ADAM Wheater has made his Essex debut after stepping in for injured wicketkeeper James Foster.

Eighteen-year-old Wheater travelled up to Derby last night ahead of the first day of Essex's County Championship match with Derbyshire once it became clear that Foster would not play.

Foster had gone to Derby with the Essex squad but the thumb injury he sustained towards the end of Sunday's Friends Provident Trophy match against Kent at Canterbury did not recover sufficiently for him to play.

The wicketkeeper said the knock meant gripping the bat is painful and he felt tentative catching one-handed with his left hand.

"I got a knock on the end of my left thumb when standing up to Ryan ten Doeschate," explained Foster.

"I suffered a cut underneath the nail that produced a lot of blood and gave me a lot of pain.

"Luckily I didn't get another blow to the thumb over the remainder of the game but the bruising came out on the tip of the thumb the next day.

"I also saw a specialist on the Monday and luckily there was no break.

"It's not worth risking making it worse at this early stage of the season."

Essex First-Team Coach Paul Grayson has every faith in Foster's replacement behind the stumps, the 18-year-old Wheater.

"We gave him (James Foster) every chance to play but it's a long season and if we rest him for this match he should be fit for Sunday's (Friends Provident Trophy) game against Sussex," Grayson explained.

"I have every confidence in Adam Wheater that he will acquit himself well over the next four days."

Wheater, born in Whipps Cross, is an Academy Professional who made his first-class bow in the recent game against Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence at Fenner's.

Rain delayed the start of today's match but Derbyshire won the toss and decided to field.

Essex lost Jason Gallian for four runs with only eight on the scoreboard after he was bowled by Tom Lungley.

Gallian's fellow opener Alastair Cook and Tom Westley are currently batting and have scored 13 and 15 respectively to leave Essex at 34-1 after 12 overs at lunch.