Adam Wheater

Adam Wheater is a wicketkeeper-batter who is a byproduct of Essex cricket academy. Debuting for Essex, as an 18-year old, Wheater was overshadowed by the impeccable presence of James Foster. 

Born in London, Wheater came to the Essex cricket academy as a child prodigy and then went on to play for the senior XI in 2011. He is also a former England under-19 player. During his maiden season, he averaged over 40 for Essex but was benched from the next season due to Foster. 

In 2013, the London-born chose to shift his county when he joined Hampshire after his Essex contract expired. At Ageas Bowl, the wicketkeeper-batter proved his batting calibre rightly, but it was behind the stumps where Wheater was struggling. His frail glovework meant Michael Bates took the keeper-job and Wheater played as a pure batter. 

In the following season, a poor batting form of Bates meant Wheater returned as a wicket-keeper batsman for Hampshire. After a spell as first-choice wicket-keeper, he once again found himself in a battle, this time with Lewis McManus. 

Limited and irregular opportunities at Ageas Bowl meant the London-born returned to Essex, firstly on loan and then permanently. In 2017, Wheater was an important part of the Essex team across all formats, helping the Club achieve a County Championship title.

Since then, the wicketkeeper-batter hasn’t dropped a single beat and been a regular performer across all forms of the game. 

(As of October 2021)