WICKET-KEEPER Mark Wallace will skipper Glamorgan in their crunch County Championship clash at Sussex tomorrow after Jamie Dalrymple failed a fitness test.

The captain broke his right thumb while batting in the first innings in last week’s six-wicket defeat to Middlesex at the Swalec Stadium.

It had been hoped that Dalrymple might be able to feature against the Division Two leaders at Hove, with director of cricket Matthew Maynard praising the toughness of the skipper after he batted with the injury at number 10 in the second inning last week.

However, the rigours of not only batting at three but also fielding would have been too much for the former England man, who hopes to return for the next four-dayer against Surrey on September 7.

His absence not only gives Abergavenny’s Wallace the leadership but provides Cwmbran left-hander Will Bragg with the chance to make an impact at number three in the order.

The 23-year-old hasn’t featured since the opening match of the season but has been given the nod for Sussex ahead of Mike Powell after showing some good form for the seconds.

Second-placed Glamorgan head into tomorrow’s game 20 points behind Sussex and 17 ahead of Gloucestershire, who are not in action until Tuesday against Derbyshire at Bristol.

The top two go up, so while a draw would hamper the Welsh county’s hopes of the title it could be a good result in terms of making it to Division One.

Glam squad: G Rees, M Cosgrove, W Bragg, T Maynard, B Wright, J Allenby, M Wallace (captain and wicket-keeper), J Harris, R Croft, D Cosker, D Harrison, H Waters, W Owen.

- Last night’s Clydesdale Bank 40 game between Glam and Sussex at Hove was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of heavy rain.