‘Unfazed by crowd, the occasion or media attention’ – Dom Bess on Lord’s debut

Making a Test debut at Lord's at age 20, and that too with just 16 first-class appearances before that, can be unnerving for any player. Dominic Bess, though, has said he "wasn't fazed at all" when given the task of leading England's spin department in the Test against Pakistan.

Moeen Ali’s drop in form meant a surprise call-up to the side for Bess for the two-Test series against Pakistan. It was a mixed bag for the Somerset youngster on debut, with match figures of 0/88 in 20.4 overs and a fifty in his second innings, as England lost the first Test by nine wickets inside four days.

The off-spinner, though, said he wasn't too unhappy with his performance.

"Overall I thought I held my own when trying to contain,"said Bess. "I went at just over threes and I wasn't fazed by the crowd or the occasion and the media attention. It was just another game of cricket.

“I had a little bit of nervousness, but nothing to the extent I remember having for my first-class debut."

The challenge at this level was to bowl maidens, he said. "I've got to be able to construct six good balls together which is something I usually do. It is just about understanding that at this level you can bowl an OK ball but it can still go to the boundary. They can play good shots and understanding that is key."

Bess pointed to his opposite number, Shadab Khan, who also had a tough time in the first innings, giving away 34 runs in six overs, though he did manage to pick up two crucial wickets in the second innings.

"I knew it was going to be a pretty big task as a spinner first up," said Bess. "I remember having a quick chat with him (Khan) and he said it was very tough to bowl.

"I need to have that consistency, so it was a bit of a learning curve for me to not try and do too much. It could have been interesting had we managed to take it deep into day four or five and had around a 200-run lead."

Coming in at 110/6 in the second innings with England still a fair distance from making Pakistan bat again, Bess carved a crucial 126-run stand with Jos Buttler on the third evening. With his maiden Test half-century, he became the fourth-youngest English player to get to the mark.

"That was an amazing feeling to get my first half century for England, a very special moment. Walking off at the end of the day felt great and I was in a bit of a zone,” he admitted.

Resuming the fourth day on 235/6, leading Pakistan by 56 runs, the hosts would have wanted both Buttler and Bess to carry on for a while, but England lost their last four wickets in just 25 balls. Pakistan chased the target of 64 easily.

"The final morning was disappointing," admitted Bess, but he was optimistic about England’s progress.

"Joe (Root, the captain) wants to build a culture now after the winter. He wants a culture where it is a successful side for a long time. We've got a good group of core players in the side and they drive it and everyone is on board. Things will happen but it is not a short process."

The second and final Test between England and Pakistan will be played at Headingley from Friday 1 June.