Bernie Maher

Bernard Joseph Michael Maher (born 11 February 1958) was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1981 and 1993.^[1] Of Irish extraction, he was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex.

Maher's cricketing debut came in 1977, when he played for the first time for Middlesex's Second XI. He was not to make another cricketing appearance for any county until he signed for Derbyshire in 1981. As the man touted to follow Bob Taylor as the next great wicket-keeper, his debut came in 1981 as his teammate was tied up playing in the famous 1981 Ashes series won by England.

As Taylor retired in 1984, it was automatically assumed that Maher would take his place, though his poor batting form saw him lose out to Chris Marples. Following the justification of his inclusion into the squad thanks to a century against New Zealand's tourists, Maher kept wicket for the rest of 1986, though subsequently was only sporadically called upon as an opener.

Having appeared in nearly every one of Derbyshire's matches between 1987 and 1989, it was just as much of a surprise to see Maher suffer from poor batting form just as teammate Karl Krikken was coming to the forefront of the selectors' minds. After appearing for the side only four times between 1990 and 1992, his next starring roles within the first team only came as a result of an injury to Krikken in 1993. Maher continued his Second XI career, however, and continued to act in his role as Second XI captain until 1995, a role which he had held since 1990.

After his retirement from cricket, Maher commenced commentating for Derbyshire and, after his cricketing days came to a close, he started a professional career in fly fishing.

Maher is a current England Fly Fishing International and was National English Fly Fishing champion in 2005/6. He also has 4 Commonwealth team medals, including a silver in the 2012 Championships in Tanzania. He holds coaching and instructor qualifications for the Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors (AAPGAI), the American Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) and Advanced Professional Game Angling Qualifications (APGAI) in Trout and Salmon and offers private and group tuition at Press Manor Fishing Lakes, the complex of Trout, Coarse and Carp lakes he owns in Ashover (near Chesterfield and Matlock). ^[2]

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