Jimmy Maher has laid his name before Australia's selectors again and hit Queensland closer to another first-class final to boot with a dominant display of batting on the opening day of the Pura Cup match against New South Wales here in Sydney today. The prolific left handed opener led a run-feast, piloting the Bulls to the imposing scoreline of 1/325 by stumps.

In combining brilliantly with fellow upper order players Martin Love (101*) and Brendan Nash (60), Maher (151*) made it a horror day for the home team, which requires points from each of its last two matches to retain any hope of making the competition final.

And his 17th first-class century also couldn't have harmed his chances of being elevated into the Australian one-day squad - expected to be named on Sunday - which will shortly tour South Africa.

"I'd love to play for Australia; that's what we all play for and I know that I am batting very well at the moment," said the 28-year-old after play.

"I feel good about the way I'm playing (and) the way I'm hitting the ball."

When Queensland captain Stuart Law won the toss at the start of the day and decided that his side would bat first on a benign pitch, it gave Maher the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his talents. Albeit that he survived at least three anxious moments, and never really felt for his own part that he was completely settled at the crease.

"It was hard work, it was a real battle today (and) I never felt 100% in at any stage," said Maher.

Maher's resilience, over 283 deliveries and 348 minutes, brought him the milestone of 1000 first-class runs for the season and assisted him in surpassing his previous highest score (of 44) at the Sydney Cricket Ground. And, more importantly for the Bulls, it also helped produce partnerships of 134 runs for the first wicket with Nash and an unbroken 191 for the second with Love.

The latter stand was Queensland's all-time best for the second wicket at the SCG.

With Nash, the left handed Maher started the innings relatively slowly against accurate bowling from Nathan Bracken (0/51) and the luckless Stuart Clark (0/70).

Maher even survived a huge caught behind appeal on 1 and was then dropped at both 7 and 29 when tough chances in the slips were spilt by Corey Richards and Michael Clarke respectively.

But it wasn't too long before a change came over the game, with both batsmen growing in confidence as soon as they started to score their first boundaries of the day.

A lapse in concentration ultimately accounted for Nash in the middle session - as he spooned a drive to Shane Lee at mid on from the bowling of namesake Don Nash (1/45).

But Maher continued to play impeccably even after that setback. The ever-elegant Love helped him compound the punishment for the New South Wales bowlers and fielders with some outstanding strokeplay of his own.

Maher struck a nervous patch in the nineties, remaining marooned on the mark of 97 for as many as 16 deliveries at one point before scampering through for an expertly judged single. He also hovered on 99 for a time in the lead-up to a misfield by Nash at mid on that permitted another single in the last over before tea.

But he found little else acting to slow his progress, and a near-perfect day for the Bulls - only an outright victory away from guaranteeing themselves a home final in three weeks' time - was then sealed when Maher registered his 150 and Love his century in the closing minutes.

© 2002 CricInfo Ltd