ENGLAND captain Joe Root believes Dom Bess "needs to play more First Class cricket" following the Somerset off-spinner's starring role in the innings victory over South Africa in Port Elizabeth.

Bess took 5-51 in South Africa's first innings - the 22-year-old's maiden Test match five-wicket haul - and followed it up with 1-36 from 22 overs in the second as the tourists took a 2-1 lead in the series with one match to play.

Bess' performance saw the Devonian build on his promising display in the second Test, in which he played more of a containing role, and showed evidence of his improvement since taking part in a spin bowling camp in Mumbai before Christmas with, among others, Sri Lankan legend Rangana Herath.

Speaking to Sky Sports after England's victory, Root hailed the enthusiasm of the young players who have shone in the series so far and said of Bess: "He’s had a remarkable journey.

"He works incredibly hard at his game and has gone on loan at different times to make sure he’s getting the cricket that he needs.

"He probably could do with more, if we are being brutally honest, in First Class cricket – as could a lot of spinners in the English game.

"He has been given an opportunity to go away and work at his game and learn from different people like Herath.

"You can see a lot of different deliveries that he didn’t have last time he played for England.

"He has come back into the team, worked very hard with Jeetan [Patel] and thinks very well about the game – he is very smart for a youngster. We have seen brilliant results here."

As the England skipper eluded to, Bess spent part of last season on loan at Yorkshire - Root's county team - and his Somerset contract runs out this summer.

Yorkshire were said to be very keen on making the temporary move a permanent one and, despite having recently signed Indian spinner R Ashwin, they would be far from the only willing suitors should Bess struggle for game time in the Westcountry.

With pitches in April and May not traditionally suited to spin, there has been no shortage of talk surrounding the 22-year-old's future in Taunton following his impressive Test displays as Somerset may struggle to fit both Bess and Jack Leach into their team in early season.

The situation has regularly been compared to that of Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler, who were competing for the wicketkeeper-batsman berth at Somerset not so long ago. That situation proved unsustainable, with Buttler moving to Lancashire in 2013.

Leach, who returned from South Africa last week due to illness, signed a two-year contract extension with Somerset in November to take his current deal to 2022.

He will hope to be fit and available for the tour of Sri Lanka in March, which could see Somerset's spin twins both line up in the same England side for the first time - a situation Bess would relish, as he told the media following his five-wicket haul on Saturday.

"I'm gutted for Leachy, he's had such a tough time these last six weeks," Bess said.

"I know he'll be happy for me.

"He'll be working really hard to get back for the Sri Lanka tour.

"I'd love to play together. That would be a really nice touch if we could take wickets together for England as well as Somerset."