Jacques Rudolph has backed Yorkshire ace Jonny Bairstow to play for England within three years.

South African Rudolph, with a wealth of international experience under his belt, has seen enough of the 20-year-old to suggest that he will be giving Matt Prior and Craig Kieswetter a run for their money.

Wicketkeeper Bairstow has excelled against both the red and white balls this season, especially with the bat in the LV= County Championship.

He has played match-winning innings in both four-day wins against Warwickshire, while he threatened to do something similar with a half century against Essex at Chelmsford last Friday.

Only last week, former White Rose wicketkeeper Simon Guy said that Bairstow had talent and potential “coming out of his ear holes”.

And Rudolph agrees: “The way he is hitting the ball at the moment is unbelievable. He is definitely someone for the future, and I reckon in two or three years he will be playing for England.

“He is an impact player, and he wins you games. We have seen it in a lot of games this season that he comes in and hits 50 or 60 very quickly to win us a game.

“This is only his first full season, so he is definitely an England possibility for the future. He is also a wicket-keeper, and keepers in England are normally in and out of the team a lot.

“He is a massive talent, and hopefully he will get into the England team.”

Bairstow was selected ahead of Gerard Brophy for Sunday’s return to Clydesdale Bank 40 action, a thumping eight-wicket success over Middlesex at Lord’s.

Rudolph was the one who played the innings of substance on this occasion, an unbeaten 86 off 115 balls, as the Tykes completed their fifth win out of five to go one point clear of Essex at the top of Group B with a game in hand.

The left-hander has now passed 50 four times in the competition already, and he is only 21 runs short of 400 runs ahead of his side’s trip to Bristol on Thursday afternoon to take on Gloucestershire.

“It’s been going really well for me in 40-over cricket,” he added. “My stats have been pretty good, and I just want to continue playing well.”

* Andrew Flintoff could make his latest comeback from injury for Lancashire seconds against Yorkshire seconds at Crosby next week, more likely the one-day game on Monday.