A move from Surrey to Derbyshire may not be considered the everyday norm in county cricket, but Ireland’s Tim Murtagh is confident international teammate Gary Wilson has more than struck lucky.

Wilson switched to the Midlands over the winter, with competition for places in the capital too high for him to get regular appearances in any competition.

However, with Ireland’s Royal London One-Day International Series against England just a couple of days away, Wilson seems to be hitting form at just the right time.

A score of 72 in his first match was followed by another half-century in his previous first-class outing, with veteran bowler Murtagh among those confident his experience could prove vital when facing their neighbours across two matches.

“Gary has started the season very well and that’s great for him. He was debating about whether to go back to Ireland and playing over there, but he got a really good offer from Derbyshire, one he looks to have taken with both hands,” said Murtagh, previewing the two-game series at Bristol and Lord’s.

“That can only be a good thing for us if he’s in good form, he’s one of five or six who are around county cricket, who are getting that exposure in some high-level competition.

“He’s facing some very strong attacks, in both divisions you’re playing against teams who have all-international attacks and that can only benefit you in the long run.

“Everyone knows the talent he has, he’s got a lot of experience to offer and it’s great to see him scoring runs.”

Ireland have been no strangers to big results against England, causing a dramatic shock in the 2011 World Cup thanks to the fastest century in the competition's history from Kevin O’Brien.

The subsequent years have not been quite so forthcoming results wise however, with veterans such as John Mooney and Trent Johnson hanging up their pads in recent times.

The onus has therefore fallen on the likes of Murtagh and Wilson to carry the leadership mantle, with the bowler backing the 31-year-old Wilson to be among those stepping up to the plate.

He added: “Gary is one who needs to play a high level as he can. Ben Foakes came in at Surrey and done very well so I don’t necessarily think there was a spot for Gary in there.

“It was just his time to go, he got a great chance up at Derby and the fact that he’s playing regular cricket in a first-team is going to be a lot more beneficial for everyone than just sitting in the seconds.

“We've had a bit of transition with a lot of guys moving on so Gary is one of our more experienced guys, he's got a lot of potential to be able to step up to that though and hopefully we can start off well this week.”

Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh were speaking on behalf of Royal London, proud sponsors of One Day cricket, ahead of the upcoming ODI matches against Ireland.