If Matt Prior continues his auspicious return to international cricket for the rest of the NatWest Series, he could solve a lot of problems for the England selectors. Free-scoring opening batsman and one-day wicketkeeper? Tick, tick. Gloveman capable of averaging 40 at No 6 or No 7 in the Test team? Tick. Wicketkeeper of the highest class in Test cricket? Well, there is a question mark here, a result of scrappy performances in Sri Lanka late last year, but Prior insists that his keeping has improved and, having let one chance to establish himself slip through his grasp, this time he intends to hang on with both hands.

It will take more than a couple of sparky one-day displays for Prior to convince that his rehabilitation is complete. But if he maintains the form that he has shown in England's opening two victories over South Africa in the NatWest Series - scoring 42 and 45 not out and taking six catches at Trent Bridge on Tuesday - he will cement his place in the one-day team and present a powerful case to replace Tim Ambrose for the Test series in India in December. Ambrose, for all his neatness with the gloves, looks short of the requisite class as a batsman, averaging only 16 in the recent Test series against South Africa.

This is quite an incentive for Prior and yet, despite the proximity of the prize, he is looking no farther ahead than the third one-day international at the Brit Oval on Friday, when another win would clinch the series for England. Having been summarily dropped for the tour to New Zealand this year, just seven months after hitting a hundred on his Test debut, he is only too well aware how the tides of fortune can ebb and flow.

“I'm being very strict with myself about not looking too far ahead,” he said yesterday. “My goal for this year was to get on a winter tour and if anything came earlier, that was a bonus. I'd love to get back in the Test side, but I'm not getting ahead of myself.”

There were those who thought that Prior had got a long way ahead of himself last summer. His cocksure attitude jarred at times and he started to attract the blame for England's worst excesses against India, jellybeans and all. When he was dropped in the winter, he returned to Sussex a chastened man, determined to learn from his mistakes.

He got married, removed his earring and resolved to score a mountain of runs in county cricket. As Kevin Pietersen said on Tuesday: “Fair play to the guy, he could have gone away and felt sorry for himself, but he's scored hundreds for Sussex and he's in a really good place right now. He went back to the drawing-board and he's come back a different bloke.”

In one-day cricket, England's most pressing problem has been to establish a settled opening partnership. Prior has opened in 23 of his 25 one-day internationals and has had five different partners. He opened with Ian Bell on his debut against Zimbabwe in December 2004 and the pair have been reunited, sharing stands of 77 at Headingley Carnegie and an unbroken 85 in the ten-wicket win on Tuesday.

“Like anything, our relationship will develop, but we've done well so far,” Prior said. “You get used to batting together and communicating so that, when you're running between the wickets, it will be a nod instead of a call. Over time, fingers crossed, I think it could be a good partnership.”

While Prior's potential as a batsman has always been obvious, there have been greater doubts about his competence with the gloves. Since he was dropped by England, he has sought technical advice from Bruce French, the former England wicketkeeper, and worked on his mental approach with Alec Stewart. As an early return on their efforts, his six catches at Trent Bridge equalled the world record for a one-day international - jointly held by Stewart and four others - including a spectacular effort to dismiss Graeme Smith.

“I've worked very hard on my keeping and I feel I've improved,” Prior said. “But you need a bit of luck as well, you need that odd one to stick. I'll probably watch a few replays of that catch and enjoy it. But I know the highs and lows, so now I'm trying to maintain a consistent level.”