the England youth system, attending training camps and being selected for England Under 17s and 19s.

At 16 while waiting for his GCSE results Wallace was given a summer contract as a professional cricketer with Glamorgan.

In 1999, at the age of 17, Wallace became the youngest wicketkeeper to play for Glamorgan Firsst XI when he made his debut against Somerset at Taunton (thereby joining his fellow Crickhowell/Abergavenny cricketing star, Michael Powell).

In first-class cricket, he has gone on to make 15 centuries (plus two more in one-day cricket), scored almost 9,000 runs, taken over 500 catches and almost 50 stumpings.

Remarkably, he has played in every county championship match for Glamorgan for the past 12 years.

Beyond the playing field, Mark is currently chairman of the Professional Cricketers' Association, has a degree in Sports Journalism and writes regularly for the Western Mail and various cricket magazines. He lives just outside Newport with his wife, Lucy, and their two young boys.