Dom Bess' Test debut at Lord's, aged 20, against Pakistan in 2018 was an extraordinary development for an offspinner who had played only 16 first-class matches and was among the first signs that England's new selector, Ed Smith, had an appetite for a left-field pick. He made 57 in his second innings and took three wickets in the following Test at Headingley, but with expectations suddenly higher, his form declined when he returned to Somerset and he found himself playing 2nd XI cricket later in the summer. He later revealed that his topsy-turvy summer had a major impact on his mental health..