English spinner Dom Bess says he was surprised the lack of aggression shown by the Proteas during the recent Test series between the two countries in South Africa.

The 22-year-old Bess made a return to the Test side when first-choice spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the four-match series after falling ill upon England’s arrival in the country in December.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, the Somerset star said he was expecting the Proteas batsmen to go after him during the second Test on what was a really good Newlands wicket.

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‘In Cape Town where it was, I think, a very good wicket, and people weren’t going after me, I was so surprised about that,’ Bess said.

The right-armer bowled a total of 119 overs across the two Proteas’ innings as England levelled the series with a 189-run victory.

As the Proteas tried to bat out the final day of the clash, Bess accounted for the vital wicket of skipper Faf du Plessis, who played poor stroke straight to square-leg.

‘When I got Faf out, he nailed one straight to square leg, that was quite a surprising moment for me,’ added Bess.

‘First because how hasn’t that gone for six? And then how the lads came in after that, they were blocking me when I thought they could be caressing me through extra cover. That was quite a surprise.’

In contrast to the Proteas poor effort with the bat in the Test match, England capitalised on the good conditions when Ben Stokes, Dom Sibley and Jos Buttler took on spinner Keshav Maharaj with a number of big hits on the morning of day four.

‘I’ve seen these players on TV as I’ve grown up and I’m thinking ‘God they’re going to take me down here,’ Bess concluded.