Jimmy Maher, the assertive Australian opening batsman, had three spells with Glamorgan during the 2000s, besides appearing in 26 One-Day Internationals for Australia and being a member of the Australian squad that won the 2003 World Cup.
His first stint in Wales came in 2001 when he replaced fellow Australian Matthew Elliott. It proved to be a run-laden summer for the forceful left-hander as he passed a thousand runs besides scoring a sublime double-hundred against Essex at Cardiff. The Essex bowlers were on the receiving end again when Maher returned for a second spell in half of 2003 with the opening batsman scoring a rapid 142 in their Sunday League encounter at the Sophia Gardens ground.
With Matthew Elliott returning to Wales, Jimmy switched allegiance to Durham and enjoyed another productive summer in 2006, during which he amassed 978 first-class runs, besides hitting three centuries in one-day games. He then returned to Glamorgan for a third and final time during 2007 season but, in contrast, to his profligacy the previous year, Jimmy enjoyed a relatively modest time, averaging 16.8 in eight Championship appearances besides hitting one half-century in List A games.
Jimmy duly returned to Australia for a final season of Sheffield Shield games with Queensland, plus appearances in the Big Bash, before retiring at the end of 2008/09 after a stint in the Indian Cricket League with the Hyderabad Heroes. Having butchered the bowling all around the world, it was perhaps appropriate that Jimmy should opt for a career as a meat distributor in Brisbane after retiring from professional cricket.
MAHER, James Patrick
Born – Innisfail, Queensland, 27th February 1974.
Best performances for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 217 v Essex at Sophia Gardens, 2001.
In List A cricket – 142* v Essex at Sophia Gardens, 2003 and 3/29 v Surrey at Whitgift School, 2003.
In T20 cricket – 26 v Gloucestershire at Bristol, 2007.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| F-c | 30 | 54 | 2 | 1868 | 35.92 | 4 | 8 | 29 | – |
| List A | 39 | 39 | 2 | 1124 | 30.38 | 2 | 5 | 20 | – |
| T20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 15.50 | – | – | 1 | – |
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI | 10wM | |
| F-c | 132 | 3 | 90 | 0 | – | – | – |
| List A | 74 | 0 | 81 | 4 | 20.25 | – | – |