How he rates: Tom Smith, Lancashire

It was not only the weather that cast gloom over Lancashire in their drawn County Championship opener against Hampshire a fortnight ago: losing an Ashes Test in 2009 did not go down too well, either. But there was one beacon of agreeability in the shape of a richly promising championship debut from the 20-year-old all-rounder Tom Smith. Figures of three for 29 from 13 first-innings overs were followed by 26 with the bat and there was an astounding catch to dismiss Richard Logan.

The latter captured my attention most. It was taken in both hands at third slip, diving full length to his right. Smith's captain Mark Chilton described it as one of the best he had ever seen and though that observation undoubtedly carried some exaggeration it was still a mighty fine snare: stunningly athletic (how many bowlers field at slip in the first place?) and, most important, an indication that Smith was comfortable in this environment.

That had not been immediately evident. His first ball had been a nervous long hop, gleefully dispatched to the off-side boundary by John Crawley. But Smith settled and soon bowled his man. It was not a bad first scalp; not only a Test player but one whom Smith (a member of Lancashire age-group teams from under-13) had grown up idolising at Old Trafford before Crawley's rancorous move south.

Smith's most impressive advance in the past two years has been in physical conditioning and that definitely showed in his bowling. It is all too easy to use that horrid cliche - "he bowls a heavy ball" - but it is an apt description of Smith's generally accurate bowling. That was demonstrated in figures of 8-3-8-3 in the opening C&G Trophy match against Leicestershire and he followed that up with another three wickets in their trophy win over Worcestershire yesterday.

He is not as quick as others of a similar age like Nottinghamshire's Mark Footitt or Leicestershire's Stuart Broad, who like Smith were based at England's academy last winter, but that might easily come with further physical maturity. It will need to if he is to progress. He could use his left (non-bowling) arm more in pulling through his action, but otherwise he is the upright, open-chested, everything-in-a-straight-line and easily repeatable bowler, of which the former England bowling coach Troy Cooley was such an advocate.

In terms of mental application to the game Smith is already beyond his years, helped by being a professional for Chorley in the Northern Premier League. That responsibility could be seen clearly in his batting against Hampshire. Even though he came in at No9 he looked the "proper" batsman he is, striking the ball cleanly (one cover drive was especially memorable) in an unfussy, unhurried manner.

Andy Flower, the sage Zimbabwean who coached at the academy last winter, says Smith will succeed as much because of his character as his talent. Coming from Flower, whose mental strength at Test level rivalled that of "Iron" Mike Atherton, that is praise indeed.

Age 20

Born Liverpool

Honours England Under-19

Style Right-arm medium bowler; left-hand bat

Height 6ft 3in

Weight 14st

Accuracy 7/10

Pace 6/10

Attitude 8/10

Fitness 9/10

Stroke range 7/10

Shot selection 6/10